Osh, Kyrgyzstan – On December 16-21, 2009, Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) was conducting a series of two-days seminars “Youth Bank” for 36 representatives of five Youth Banks established within the framework of EFCA project “Increasing the Potential of Representatives of Local Self-governing Institutions and Nongovernmental Sector in Building Neighbor Relations.” The project is implemented in partnership with public association “For International Tolerance” and aimed at building good neighbor relations among residents of ten border districts in the south of Kyrgyzstan.

The seminar was a part of the training session “Youth Bank” and was conducted by trainers from Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI), England. The main objective was to improve youth’s capability to make positive changes in their communities through Youth Bank activities. The target group of the training session is young community leaders in the age of 16-35 selected on the competitive basis according to such criteria as initiative, activity, a desire to participate in the community life. At the moment Youth Bank members have already implemented three demonstration projects aimed at developing youth’s leadership skills and building social partnership with local self-governing institutions in border districts of Osh, Batken and Zhalalabat Oblasts.

In the course of seminars participants discussed the issues of further functioning and sustainable development of Youth Banks, risk management, mobilizing labor and financial resources, and made an analysis of mistakes on the basis of implemented projects. One of the projects realized by Youth Bank “Toktogul” of the village district Kosh-Dobo, Aksyi Region, was oriented at solving problems of youth leisure time through creating the Youth Club. In the Youth Club the groups on table tennis and chess were organized alongside with other activities to involve young people in the community life. Chinarbek Kadyrkulov, a member of Youth Bank “Toktogul”, noted, “In our village there is a high level of unemployment and no infrastructure to arrange leisure time. While implementing the project we were learning a lot; people and self-governing bodies believed in us, and what is more important –we believed in ourselves.”

Besides the study component the project includes events to develop the potential of youth, self-governing and law-enforcement institutions in building partnership and fair management; realization of over 30 projects for long-term development of communities; planning and conducting public events to strengthen neighbor relations.

The project will be over in June, 2010. On the basis of its results EFCA Osh office will conduct a final forum, where the further strategy on supporting initiative on peace building and tolerance development will be determined. The project is supported by the European Commission, Canadian Embassy and US Agency for International Development (USAID).