Event series International Talks
The International Talks always take place during the semester. Always online. Always discussion format. Always socially relevant, international topics. The format includes an impulse with discussion, in which the participants can take part via chat. The talks get a special dynamic through the moderation of different experts. The International Talks are open to all students, colleagues and interested persons, especially including international students.
Strong civil society as a sign of development and democracy in Kyrgyzstan
Speaker: Maria Kolesnikova
Thursday, 18th of April, 2024, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Kyrgyzstan used to be the most democratic country in Central Asia. It has gone through 3 revolutions since its independence from the Soviet Union (Russia) in 1991. Civil society has always been a vibrant part of the country’s development and guarantor of human rights and freedom of speech. However, in recent years Kyrgyzstan stopped being a Parliament country and went back to the Presidential ruling. In 2023 Parliament imposed a copy of Russian so called „Foreign Agents Law“ in order to control civil society organisations. NGOs in Kyrgyzstan play a crucial role in the development of such spheres like environmental protection, medicine, education, social services, etc. Unfortunately, the new law will affect many public organisations and they would have to stop their operation according to the experts who have seen such a change in Belarus and Russia.
Maria Kolesnikova is the first eco activist in Central Asia who has received the highest UN Award – Earth Champion – for her Clean Air campaign in Kyrgyzstan. She is a chairwoman of environmental NGO MoveGreen that raises awareness about air pollution, climate change and green solutions among youth and the general population in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. MoveGreen works closely with authorities on local and national levels to advocate for a greener future. She will speak about MoveGreen’s activities and actions that made the government prioritize actions to clean the air in the country.
Participation
All Talks will be realized as videoconference.
Certificats
Available on request