TSPC News

TSPC completed a survey and focus group discussions among NCO leaders and activists

February 10, 2014

From November 1 to December 15, 2013, the Tian Shan Policy Center, jointly with the Civil Partnership Platform (CPP) "Central Asia on the Move", the Human Rights Movement "Bir Duino - Kyrgyzstan" and with the support of the representative offices of DCA and ICCO in Kyrgyzstan conducted a survey among the leaders of NCOs and focus group discussions among the activists of NCOs on the issue of development trends in the political space of NCOs in Kyrgyzstan.

The aim of the survey was to identify and analyze the conditions for the activities of NCOs in Kyrgyzstan which, in the first place, were being felt by NCO leaders and activists, certain aspects of these conditions that had a principal impact on the activities of the NCOs, as well as aspects that required greater attention and practical work.

The survey was all the more important that it was conducted in a historical period of development difficult for the NCOs. The year of 2013 had already been engraved in our memory by the repeated efforts of the public sector to place NCOs under its tight control. This was connected with the NCOs' emerging in the field of political activities in Kyrgyzstan and assuming an influential position in the county's public and political life. Just in one incomplete year only, different agencies and political figures initiated draft laws that discriminated against the establishment and activities of non-registered NCOs, treating NCOs as foreign agents.

In such a situation, running a survey like this in Kyrgyzstan was a timely step towards a better and deeper understanding of the realities of NCOs' activities in Kyrgyzstan, towards combining practical experiences of NCOs around the world.

The survey was carried out not only in Kyrgyzstan: with the support of DCA and ICCO, such studies were concurrently carried out in many countries of the world, with some countries (Zimbabwe, Colombia, Malawi, Rwanda) having had it already completed.

For future analysis of the results obtained in the different countries of the world, and to identify the common characteristics of the political space in which NCOs operate in various countries, there had been developed a unified surveying methodology. Following the survey's methodology, NCO leaders were invited to fill in specially provided forms. The questions were based on the principles contained in international treaties and conventions, as well as on existing civil society indexes and indicators.

NCO activists were also invited to participate in focus group discussions on the same topics.

All NCO leaders and activists who took part in completing the survey form and focus group discussions will receive copies of the results and be able to comment and express their opinion upon completion of the study.

The team conducting this universal survey also appended it with chapters containing legal and situational analyses of the political space of NCOs in Kyrgyzstan.

On all questions connected with the survey and its findings, please contact:

Mehrigul Ablezova: mehrigiul@gmail.com

Gulmira Esengeldieva: gulmira.birduinokg@gmail.com

Taalaibek Kurmanaliev: camplatform@gmail.com

Read the report on survey findings:

The forms used in the survey:

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