“Economist”
Strengthening Independent Media
$58,000
To provide political and economic news and analysis for the business community in the Kyrgyz Republic. The organization will provide daily coverage and host a series of public roundtables, emphasizing economic and political issues. The project will help to fill the gap in quality Kyrgyz-language media while also offering content in Russian. The content will respond to the growing interest in and understanding of political engagement and participation in civic activism by entrepreneurs and owners of small business.
Association Smart Zharan
Supporting a New Generation of Human Rights Activists
$119,000
To promote the development of a new generation of young human rights defenders. The organization will conduct a series of trainings for young civic activists, covering practical and theoretical concerns related to human rights work. Students will receive support from experienced mentors, and the six strongest students will receive stipends to complete research projects. Alumni from previous human rights schools will also continue to participate in events.
Center Polis Asia
Preserving Historical Memory
$79,000
To promote understanding of the Kyrgyz Republic’s modern history and to foster discussion of historical memory. The organization’s experts will contribute to research and discourse on historical memory and develop a textbook and accompanying educational materials for use in universities and schools. It also will support initiative groups throughout the country exploring local historical memory. The project will emphasize the legacy of Soviet authoritarianism on modern democratic development.
Innovation Laboratory
Increasing Capacity for Investigative Journalism
$90,000
To increase the capacity of Kyrgyz journalists to conduct investigative journalism. The organization will train journalists in the basics of investigative journalism, including working with open source data. The organization’s experienced journalists will conduct investigations into the undeclared income and property of high-ranking government officials and parliamentarians, which they will publish online. The organization will also prepare a handbook for journalists in Russian and Kyrgyz, and continue to develop a unified portal of open information and an online investigation tool.
Institute of Public Analysis
Strengthening Access to Justice
$60,000
To strengthen the rule of law. The organization will monitor court proceedings throughout the country to detect and expose abuse of power and inconsistencies in the legal code. Using the findings of monitors, the organization will report violations to the court system’s disciplinary mechanisms and present recommendations to parliament on strengthening existing legislation and to the Ministry of Justice and the court system on improving transparency and combatting abuses.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Local Political Communications & Campaigning
$250,000
To strengthen political organizations and the political system overall against crises, the Institute will work with civil society actors, local politicians, and political parties to improve their ability to communicate with and cultivate political bases. Trainings on advocacy, public opinion research, and constituent engagement will improve these actors’ ability to channel public opinion and resolve issues productively.
Jalalabad Regional Human Rights Organization Spravedlivost
Promoting Human Rights
$99,000
To expand the availability of reliable and detailed information about human rights in remote regions of the Kyrgyz Republic, promote the defense and protection of human rights and civic freedoms, and raise the level of legal knowledge and awareness of citizens of their basic rights. The organization will maintain its network of human rights NGOs, monitor human rights abuses, and provide free legal aid.
Jnomics Media LTD
Strengthening Independent Media
$110,000
To improve the professional, strategic, and administrative capacity of media organizations in the Kyrgyz Republic. The organization will provide in-depth, continuous mentorship and training to four local media outlets in the Kyrgyz Republic. The project will advise these partners on developing strategic plans, making their operations more efficient, and promoting long-term financial sustainability. The organization will tailor the activities for each partner based on their specific needs, drawing on experience from experience elsewhere in the region.
Kloop Media, z.s.
Promoting Free and Fair Elections – CONTINGENCY
$595,900
To promote quality daily, live, investigative, and data journalism in the Kyrgyz Republic and to promote civic engagement, organization, and mobilization around the issues most important to Kyrgyz citizens. The organization will produce daily and investigative journalism in Kyrgyz, Russian, and Uzbek from newsrooms in Bishkek and Osh. It will create a platform for new activists to find constituents, organize, and develop their civic movements. It will match novice activists with experienced civil society using software it will develop.
Legal Clinic Adilet
Defending Human Rights
$220,000
To promote the rule of law and defend the civil and political rights of citizens in the Kyrgyz Republic. The organization will engage the judiciary and legislature. On the judicial side, it will conduct strategic litigation to challenge threats to civil, political, and human rights. On the legislative side, the organization will analyze current and proposed legislation to suggest changes and reforms to conform to human rights norms.
Legal Initiative Bishkek Public Foundation
Strengthening Civic Society and Rule of Law
$45,000
To strengthen and protect civil society in the Kyrgyz Republic. Using a curriculum that it has developed, the organization will provide civic education trainings to a group of young activists from different regions of the country, introducing them to the concepts of civil society, civic engagement, civic activism, democratic governance, and rule of law. The organization also will initiate strategic litigation in defense of freedom of association.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Local Leaders for Effective Change
$322,000
To support improved governance in Kyrgyzstan’s regions, the Institute will increase the responsiveness of local government structures in Kyrgyzstan to address diverse and complex local concerns. As Kyrgyzstan’s national level politicians are occupied with reforms and evolving party politics, local level representatives are increasingly important to ensuring that government delivers on citizens’ concerns. The Institute will improve the capacity of local council members who are also party members to facilitate inclusive and participatory decision-making processes and to address diverse and complex issues facing their communities, and to integrate these issue-facing methodologies into existing or developing party structures. With support from local experts, the Institute will guide participating local council members through a six-stage policy development process that directly involves constituents, particularly women and traditionally underrepresented communities, as councilors seek sustainable solutions. Given that certain prominent issues require regional collaboration to resolve, the Institute also will facilitate collaboration with neighboring local council partners to increase accountability among higher-level government actors.
Public Association “Center for Political and Legal Studies”
Promoting Public Discussion and Political Discourse
$62,000
To advance policy debate and promote reform in the Kyrgyz Republic. The organization will host a series of expert-led discussions, publish regular news analysis and commentary, and produce a series of policy papers suggesting concrete action for parliament and ministries. All activities will provide a platform for facilitated, productive exchange and discussion among influential leaders from diverse backgrounds, including politics, civil society, business, the media, and academia.
Public Foundation “Association of Lawyers KG”
Monitoring the Impact of Constitutional Changes
$100,000
To combat threats to the rule of law in the Kyrgyz Republic. The organization will monitor and analyze implementation of the country’s newly adopted constitution, which consolidates the executive power of an authoritarian president. The organization will monitor the legal, human rights, and economic impact of changes to the criminal, civil, and administrative codes under the new constitution. Activities will include analyses of the legal, human rights, and economic impact of the changes, public discussions, and trainings for junior lawyers.
Democratic Norms, Ideas and Values
Strengthening Citizen Support for Parliamentary Democracy
$63,500
To strengthen public support for and understanding of representative parliamentary democracy in the Kyrgyz Republic. The project will conduct a series of activities around the country to create bonds between parliament and the public, including trainings on parliamentary engagement, discussions with members of parliament on constituent relations, and a series of ‘Model Parliament’ workshops. The focus on parliament is a response to recent constitutional changes that introduced a strong-presidential system and reduced the role of the legislative branch.
Citizen Participation and Inclusion
Promoting Youth Political Participation
$170,000
To promote youth participation in politics in the Kyrgyz Republic. The organization will organize discussion clubs, training programs, round tables, mentorship programs and meetings with politicians to give youth the leadership, networking and communications skills they need to become involved in regional and national politics in the Kyrgyz Republic. Youth will meet with their peers and with activists, experts, politicians and program alumni, allowing them to advocate for relevant causes and build diverse networks with participants and experts.
Public Union “Peaceful Initiatives”
Promoting Democratic Values
$109,00
To promote democratic ideas and values among youth in the remote Batken Region in the south of the Kyrgyz Republic. The organization will implement a debate program for university and high school students, covering political and social issues, along with other activities on civic education and leadership for youth and adults. The project aims to inspire civic and political engagement among populations with limited exposure to public life.
