The Active Communities Project is designed to improve people’s lives in Kyrgyzstan by helping communities, local governments, NGOs, and the private sector to solve problems of local concern.

DURATION: Oct. 2019 – Sep. 2024

BUDGET: $14 million

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER: FHI 360

KEY PARTNERS: ACTED, Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders

ACTIVITY LOCATION: Kyrgyz Republic
 

PROJECT CONTEXT

The Kyrgyz Government’s Program for Development of Local Self-Government 2018-2023 aims to mobilize resources for local development and increase the level of citizen participation in solving local-level problems. Yet challenges remain for achieving this. For example, there is only a very limited level of collaboration between citizens, government authorities, non-government organizations, and the private sector. In addition, a lack of experience in self-government often disappoint when local initiatives do not yield their intended results. 

The project will support the achievement of national priorities with regards to local development by strengthening citizen participation in democratic governance. It will also help local governments, communities, civil society organizations, and the private sector to better work together for achieving common goals.

MAJOR FOCUS AREAS

The project will work with a number of municipalities in different regions of Kyrgyzstan to:

1. Provide the expertise and resources that local communities and governments need to work together and solve local problems;
2. Strengthen partnerships between local communities and big national civil society organizations, and support their advocacy work to improve public services in the country;
3. Strengthen citizens’ understanding of their legal rights and improve their access to justice.

PROJECT COMPONENTS AND EXPECTED RESULTS

• CONVENING LEARNING LABS. The project will help communities build collaborative multi-stakeholder groups (Learning Labs) for designing and testing solutions to local problems. By the project end, 25-30 communities will have developed solutions to their problems.
• SUPPORTING ADVOCACY  EFFORTS. The project will support the cooperation between local communities and national-level civil society organizations to engage the government on issues that matter most for citizens. By the project’s end, issue-based networks will develop policy recommendations for authorities in six to eight thematic areas – for example, access to employment for people with disabilities.
• PUBLICIZING COMMUNITY-LEVEL SUCCESSES. The project will conduct information campaigns to showcase the ability of locally-led initiatives to achieve tangible results.  Over the life of the project, several multimedia campaigns and five national conferences will promote the importance of citizen participation.
• STRENGTHENING ACCESS TO JUSTICE. The project will reach over 10,000 Kyrgyzstanis to provide them with legal education and free legal assistance, and also help them access the country’s formal legal and judicial system.