FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 13, 2012
Contact: Jennifer Nevin Anderson
Tel: 202-628-8188, Email jnevin@irex.org [9]
IREX Receives USIP Grant for Youth Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Program in Kyrgyzstan
Washington, DC – Today IREX received a new grant from the United States Institute of Peace, which will expand its peacebuilding activities in Kyrgyzstan. With this funding, IREX will train and support youth and adults to create peer mediation programs in schools and establish and support a multi-ethnic youth theater performance troupe.
“IREX is pleased to have USIP support for this essential peacebuilding work. Youth are the key agents of change to increase the resilience of communities in Kyrgyzstan in the face of conflict,” said IREX President Ambassador W. Robert Pearson.
The project will train educators in Kyrgyzstan to support youth affected by conflict as well as train youth and adult mentors to create peer mediation programs in their schools. As the country is still recovering from ethnic violence, youth are especially vulnerable groups since their involvement in conflict renders them as both aggressors and victims. In Kyrgyzstan, youth are in need of the skills and support to develop a culture of peace and respect for ethnic diversity.
Raya Barazanji, USIP’s Grant Officer with oversight of this grant project, says that “this project is unique in the sense that it supports youth-led conflict prevention efforts, and builds the capacity of educators in schools at the same time to develop toolkits for long-term peace education.”
“We are honored to help further USIP’s mission to mitigate conflict and build peace throughout the globe, and this grant is a reflection of our commitment to that mission in Kyrgyzstan and elsewhere,” said Pearson.
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The United States Institute of Peace [10] is the country's global conflict management center. Created by Congress to be independent and nonpartisan, USIP works to prevent, mitigate and resolve international conflict through nonviolent means.
As part of its congressional mandate, USIP devotes a significant portion of its budget to grant-making in the fields of peacebuilding and conflict management. Over 20 years, the Institute's Grant Program [11] has awarded more than 2,100 grants in 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and in 87 foreign countries. The Grant Program increases the breadth and depth of the Institute's work by supporting peacebuilding projects managed by non-profit organizations including educational institutions, research institutions, and civil society organizations.
IREX is an international nonprofit organization providing thought leadership and innovative programs to promote positive lasting change globally. We enable local individuals and institutions to build key elements of a vibrant society: quality education, independent media, and strong communities. To strengthen these sectors, our program activities also include conflict resolution, technology for development, gender, and youth.
Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $70 million and a staff of over 400 professionals worldwide. IREX employs field-tested methods and innovative uses of technologies to develop practical and locally-driven solutions with our partners in more than 120 countries.