The Facilitating Inter-ethnic Tolerance and Harmony program (FAITH) harnesses religious leaders as a valuable resource to promote inter-ethnic understanding, dialogue, and interaction in Southern Kyrgyzstan.
IREX will provide training on inter-ethnic tolerance to ethnic Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Tajik religious leaders throughout the region. These religious leaders will then engage leaders of women’s groups and youth groups from different ethnic backgrounds in a similar training, who will subsequently use their new knowledge and skills to develop and implement joint projects addressing shared community needs. Implementing projects with their peers from different ethnic groups will set a positive example for communities in Southern Kyrgyzstan and will overcome barriers to inter-ethnic cooperation, thereby reducing the likelihood of ethnic violence in the region.
• Increase religious leaders’ knowledge and ability to train women and youth to be more tolerant of others and work collaboratively toward a shared goal
• Promote inter-ethnic dialogue and collaboration amongst women and youth group members from different ethnic groups through the funding and implementation of community projects that meet shared needs
• Support the development of a network of tolerant religious leaders who will promote a continual culture of peace and inter-ethnic collaboration throughout southern Kyrgyzstan
The events of the spring of 2010 that led to the flight of Kyrgyzstan’s President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and subsequent clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the southern region of Osh underscored the fragility of Kyrgyzstan’s nascent democracy. A year later, the situation remains volatile and there is a clear need to develop a culture of peace in Kyrgyzstan—both to facilitate reconciliation in the aftermath of the 2010 clashes and to prevent tensions from turning violent in the future.
Any program that seeks to mitigate inter-ethnic tensions in Kyrgyzstan must take into consideration the increasingly important role of religion in the country. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, citizens of Kyrgyzstan have become more religious and Islam has taken on a more significant role in all facets of life. As pillars of their community, religious leaders have the ability to promote peace and influence their communities to create neutral, collaborative spaces that overcome inter-ethnic barriers to communication and understanding.
Women’s and Youth groups also serve important influential roles in their communities. IREX’s experience in other post-conflict environments shows that community members are more receptive to youth-led initiatives than other community-driven initiatives. Additionally, young people played a role in instigating the violence in southern Kyrgyzstan in 2010. Women are notoriously excluded from official peacebuilding initiatives but have tremendous potential to influence their communities. IREX is harnessing the contributions of both of these populations through their participation in the FAITH program.
• Ethnic Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Tajik religious leaders participate in 5-day workshop on inter-ethnic tolerance
• Religious leaders work in cross-ethnic pairs to replicate the inter-ethnic tolerance workshop for women’s groups and youth groups in their communities
• Members of youth and women’s groups will design small community projects in collaboration with at least one participant from a different ethnic group
• Twelve projects will be selected, funded by IREX and implemented
• Community workshops held to share experiences
• FAITH network will be established to facilitate a continued community of tolerant leaders