Upstream Conflict Prevention in Central Asia

International Alert has successfully concluded two EU-funded projects in Tajikistan, one on secular-religious dialogue and the other on the promotion of peaceful behaviour among young people. We held conferences with local stakeholders in the country to review the successes, recommendations and lessons learnt from both projects.

In September 2011, International Alert invited the famous Ossetian artist and humanist Magrez Kelekhsaev to conduct art master classes for schoolchildren in three districts of South Ossetia, as part of Alert’s post-war psychosocial rehabilitation programme.

The repeated recurrences of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict since 1992 following the break-up of the Soviet Union, along with the increasing isolation of South Ossetia from the outside world have resulted in widespread trauma and the destruction of South Ossetian social fabric. In particular, since the latest flare-up of violent hostilities in August 2008, working on such a prolonged and deep conflict requires an extremely careful and balanced approach based on the principle of “do no harm”.

A draft policy concept on the prevention of radicalism among youth in Tajikistan was presented this week at a Forum organised by International Alert in partnership with the Committee on Youth Affairs, Sport and Tourism of the Government of Tajikistan. Over 60 government officials, political party leaders, civil society representatives, students, religious scholars and other key experts joined in constructive discussions on policy steps to increase youth’s resilience to radical ideas.

Although Central Asia has remained relatively peaceful in the years since the break-up of the Soviet Union, there is still a considerable potential for conflict in the region. The Strategic Framework for Peacebuilding provides an in-depth analysis of conflict potential in Central Asia, from which it derives a peacebuilding strategy. The report focuses its attention on three states: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Full report