National forum for dialogue

KYRGYZSTAN

The project supports the formulation of a nationally-owned approach to peacebuilding through the establishment of a Nationali Dialogue for Kyrgyzstan. The Forum involves 30-35 influential, well respected and committed individuals, over a third of whom are women, from state institutions, civil society, religious authorities, academia and the private sector, including representatives of all major ethnic groups.

The main objective of the project is to conduct an informal high-level dialogue drawing on all sectors of society to exchange views about socio-political and other developments in Kyrgyzstan, with a view to enhancing understanding and contributing to a creative and peaceful resolution of the pressing issues facing Kyrgyzstan. It will be achieved through the inclusion of all major parties to the conflict in a dialogue process on peace and reconciliation, the facilitation and support to the formation of a broad consensus on the need to prevent escalation and to build lasting peace. A series of practical activities can also result from the process and are likely to include research, analysis and presentation of the conflict in its complexity that will allow for opportunities for conflict transformation and conflict prevention to be identified and explored.

More specifically, the project will produce the following outputs:

• a National Dialogue for Kyrgyzstan will be established and its members’ capacities built;
• tools or possible practical activities to support the dialogue process will be developed – these can include in-depth analysis of the peacebuilding and reconciliation needs and processes; conflict mitigation and prevention measures at the community level and promotion of the Forum’s work and key messages to the public.