21/09/2020 Osh, Kyrgyzstan - Today the initiative “Research Storytelling: a Story of One Issue” is launched within the framework of the Promoting Kyrgyzstan's Youth Cohesion and Interaction towards Uzbekistan Project implemented by UNDP, and supported by the UN Peacebuilding Fund. The launch of the initiative is dated in consonance with the commemoration of the International Day of Peace and is aimed at popularizing science and research methods as a tool for community development to achieve social cohesion in border communities.

Within the framework of the project, UNDP supports youth innovative solutions at the community level to address border and cross-border issues and to promote regional cooperation between communities. This component is designed to have a greater impact on the cohesiveness dynamics of young people in border areas and to develop critical thinking among young people, skills to conduct online surveys in their communities and to present ideas and messages through a youth-focused storytelling. Science and its practical relevance can be one of the tools for building an open society, and the small community story may serve as an example for the whole country.

"Today it is important to understand the value of peaceful coexistence and not to take peace for granted. With this initiative, we hope to interest and educate young people to use scientific tools and methods for their popularizing. In addition, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 which stresses the importance of women’s and girls’ participation, reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts to sustain peace and security," says Bermet Ubaidillaeva.

According to her, school is one of the possible platforms to create interest among young people, and teachers are the main conductors of knowledge, and this initiative will develop environment for more interesting and interactive learning and use of modern tools.

“We expect the project to become a kind of the communication channel between students and teachers. They will jointly develop and improve teaching methods by implementing modern platforms and tools (kahoot, google, case study, etc.). In this way, we will combine the teachers’ experience and fresh students’ perspectives. Students will not only be passive recipients of services, but direct participants, offering improvements in their communities,” - explained Nargiza Zhenisheva, the author of the initiative.

Through the survey, our project participants will find and study historical situations when local people influenced and contributed to the development of their community. In this training, each team will conduct a mini research (interview their classmates, interview teachers, analyze stories, carry out field work in communities) and, based on the results, together with the teacher develop and conduct an open lesson on the topic ‘Science as a tool for peacebuilding.’ Then, a story will be written in the research storytelling format.

Four teams from Kara-Suu schools in Osh oblast, the city of Kerben in Jalal-Abad Oblast, and the city of Aidarken in Batken Oblast are expected to participate.

This initiative will include educational webinars where participants will be able to learn what the research is, its methods and practical relevance, as well as gain practical information and community skills.

This initiative is implemented by UNDP within the framework of the Promoting Kyrgyzstan's Youth Cohesion and Interaction towards Uzbekistan Project, in cooperation with the Women’s Development Bank, and with consulting support of N. Zhenisheva and A. Abubachayeva - the authors of the initiative.