FOUNDATION FOR TOLERANCE INTERNATIONAL

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNICEF

Research period: September – October 2011

Assessment of at-risk youth potential for conflict

Report on research component of the project “Empowerment of Youth to promote reconciliation and diversity”, with the support of UNICEF.

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Content Chapters: page

I. Summary of research

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II. Glossary of terms

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Main Conclusions

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III. Description of situation

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The situation of at-risk youth

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The condition of social workers, pedagogues, teachers and sports coaches working with youth

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IV. Youth potential for conflict

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Ethnic factor

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Impact of sports clubs in conflicts with the participation of youth

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V. Analysis of problems

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VI. Conclusions and the most acute conflict factors

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VII. Recommendations

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I. Summary of research

Foundation "For Tolerance International" with the support of UNICEF carried out a

research component of the project "Empowerment of Youth to promote reconciliation and diversity".

The overall objective of the project is to create project conditions to mitigate the possible violent actions of young people, in particular in the light of intense political processes occurring in Kyrgyzstan. This document is the final report on the outcomes of field work. The task of the research component was to identify features in the behavior of at-risk youth and to determine the factors likely to affect the conflicts with the participation of youth at risk.

The main phase of the survey was carried out from October 1 till 15, 2011. Assessment of

risks and threats of conflicts among the different groups of young people and specialists was conducted in Chui, Jalal-Abad, and Osh oblasts of the republic.

The study consisted of 108 individual interviews and 2 in-depth interviews with experts,

24 focus groups, 120 questionnaires were distributed and content analysis of mass was done on the subject of the search of expert-analytical publications on a given topic.

Table 1. Distribution of survey by regions № Oblasts Rayons and cities Forms and quantity of survey 1 Chui 1. Kara-Balta city

2. Tokmok city 3. Bishkek city

36 II 8 FG 36 questionnaires

2 Osh 1. Kara-Su rayon 2. Uzgen rayon 3. Nookat rayon 4. Osh city

40 interview 10 FG 48 questionnaires

3 Jalal-Abad 1. Suzak rayon 2. Bazar-Korgon rayon 3. Jalal-Abad city

32 II 6 FG 36 questionnaires а

Survey was conducted among the six following social groups: leaders of youth organizations and youth wings of political parties; students of schools, colleges and universities; current and former sportsmen; sports coaches; social workers and pedagogues; representatives of state agencies and local authorities.

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Ethnicity, gender and age of participants were taken into consideration. Special attention was paid to the multi-ethnic representation of the respondents in the southern regions to keep the balance and obtain an objective picture on issues relating to inter-ethnic relations.

The study does not guarantee that these conclusions are supported by statistically valid information, as originally it was not focused on search of quantitative data. However, the methods of in-depth individual interviews and broad focus groups allowed identifying the qualitative indicators of the subject, which most clearly describe the settings, such as the causes, problems, motives and consequences.

II. Glossary of terms

At-risk youth – group of youth or certain members of the group, who systematically executes or probably can execute illegal acts (commit a crime, can be exposed by the influence of criminal, religious extremist, radical nationalistic, political groups, participate in disorders, mass provocations and scuffles). Social portrait – generalized view of describable group of people on the basis of their education, marital status, mode of life, standard of life, interrelations in the family, the level of income and the ways of its earning; Social-economic problems – conditions of life of group or its certain members when there is dissatisfaction of needs in food, comfort, work, interaction with others, interrelations with the government, security, culture and psychology. Methodological problems in the activities of social workers and pedagogues – lack or absence of essential knowledge, skills, which doesn’t allow social workers and pedagogues to effectively perform their job. Informal sport groups – group of youth united with any type of sport, which provides (periodically or systematically) illegal force services to the different political, criminal, extremist groups of interest. Informal sport groups – sport training place where besides members of sport groups other sportsmen can also come. Main conclusions

• Humanitarian and socio-economic programs and projects of international donors, NGO and Government are mainly oriented to work with active part of youth which are in more favorable conditions of development. Ad interim, numerous categories of unemployed, uneducated, socially not protected group of youth at present are the most vulnerable group. All these social and humanitarian institutes don’t work with at-risk youth in order to avoid difficulties.

• Serious factor contributing to involvement of at-risk youth in conflicts anti-social

activities are: religious illiteracy, need in money and search of own place in ideological and social plane, absence of proper attention and control by the family and State, limitation of infrastructure objects and development in residence place of youth, activeness of political, criminal, religious-extremist movements, who use youth as mass force etc.

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• There are serious problems in terms of material wellbeing of social workers, pedagogues

and sport trainers, working with youth. Practically all respondents noted low salary and absence of support from the Government as main obstacles in their work.

• There is not coherent program of increasing qualification and development of pedagogical cadres in education system of youth. Pedagogues as well as law enforcement agencies continue using outdated and ineffective methods of work with youth.

• There is not systematic research of conflict potential of at-risk youth as well as not

serious work on preventing conflicts with youth participation. The most un researched parts are Northern oblasts of Kyrgyzstan, whereas it is known that events of April 7th, 2010 started in Naryn and Talas oblasts with mass participation of at-risk youth .

• In Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts, the consequences of inter ethnic clashes are not solved yet

but regained silent character of displaying. Mutual distrust between Kyrgyz and Uzbek ethnic groups still exists. The most conflicting in this regard is youth.

• Informal sport clubs are not necessarily have to be under the control of concrete individuals or group, they can exist as informal commercial structure, providing force services (guard, force pressure at other groups, physical neutralization disliked rivals in business, politics etc.) to different customers.

• As the assessment showed, sport community of the South has number of distinctive features in comparison with Chui oblast. For example in Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts, sport clubs are divided in the basis of nationality. Whereas in Chui oblast, there is no principal ethnic division in sport society.

III. Description of situation The situation of at-risk youth

As survey showed that youth from different social and economic groups of people can be included to the group at risk. Traditional opinion that at-risk youth consists of only rural, uneducated, low-income families haven’t been confirmed. In some fewer cases, youth from quite prosperous families can perform illegal acts differing only with the reasons of acts. If youth from low-income families justify their anti social actions for satisfaction of their physiological needs (food, cloth, everyday expenses) youth from well provided families mainly justify their actions with search of means of social satisfaction (acknowledgement, authority, wealth, position/job post).

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Picture 1: Social portrait and needs of at-risk youth risk from different groups

Social workers, pedagogues, sport trainers emphasize the importance of creating

conditions for employment of youth through creating new working places, organizing the additional types of education, increasing the capacity and introduction of complex state youth program of development.

Moreover, specific factors of influence to at-risk youth are indentified, which are in zone of insufficient attention of social and law-enforcement services:

1. Religious illiteracy. According the data from Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts, particularly from Nookat, Kara-Su and Suzak there is serious threat from religious-extremist party “Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami” (“HBT”), and other extremist movements. Respondents often referred to the events of 2008 when mass acts of protest were organized in the centre of Nookat. According to them, main part of participants were at-risk youth , which were enlisted by prohibited organization. And at the present in spite of relatively stability in the region, HBT continues silent work with uneducated youth, turning them into arm of extremist policy. Presence of silent but active form of HBT activity with youth is noted in Kara-Su rayon. The problem of this situation is that young and uneducated Muslims of villages are the most unsafe group who have lack of idea on Islam can be easily exposed to extreme forms of belief. Illustrative example demonstrating the threat of extreme Islamization of some part of the society is the case when the part of Muslim community protested against introduced unpublished prohibition of wearing scarf in the schools of Kyrgyzstan1.

2. The lack of attention to youth. According to evaluation of specialists closely working with at-risk youth, the situation on addressing attention of parents and relatives to the problems of their children, brothers, sisters is critical. Usually relatives start the process

1 http://www.kyrtag.kg/?q=news/10421

• youth from 14-18 years; • havent finished secondary school ; • there is not stable job, idleness; • in the condition of constant search of means with any methods. • absence of parents attention, control (orphant, paretna are labor

mirgants, drinking parents); • absence of control from social services .

Social portrait of at-risk youth from low-income and single-

parent families

• youth from 14-18 years; • has diploma on higher education, or have opportunity to get education,

but no desire; on parents guaranteing, no need in satisfaction of basic pshycological needs;

• wants to earn big money with easy way , acknowledgement and job in criminal, commercial or state strucutures;

• has comprehensive support among influental relatives and close people.

Social portrait of at-risk youth from well-to-do and full

families

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of control before crisis situation when at times it’s difficult to return them to the normal life. In Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts, more often the high level of external labor migration affects, when parents left abroad leaving children without proper care and in conditions of total absence of control mainly adolescences begin exposing to different negative impacts, up to entry into criminal groups. As a rule such behavior starts with youth participation in informal school communities as racketeering, leader of intra and inter school fights ending with committing more major/grave crimes as extortion and steeling/grabbing.

3. Uneven location of infrastructure and development facilities. Classical scheme when periphery drop behind the centre turned out to have local character. As a rule, rayon or oblast centers under high density of the population and intensity of events are full with different facilities, as markets/bazaars, educational and sport institutions, agencies of social protection and service. As the consequence, villages and suburb rayons are remote and limited from social-economic goods. As the result conditions for division are created, especially in youth environment on the basis of locality/territory and social status (urban, rural etc). Such situation emerged practically in all rayons of three oblasts under assessment, the most illustrative demonstration of this situation is in the city of Kara-Balta and in Chui oblast. Over a period of many years the former city is divided into 2 parts – upper and lower. All sport facilities and most social objects are located in the upper part, and as a result clashes arise between the youth of these rayons street. Such spectrum affects on interethnic situation also, especially in the South of the country. For example, in Nookat rayon of Osh oblast in the centre of the rayon where many of infrastructure facilities are located mainly Uzbek people live. Kyrgyz population who lives in the remote areas began to express their dissatisfaction with such spectrum, negative mood aggravated after events of 2010. Respondents even noted cases when criminal groups made pressure to the business of Centre inhabitants, which denote presence of conflict between the centre and periphery. 4. Increase of political, criminal and religious-extremist factors in the society. For the recent years situation in Kyrgyzstan is characterized with intensive processes of criminal and ideological limits. Against this background, mass of propaganda elements and confronting groups of influence have been formed. And naturally such group of influence tries to form around itself physical mass of people, mainly aggressive and marginal youth, who can implement the task of force pressure. First of all, reasons for recruitment are material goods (money, cars, real estate, material assistance in equipment of sport club, ideological support), promises of job, guarantee of security, ending with covering of criminal prosecution if involved person is with criminal past. According to the data, some political figures and officials of the country keep informal sport groups. Its known that the most of these groups are formed in Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts, local leaders control these groups (criminals, sport trainers). As a result, on the background of different political and conflict events informal sport groups closely integrate into the process.

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Thereby the model characteristics of youth potentially involved to the category of group at risk is the following: inhabitant of remote village and rural areas, or internal migrant, moved to the city in

search of work; without basic or professional education; without stable job, in critical need of money; devoid from family and social attention, no support and conditions for normal life. moral and psychological instability, feeling of hate to everything which have relations to

welfare (cities, developed society, rich people), justifying this that somebody have to be guilty for their social-economic conditions;

closely communicates with street and criminal groups; can go in for sports not for sport career but to join the criminal groups; search for opportunities for prompt earning.

Besides the questions on social portrait of at-risk youth, survey touched the location of

such zones. Markets, bazaars, bus stations; Sport clubs, especially located in basements of buildings and outskirts of human

settlement; Neighboring rayons near to specialized sport schools; Cafes and fast-food stalls around bazaars; Mono ethnic rayons; Multi-ethnic rayons, however within the rayon, different ethnic groups live separately

from each other; Rayons with uneven distribution of infrastructure and social facilities.

Table 2: The names of the most alarming zones and objects by oblasts Rayons and cities

Zone or objects Conflict potential Note

Chui oblats Tokmok, Kant

Sport clubs of Kant city Sport complexes: “Shumkar”, “Kasiet”, Tokmok sport school

Informal sport groups, political mass/crowd

According to one of the respondents so called “Beloshapochniki” – the group of sportsmen youth who provoked clashes in the square (In Bishkek) on March 24, 2005 were rmembers from Kant sport clubs.

Mosques in Tokmok Inter ethnic uzbek and kyrgyz

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provocation mosques are divided (3 – Kyrgyz, 2- uzbek, others – dungan)

Bus station, central bazaar, the rayon of youth labor exchange, computer club in Luksor micro region.

Conflicts and crimes among street youth

Kara-Balta “Manas” sport complex

Informal sport groups, political mass/crowd

Is located in upper part of the city (the city is divided in to upper and lower sides)

Bishkek New buildings around the Bishkek (novostroika) № 38,45,53,66 schools

Conflicts and crimes among street youth, religious propaganda, political mass/crowd

RUOR (sport schools) and regions nearby (micro region Alamedin)

Informal sport groups, criminal

Proneness to conflict of the object confirms the event occurred in the beginning of October 2011 when RUOR students attacked students of school №38. 2

The places of compacted inhabitance of Uigurs

Inter ethnic provocation

Conflicts between kyrgyz and uigur youth are has systematic display as street clashes.

Osh oblast Nookat Gulistan village

Sport schools in Kok-Zhar, Jany Nookat villages (uzbek group of fighters) Centre of the Nookat city

Religious extremism, criminal and politics provocations.

There is informal group of youth united by the interests to religion and sport in Gulistan (about 50 members, all are from uzbek ethnicity)

Uzgen Medical college in Uzgen Inter ethnic provocation

Kara-Su Kahraman, Otuz Adyr, Kyrgyz- Informal sport groups

2 http://kant.kg/2011-10-03/bishkeke-srednyuyu-shkolu-soversheno/

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Chek villages Kahraman, Sydyk-Alaychy secondary school

Conflicts and crimes among street youth

There problems with racketeering in this school

Asan-Chek and Kyrgyz-Chek

Informal sport groups The village is divided into 2 parts on the basis of national criteria, tensions are noted.

Osh On-Adyr, Shait-Tobo Amir-Temur micro region

Conflicts and crimes among street youth. Inter ethnic provocation

Sport clubs: “Kelechek”, “Taimash”, “Muhammed-Umar”, “Ozgur Toloikon”, “Zhash kuch”, “Kelechek”, “Alysh”, “Zhapalak”, “Dinamo”, “Dostuk”, “Nooruz

Informal sport groups, political crowd.

Jalal-Abad oblast Suzak “Taimuras”, “Jany-Muun” sport

clubs

Informal sport groups, political crowd.

Village districts: Kyzyl-Tuu, Atabekov, Yrys. Villages: Yar-Kishlak, Kara-Dariya, Barpy.

Conflicts and crimes among street youth Inter ethnic provocation Religious extremism

Bazar-Korgon

Villages: Bazar-Korgon, Suzak, Charbak, Arstanbap, Sovetskoe, Barpy

Inter ethnic provocation Religious extremism Criminal groups

According the data here is the group of Uzbeks in Charbak village (they name their self like this). However Uzbeks from other rayons doesn’t accept charbaks as Uzbeks, so they are not integrated with Uzbeks from other rayons.

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В Following sport clubs were closed after raid of IAM, SCNS: sections on fighting without rules in №4 secondary school named after Navoi; section on fighting and in the territory of farming machines in school named after Atabekov and section on karate. Ak-Tailak box club was closed after the June events. Kyrgyz people visit sport club in Atabekov school and uzbek people visit sport club in Babyr school.

informal sport groups, political crowd, inter ethnic provocation

Jalal-Abad Oblast DYSHS (children sport school) in Jalal-Abaf city (Park Pobeda), Jalal-Abad State University the faculty of physical training and sport, Park named after Toktogul, sport and fitness complex “Vostok”, and “Jany-Muun” and “Taimuras” clubs.

informal sport groups, political crowd,

Sportsmen noted well technical equipment of “Jany-Muun” and “Taimuras” clubs, and trainers get high salary.

“Sputnik” micro region, pedagogical college, secondary school № 7 named after A. Usman.

Inter ethnic provocation, crimes and conflict among street youth

There are cases of conflicts between students of pedagogical college and school №7 on ethnic basis.

The condition of social workers, pedagogues and sports coaches working with youth

At first glance, it may seem that all these three category of specialists have different character of activity, but we are interested in target group, at-risk youth, with whom social workers, pedagogues and sport trainers work. From this point of view, this part describes general characteristics and approaches of specialists who work with different group of youth.

Most of respondents have long and rich experience of professional activity, with 5 to 35 years of previous experience. All three categories of specialists, as we know, are the most vulnerable in terms of state welfare provision.

In general, there are serious problems in part of material well being of above mentioned specialists. Practically all respondents noted low salary and absence of State support as main obstacles in their work. For example, according to the initiative Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic on social protection of the population amendments were made to the Decree of the Government

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“On conditions of remuneration of labour of some category workers of social protection of the population system” 3.

Within the framework of this amendment, the workers of the system will get allowance to the salary in amount of 10-30% from the salary, as the result the average salary will be about 5 000 soms, on the condition that the minimum subsistence level of the population of working age amounted to 5 183 soms , which almost puts them in a miserable position. Secondly, teachers and pedagogues express dissatisfaction towards the new form of remuneration of labor, introduced from on May 1, 20114. For example, respondents noted: “new system of labor remuneration of teachers is charged wrong, too much papers and confusion”; “allowance to the salary is too small”, “tariffication is not convenient”, “new system of labor remuneration is wrong, teacher of the highest category can get salary equal with cleaner”; “pedagogues don’t know how much is their salary” etc.

Thirdly, there is a very specific potential of protest, which may arise among sports

coaches who are at the municipal or the state support. Apart from the fact that all the coaches made claims to the state and local authorities, regarding the insufficiency of financial and technical support, and all system of labor remuneration to social employees is unfair. Particularly, the sport coaches fall from the zone of attention, who also carry out social and educational function, but their work does not have a corresponding remuneration.

Socio-economic reasons have forced many professionals living and working in the rayons

and villages to seek additional source of income, in different forms, for example, someone breeds cattle, someone works the land, some simultaneously is engaged in commerce, etc. According to the social workers, pedagogues and trainers, this affects the efficiency of the performance of the basic work, up to the fact that some teachers, trainers have to find other, more profitable work. One of the coaches expressed a desire to not think about anything other than sports and education of the youth, but the socio-economic situation makes them distract to other domestic obligations, as the need to support the family.

The content of the work with young people also require improvement and

implementation of new methods. In the system of education and upbringing, there is no a coherent program of improvement of professional skill and development of teaching staff. Outdated methods of work with young people have been being used, for example, it is the pattern preventive talks, classroom hours, individual work don't give proper results, at least talking about this growth trends in child and teenage crime, as the street, and in educational institutions.

In general, from the words of the social workers and pedagogues, it is evident that there

are insufficient works with difficult teenagers, who are on the verge of committing crimes. And, as a rule, if the preliminary preventive work does not give the desired results (i.e. the student does not cease to violate the order), then the only thing which is done is to get rid of a person from the youth educational or sports institution, by way of exception, which is not the solution. It 3 http://kg.akipress.org/news:431611 4 http://www.for.kg/ru/news/144145/

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is obvious that such approach is easier and less problematic for the administration of educational and sporting institutes. However, the consequences of such approach are only exacerbated by, in this case, the rejected and free from the obligations of the young people has almost absolute potential to criminalization or falling under the influence of various anti-social elements. There is also a lack or imperfection of methods of work with at-risk youth, almost all specialists working with young people, note the complexity and discrepancy of work with the aggressive and uncontrolled youth, as the most basic. Meanwhile, it is obvious that at-risk youth is practically outside the zone of influence and control of the social and law-enforcement services, as there is no special equipment, no special methods of studying psychology and behavior of at-risk youth.

For example, the existing method of the Inspection on affairs of minors (IAM) of the Ministry of internal affairs, in which at-risk youth is on record, has ceased to carry out rehabilitative function, because, for the accounting of youth there are no special classes, in the end, this list just runs on educational institutions, without carrying out the actual work. However, upon detection of any violations, the guys from this list to be, or sources of information for the police to search for the perpetrators, or they themselves may be suspected. Perhaps such function exists forcefully, however, in the absence of special measures and tools to work; it is obvious that the range of at-risk youth, at the very least will not be reduced.

Institute of qualification improvement and development of young pedagogues remains

weak and ineffective. The problem is related to young professionals who, due to the weakness of Higher education, begin to approach the pedagogical activity without the appropriate courses of improvement of qualification. According to the students, these teachers often conflict with them. According to students evaluation, often a young teacher does not possess interesting teaching skill due to which the students loose the zeal to learn start to miss classes.

Framework and specific objectives of the social pedagogues have not been outlined.

According to the majority of social pedagogues, they lack the methodological base for the activities. According to the data, the state of social pedagogues was introduced in Kyrgyzstan in 2010, but there are still no clear explanation of the basic obligations of the specialist, i.e. for what specifically is the responsibility of the social pedagogue and what methods should be applied. Many of the respondents admitted that they have difficulties in understanding the framework of its activities.

Due to the lack or insufficiency of effective methodological tools to work with young

people, it turned out that neither teachers, nor social workers do not know the nature of the structure and activities of at-risk youth. The vast majority do not have practical information on extra-circular activities. Questions about informal youth leaders, forces which can affect young people, formed rules among street youth are practically not known to specialists.

A different picture has emerged among sports trainers, if social workers and teachers cant

perform their functions properly because of the lack of or insufficiency of new methods and modern knowledge, individual sports coaches, as survey has shown, they can be the factors of the criminalization of youth. Primarily, this concerns to sports trainers who work with rural

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youth and it is for power sports (boxing, judo, wrestling, sambo, etc.). According to some athletic trainers, they received and continue to receive various proposals from criminal and political structures, with a request to find strong guys or to give armed support in solving various problems. The danger of the situation is characterized by the fact that most sports coaches are the leaders for young children, whom they trust especially if they are not properly trained young athletes. As noted by some athletes, if the coaches asked to provide any kind of power service at the request of the third parties, young athletes unquestioningly accept the offer out of respect for the coach. Especially it concerns the status of sports coaches in the south of the country, so the cultural characteristics of the south, sports coach has a higher status than just sports instructor or mentor, than it has in the Chui oblast, where the coach is first of all a professional instructor. Some parents even asked to help trainers to provide proper educational influence on the children, or asked to look after the teenager, while they are in labour migration.

Moreover, the negative human role of teaching staff in working with young people causes

concern. According to the words of the respondents, there are cases that sometimes the pedagogical staff may violate the ethical and moral principles, which they should educate young people for. For example, in one of the schools of the town of Kara-Balta Chui oblast, it was noted that some teachers are inclined to carry on agitation during the training process in favor of a certain candidate in the election, teachers urged their students to convey the wishes of their parents, sometimes even spread propaganda brochures. Besides, there are examples from schools in the Kara-Suu rayon of Osh oblast, where not only conflicts arise between teachers on ethnic grounds, yet these principles are distributed among the students, as unequal attitude to the students of different ethnic groups. The most acute situation with such a division of teachers and students by ethnic characteristics were recorded in the Medical college of the city of Uzgen, Osh oblast. IV. Youth potential for conflict Ethnic factor

It is quite reasonable that inter-ethnic situation in Chui oblast is relatively stable than in Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts.

Apart from minor conflicts that arise from domestic violence in multi-ethnic regions of

Chui oblast, serious inter-ethnic contradictions are not observed, though some of the facts are of concern.

The cities of Tokmok, Kara-Balta and Bishkek, where survey was conducted, are multi-

ethnic regions having representatives of more than 3 ethnic groups. However, the conflicts among the youth of different nationalities have been observed, especially following the events of June in the south in 2010. Respondents from Tokmok and Kara-Balta reported cases of fights between the representatives of the kyrgyz and Uzbek youth, and only the timely intervention of law-enforcement bodies did not allow the development of the conflict.

A high school student from Kara-Balta reported that the young people of the titular nation

are often blamed for having close communication with students of other nations.

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Authorities and teachers in Bishkek, emphasized their concern about the incidents in the so-called "uighur neighborhoods". In Bishkek, for several generations, there is a conflict on the grounds of section territorial influence between the uighur and kyrgyz youth. The most conflict zone is the so-called district “Tokoldosh” which is next to the microdistricts "Vostok 5" and "Alamedin".

Assessment of the situation shows that Chui oblast, in particular the abovementioned

cities, to a lesser extent, have the potential cases of inter-ethnic conflicts. In this connection, concern is that the analysis of potential hotbeds of interethnic conflicts is not carried out in the regions. Survey did not reveal the presence of any state or public programs aimed at preventing inter-ethnic issues, obviously, the situation connected with the fact that all of the resources in this time are concentrated in the southern areas, in the meantime, in the northern regions, there are also factors and examples of conflicts on ethnic grounds.

More problematic is the situation in Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts. Obviously, the effects of

inter-ethnic clashes, 2010 have not yet been resolved, and found the hidden nature of manifestations. Mutual distrust between the kyrgyz and uzbeks continues. The conflict has made major adjustments to the alignment of the positions of the Kyrgyz and Uzbek ethnic groups. Below are the factors that may exacerbate the interethnic situation in the south. All the tragic events of 2010, as it is known, took place with the active participation of various groups of young people and first of all at-risk youth. The following conflict factors need to be understood through the prism of the opportunities for the involvement of youth in these processes.

In the anonymous interview with a local businessman and criminal leader in Kara-Su

district said that their groupmembers are Kyrgyz people, and they do not trust other ethnicities. The respondent openly speaks about the possibility of violent pressure on the representatives of the Uzbek ethnicity if necessary. Taken into consideration, that such groups are working closely with various groups of young people, including at-risk youth, it is quite obvious that the latter will be used by criminal structures as a physical mass.

There is a definite opinion among politically active part of the youth on the activities of

international organizations and NGOs, who have actively started developing their projects after the events of 2010. During the focus groups among the leaders of youth organizations and youth wings of political parties Osh city, there were complaints and dissatisfaction with the fact that some international donor organizations and NGOs have obvious pro-uzbek policy. According to them, some organizations provide assistance only to Uzbek families and take the job only representatives of the Uzbek nationality, and according to them, these circumstances cause irritation of the Kyrgyz part of the population. Dissatisfaction with the activities of international donor organizations previously expressed by members of the Youth's patriotic movement of Kyrgyzstan, which severely commented on the activities of the U.S. ambassador in the Kyrgyz Republic Pamela Spartlen, assessing her activities in the work with the non-governmental sector of the southern provinces as a policy of double standards5 .

5 http://www.report.kg/people/7033

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In addition to mutual dissatisfaction between the Uzbek and Kyrgyz people, a certain negative attitude towards the chinese has been formed, most likely vendors working in the markets of the south, in particular in Kara-Su market. The respondents noted that number of Chinese citizens in the south is growing and there are cases when kyrgyz girls begin to cohabit with the citizens of China.

Moreover, there is a serious political factor of aggravation of inter-ethnic situation. As the

pre-election race shows, the conflict situation between the presidential candidates arose. According to the respondents from Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts, the public is polarized between themselves on the basis of the support of those or other political candidates.

In addition, the respondents noted the frequent negative rhetoric in public speeches of

some parties and public figures, which allow the statements of the nationalist views, aggravating ethnic sentiment.

Rumors continue to represent a serious factor of influence on the conflicts. The conflict potential of the rumors is that, artificial misinformation by the interested forces can be run which incite inter-ethnic separation. For example, according to the information, received from the Suzak rayon of Jalal-Abad oblast, there are rumors that all the property of Kadyrjan Batyrov6 which was nationalized, sold through agents, citizens of Uzbekistan. The rumor, according to the respondents, cause anger among the Kyrgyz people in the area.

The state youth policy of Kyrgyzstan does not give sufficient attention to the problems of inter-ethnic nature. According to the experienced pedagogues from Osh, the state youth policy has always concentrated mainly in educational institutions, while such mono-ethnic districts as On-Adyr7 fell out of the attention of the state policy, where potential for conflict was formed in such places of dense residence of representatives of one ethnic group. Impact of sports clubs in conflicts with the participation of youth

It is necessary to mark, that at the development stage of a research component, the hypothesis was formed that there are informal sports clubs, which have been identified under the following criteria:

• informal sports clubs are located in a latent fields, in order not to arouse the attention of the public;

• informal sports clubs are not integrated with the rest of the athletes. • and, finally, that the informal athletes serve the interests of only specific individuals

or groups.

The obtained data has shown, that after the inter-ethnic events of 2010, a strict control over the activities of the sports institutions was introduced on the part of law enforcement bodies and special services. In the end, many informal sports clubs have ceased to exist, or transformed to the form of the open operation. Nowadays, there may be some sports clubs, which have not undergone the official registration in the bodies of the state or municipal authorities, but they are

6 A wanted individual involved in the case of June events 7 Region in city Osh, where Uzbek people live

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open and anyone can go there. This means that the members of the informal sports groups are now engaged in regular clubs together with other athletes.

It is important to emphasize that the informality of the sports club lies in their potential to affect any illegal power services to various groups of interests. From this point of view, it is necessary to understand, that there are sport sections which function peacefully not bearing any public threat. And, this section of report focuses only on circumstances and factors of sports clubs, which can influence and have a negative impact on at-risk youth (identified during studying individual informal sports community and the clubs highlighted in table 2, the second section).

Informal sports clubs may not necessarily be under the control of specific individuals or groups, they may exist as informal commercial structure, providing law enforcement services (security, military pressure on other groups, the physical elimination of the unwanted rivals in business, in politics, etc.the various customers). Fig.2 Distinctive features of sports clubs divided conditionally into two periods (before the events of June 2010 and after)

As survey shows, the sports community of the south has a number of distinguishing

features, than in Chui oblast. In Osh and Jalal-Abad oblasts, sports clubs are clearly separated on the basis of nationality, which indicates the separation of the interests and the difference of clients for whom they work, thus, certainly, the Uzbek sports clubs work only with the Uzbek customers, and the Kyrgyz clubs, respectively with the Kyrgyz groups of interest.

According to the athletes and their coaches, ethnic separation in informal sports communities exists since long time ago, however, this principle is even more intensified after the events of June 2010. For example, in the village of Gulistan of Osh oblast has an informal group of young people, united by the idea of Islam and sports. The group consists of representatives of

• comparativeness; • multiplicity; • criminality; • under control of concrete group or individuals; • authority of the trainers; • divided on the basis national criteria (Kyrgyz, Uzbek).

Distinctive features of sport

clubs before June 2010 events

• openness and legality; • criminal and non criminal sportsmen can visit the same sport

club; • it is possible to provide force services to different groups or

individuals without belonging to certain group; • authority of the trainers; • under control of some politicians, officials and businessman on

open and legal basis; • divided on the basis national criteria (Kyrgyz, Uzbek).

Distinctive features of sport clubs at present

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only the Uzbek youth. According to the respondents, these kinds of groups were many, but after ethnic clashes, 2010, most of the Uzbek sports associations were closed, and the part went inside mono-ethnic Uzbek mahallas. Many respondents noted that as a result of the June event, there has been cardinal changes in the community of informal sports groups, for example: many Uzbek athletes and coaches left their job or are out of the country; many sports clubs have been closed down, and those who were in the shade, on the

contrary, began to officially register; after the state policy to fight with the Organized Criminal Group (OCG), criminal sports

groups became less noticeable than it was previously.

In Chui oblast, in the informal sports communities there is no principle of ethnic division. Besides, there is no wide practice of integration of the active athletes in criminal activities. Mainly, the criminal groups consist of a number of former athletes. In a broad sense, specialized informal sports groups in Chui oblast are not observed, mainly the responsibility of a different OCG, which, in turn, resorted to attract the masses of unemployed, uneducated, young people from the outskirts of the oblast. During one of the focus-groups, conducted in the town of Kara-Balta, there was an interesting thesis, which reveals the social function of the OCG in the life of society. So, the respondents emphasized the effective role of OCG in the resolution of various contentious issues like the return of the debt, the restoration of the "human "justice (resolution of disputes between different parties), influence the adoption of decisions by the local administrations in favour of the local population, etc.

The situation demonstrates the weakness and ineffectiveness of the state institutions in

service of the interests of ordinary citizens, in fact, from the words of the respondents it turns out that OCG may be more effective in solving the problems of the population rather than the police, the courts or village councils. Moreover, it is obvious that when citizens appeal to OCG for assistance in solving specific problems there are a number of advantages in such parameters as time and a guarantee that the problem will be solved.

V. Analysis of problems The situation described above allows to fix some problems that in general draw the

negative tendencies of development of the youth of Kyrgyzstan in the future, if not to undertake radical social, economic and political measures now.

Existing forms and methods of activity of social services and law enforcement agencies

are not sufficiently engaged with the issues of rehabilitation of at-risk youth. In general, it turns out that this category of young people totally fell out of the zone of

attention of the authorities and the society. Meanwhile, a large category of unemployed, uneducated and socially not protected groups of the youth of today are the most vulnerable group. Conflict and socio-political events in Kyrgyzstan in recent years show that at-risk youth

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easily get involved in the processes of mass riots, actively recruit into the religious-extremist and terrorist movements, as well as willingly adjoin the criminal elements.

In addition to the selected problem, as it was noted in the main sections of the report,

many factors and conditions have been developed around the problems which aggravate the situation of at-risk youth. VI. Conclusions and the most acute critical conflict factors

It is obvious that existing situation in Kyrgyzstan which is characterized with frequent political turmoils and socio-economic instability create numerous conditions for involving at-risk youth in different negative events.

The most critical event among them is elections. The abovementioned tendencies demonstrate that political parties and some politicians used paid, recruited youth as physical crowd during their mass actions. In this point of view, post election period is the most unsafe, when political disputes become aggravated, which can grow into street disorders with youth participation.

Potential of youth participation in inter ethnic conflicts is also high. Post conflict tendency (June 2010) is characterized with enhancement of nationalistic moods among youth, including politicized part of the youth. Essence of negative tendency is that existing idea of nationalism in Kyrgyzstan under some circumstances risk to transit to radical forms. According to research data, inter ethnic question in the South of Kyrgyzstan is in the stage of silent development so far. Particularity of inter ethnic factor is its close interrelationship with political processes.

Apart from the mentioned traditional conflict conditions there are some specific factors. For example, non-transparency of sport clubs activities, absence of control on educational activities of academic institutions, uneven conditions of distribution of infrastructure and development facilities in every inhabited locality, specific of locations where at-risk youth lives are not studied enough (villages, new buildings/novostroiki, mono ethnic, multi ethnic rayons).

It’s important to pay attention to public-political figures, high officials, authoritative personalities who on tribal and locality principles can have relation to the assessing zone. VII. Recommendations

To President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Jogorku-Kengesh of KR, international

humanitarian and social programs to pay attention to the necessity of improving resource support of work with at-risk youth, taking into consideration the following particularities:

1. It’s necessary to pay attention to the places of systematic stay/visit of at-risk youth (the most crisis objects and inhabitant localities are shown in the table №2, page 7):

all large markets and bazaars of the country, as well as stop points/bus stops near the bazaars (Kara-Su, Osh bazaars, Dordoi, bazaars of oblast or rayon level), bus stations and long distance stop stations (in this localities, the youth commit small crimes); As well as café, fast-foods stalls around bazaars, the level of proneness to conflict rises during the evening and night time;

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sport clubs, especially located in the basements and outskirt of inhabiting localities

(cities: Kara-Su, Nookat, Kara-Balta, Tokmok; Villages: Barpy, Kara-Darya of Bazaar-Korgon rayon, sport clubs: “Taimuras” and “Jany Muun” in Osh and Jalalabad oblasts);

new buildings (novostrika) and housing estates, where internal migrants are concentrated

(mainly around Bishkek city and new housing estates around Osh city); neighboring rayons near specialized sport schools (sport schools in Kok-Zhar, Jany-

Nookat villages in Nookat rayon; RUOR (sport schools) and neighboring rayons of Bishkek city (Alamedin micro region); Oblast DUSHS (children sport school) in Jalal-Abad (Pobeda park), Jalal-Abad State University department of physical training and sport);

mono ethnic raoyns (Gulistan village of Nookat rayon, Centre and outskirts of Nookat

city, Kahraman, Otuz-Adyr, Kyrgyz-Chek, On-Adyr, Shait-Tobo villages of Kara-Su rayon, Amir-Temur micro region of Osh city; Village districts: Kyzyl-Tuu, Atabekov, Yrys of Osh oblast, Tokmok city, Sokuluk and Kara-Balta rayons of Chui oblast;

mono ethnic mosques, for example in Tokmok city, mosques are divided into dungan, uzbek and kyrgyz, that would indicate not only inter ethnic division but difference within the religion;

multi ethnic raoyns with mono ethnic settling of inhabitants, that is different ethnic groups live in the locality in general, however they are divided into compact rayons, for example into uzbek, Kyrgyz, uigur, dungan, Russian blocks (Asan-Chek and Kyrgyz-Check villages of Karasy rayon, it’s necessary to note that such localities are spread in many rayons of all three oblasts under research);

rayons with uneven distribution of infrastructure and social objects, localities where one part of population lives close to social facilities (hospitals, markets, schools, pharmacies, sport sections, transport facilities) and second part lives far from these goods. Such situation exists practically in all rayons and cities of three oblasts; the most critical is in Kara-Balta city of Chui oblast and Nookat city of Osh oblast. Cities and villages of Chui oblast, recommended for establishing youth centers:

№ Rayons, cities or villages Rationale

1 Tokmok city, Chui oblast Multi ethnic population has the potential of inter ethnic provocations; native land of many criminal figures; as opposed to other cities, the level of migration among the youth of Tokmok is comparatively less, so there are quite many young people there.

2 Kant city, Chui oblast Informal sport groups

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3 Kara-Balta city, Chui oblast High level of proneness to conflict among school youth, adults; high level of unemployment among the youth, most of working-age youth are busy in the markets of Bishkek.

4 Sokuluk city, Chui oblast Unpublished center of illegal entertainment business (prostitution, narcotics, criminal figures); high level of unemployment among the youth, most of working-age youth are busy in the markets of Bishkek, especially in “Osh” market.

5 Mayevka village, Chui oblast Multi ethnic population has the potential for inter ethnic provocations. In April, 2010 the village was object of fomentation of inter ethnic conflict. The group of youth was the provocateurs8.

6 New buildings located around Bishkek

High level of labor migration in new buildings (novostroiki); unemployment among the youth; absence of proper attention to needs of local youth. Pay attention to the following new buildings sites (novostroiki): “Muras Ordo” (Northern part of “Dordoi” market, “Ruhiy Muras” Oktyabrskiy rayon, “Tynchtyk” Voenno-Antonovka rayon, “Adilet” near Alamedin market, “Archa-Beshik” southern part of the city. There are no basic conditions for living in all these new building sites. Inhabitants used to organize demonstrations and block the roads, youth is in critical vulnerable condition. To pay attention to new building sites created after land seizure in 2005: “Kalys-Ordo”, “Ak-Zhar”, “Altyn-Kazyk”, “Dordoi”. Population is dense in these locations and no work is realized on registration of citizens9.

7 Secondary school №38, near the Republic College of Olympic Reserve in Alamedin micro region in Bishkek

High level of proneness to conflict and violations of law and order by the students of sport schools; criminalization of young sportsmen; criminalization of school №38, which have frequent conflicts with the students of RUOR.

2. It is necessary to introduce programs and projects on analysis and needs assessment of at-risk youth across the Republic, which can allow: to group the needs of at-risk youth on age, sex, ethnic, social-economic basis (for

example: youth at-risk employed in bazaars can have same needs and school children can have other etc.)

8 http://www.kchr.org/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1324 9 Data from NGO “ErEp”, which works with youth of new-buildings site

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to develop mapping of at-risk youth location; to develop database of different programs and projects aimed to work with at-risk

youth; to reveal and support existing specialized social organizations working with the

problems of at-risk youth (for example in Kara-Balta city there is military-patriotic union “Meken”, which works with difficult adolescences, organization have positive image and references.

3. To international humanitarian organizations to analyze the opportunity of implementing the programs directed to work with social needs of at-risk youth. For example: support of projects on social enterprise and creating working place for unemployed and

vulnerable youth; support of micro-credit agencies establishment on granting a credit for unemployed

but active rural youth on favorable conditions; support of initiatives on organization of business incubators for at-risk youth

(educating on business planning through accessible instruments, psychological rehabilitation “to demonstrate the opportunities for better life”). As a result of cycle of work, the best projects can be granted and other participants can be involved in supported projects;

opening short term vocational courses for rural, unemployed and uneducated youth.

4. To international humanitarian organizations to start program on improving conditions and perspectives of young sportsmen development, with accent to sport youth from villages. Potential projects are the following: providing support in establishing small, compact sport clubs in the villages under the

patronage of donor organization, up to founding stipends for talented sportsmen. promotion of healthy life style through informational campaigns reflecting success of

sportsmen from Kyrgyzstan. The message might be that real sport is possible only through hard work and out of crime;

for members of sport clubs to conduct seminars on psychological and physical training

of sportsmen, on history of sport and it educational functions.

to establish foundation of support of young sportsmen among donor organization and to support travel of talented sportsmen to the competitions;

to announce mini grant competition among young sportsmen directed to sport

stimulation and development.

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5. It is necessary to improve special methods and rehabilitation courses to work with at-risk youth. Herewith it is important to take into consideration the level of youth involvement to at-risk group (for example, one type of methods for those who can be potentially included in at-risk group on socio-economic indicators and second type of methods – to work with youth who is already at-risk etc), that is methodologies have to correspond to different categories of at-risk youth.