My name is Aliki Akhmetova. I am one of the members of the youth section of the Kyrgyz Committee of the IPPNW movement. Below is the summary of the events and activities held with active participation of youth in our country. All events are listed in the chronological order.
The first actual day of the youth section was 24 of February, 2001. By that time the problem of landmines had become a very real and big problem in our country, caused by the military operations in Batken region, during which landmines were planted along the borderline between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
On 24 of February, 2001 at the Kyrgyz Medical Academy we held regular meeting of the Student Scientific Society of Kyrgyzstan, devoted to the problems of the danger of nuclear war and landmines in Central Asia. The event also involved representatives of the Government officials and foreign guests from Japan. As the result of the meeting it was decided to establish youth section of the Kyrgyz Committee of the IPPNW and run its work aimed against nuclear war and landmines on regular basis. Several active students prepared speeches about ICBL, Ottawa Convention and local landmine problems. The problem raised at the meeting was highlighted in capital newspaper “Delo” 28.02.2001 by the author Daniyar Karimov.
On 16 of May, 2001 at the VII Young Scientists and Student Conference of Kyrgyz Medical Academy members of the IPPNW-KC youth section made several presentations on the problems of landmines in the world, about the history of ICBL, about such famous persons like princess Diana and Mr Paul McCartney who supported this movement. The students drew attention of the society and the Government to the danger of the problems and calling for signing Ottawa Convention, banning landmines, and destroying the existing ones. The participants of the conference have signed the appeal to the Kyrgyz Government to join to the Ottawa Convention. It was also highlighted in the same newspaper (“Delo”) on May 16, 2001 by author Alina Mojayeva.
On 24 December 2001 at the Kyrgyz – Russian Slavic University there was held the action “One thousand charity dinners, for whip-round devoted to mine victims”. In the beginning the film about Ottawa Convention was showed. Students of Kyrgyz association of UN assistance prepared speeches about landmine victims and problems in the world and they also prepared poster “The tree of wishes”, where all guests left their wish wishes. All of them wanted stop using landmines in the world. All participants gave money for landmine victims. It was littlie article “Let’s clear mine field” about this event in the capital newspaper Vechernii Bishkek on 1 Jan 2002.
On 1 of March 2002 – the Day of Mine Awareness, there was made an appeal to the Kyrgyz Government and Uzbek Embassy in Kyrgyzstan to join to the Ottawa Convention. The appeal was signed by students of Bishkek and handed to the Kyrgyz Parliament and Uzbek Embassy. In the newspaper “The times of Central Asia” there was published an article “Landmine awareness week” on 28 of February, 2002. The appeal and the article were dedicated to the anniversary of Ottawa treaty on 1st of March. The information was given by IPPNW – Kyrgyz Committee.
On 3 of December, 2002 there was held the Students Conference “No landmine threat!” devoted to the 5-th anniversary of the Ottawa Convention. The conference included verbal presentations, presentations of posters and wall newspapers, books exhibition. Active participants of the conference included students, active members of the IPPNW - KC youth section, students members of Kyrgyz Association of UN assistance, representative of the Military Forces of our country, Ministries officials. The most active participants from youth of the conference received awards from IPPNW –KC. There was a big article “ You should feel free on your land” about this event in the capital newspaper “Moya stolitsa” 4 December 2002 by the author Nina Nichiporova.
IPPNW – Kyrgyz committee initiated Photo –exhibition “Batken 2003” about the problems of landmine zones in the South of Kyrgyzstan. The financial assistance to this event was provided by Rotary club in Bishkek. The first exhibition was organized in Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University on 2-9 May 2003, youth section was involved in the organization of this photo exhibition. The second one was held 1-8 June at Airbase Ganci airbase, where coalition forces are located. Dutch air forces granted four tons of clothes for the people who live in landmine areas in Batken. The clothes were distributed among residents of mine–affected villages as Chon-Kara, Sai, Tayan by the local authorities and representative of National Red Crescent Society in Batken. About the first exhibition you can find information in the article “There is lowering sky above the border” newspaper Respublica, 13 May 2003 by author Galina Emelyanova, about the second event author Elena Avdeeva gave information “Land Must Bear Fruit Rather than Kill” in newspaper Vechernii Bishkek, 3 June, 2003.
Besides this, we have young colleagues from the Batken University, who work as volunteers in mine risk education program in the Batken Region. This program is conducted by the National Society of Red Crescent of Kyrgyzstan. They are conducting trainings for adults and schoolchildren and producing and disseminating information exhibits and billboards, as well as booklets, posters, and updates. Students of Batken University participated in discussion about landmine situation in this region and presented information about Ottawa Treaty and ICBL in the round table which was held in Batken on 14 February 2003.
Aliki is a medical student at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
