UK supports reducing potential conflict in Kyrgyz schools
On 24 April the British Ambassador attended a round table on “reducing the potential for conflict in schools”.
The event brought together school pupils and university students to discuss concrete measures to develop the capacity of secondary school students and their teachers to resolve conflict peacefully.
The event brought together representatives from the Ministries of Education and Interior, NGOs, teachers, school pupils and university students to discuss concrete measures to develop the capacity of secondary school students and their teachers to resolve conflict peacefully.
This event was part of a broader project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to provide teachers and senior students in 20 pilot schools in Bishkek with skills on peaceful methods of conflict resolution. As part of the project, the Institute for Public Policy (IPP) will also organize a series of roundtable discussions to raise awareness amongst civil society and government on conflict among youth and to provide recommendations for policy makers on how to prevent and reduce it.
In her opening remarks, the ambassador welcomed the initiative, noting the positive impact of similar projects in the UK. She was impressed by the level of engagement of the young people; the willingness of all round table participants to discuss sensitive issues frankly and openly; and the very practical measures they identified to tackle those issues.
Through the UK government’s fund to promote stability, the British Embassy in Bishkek is supporting a complementary project over the next two years, to be implemented by IPP in partnership with the Kyrgyz Ministry of Education. This will also focus on reducing potential conflict through courses in peace-building for school and university students but will cover the whole country.