OSCE Centre in Astana organizes Central Asian Youth Network alumni reunion

A two-day reunion meeting for Kazakhstan’s alumni of the Central Asian Youth Network (CAYN) concluded on 3 March 2014 in Astana. The event, supported by the OSCE Centre in Astana, was organized to help further develop networking among young leaders with a keen interest in building trust and ensuring long-term security and co-operation in the region.

The reunion brought together some 30 members of the Network from around Kazakhstan who participated in the seminars over the past ten years since CAYN’s inception. The seminars focused  on leadership and career development, and were led by local facilitators who shared their career experiences with alumni.

Director of the Kazakhstan Institute of Strategic Studies Bolat Sultanov highlighted the challenges and threats Central Asia and Kazakhstan face as well as possible ways to address these.

Ambassador Natalya Zarudna, Head of the OSCE Centre noted the role that academia and young students can play in the OSCE’s efforts to promote a Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community.

The Central Asian Youth Network was launched in 2004 in Uzbekistan to enhance students' knowledge and understanding of contemporary security threats and the OSCE's role in responding to them. The group promotes networking between young people from the region and beyond. In September 2014, CAYN will celebrate its ten-year anniversary with its annual event in Almaty.

This event is part of the Centre’s efforts to enhance involvement of civil society and in particular of young people, one of the priorities of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship in 2014.