OSCE brings together Central Asian students to discuss regional security

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 6 September 2012 – Economic and environmental issues and regional security was the topic of this year’s OSCE-supported Central Asian Youth Network (CAYN) meeting that concluded in Almaty today.  The three-day event brought together some 50 university students from all Central Asian countries and more than a dozen speakers from academia, international and non-governmental organizations.

As in past years, the CAYN participants were chosen through a competitive selection process that required candidates to submit a written essay.

Ambassador Natalia Zarudna, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, welcoming the participants, said: “We at the OSCE Centre in Astana believe that discussions about threats to security in Central Asia should not be limited to officials, but should rather involve all parts of society. By investing in a network of young, open-minded people we can contribute to the development of the region through encouraging an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence.”

“My experience participating in CAYN last year proved useful for my work in Moscow in that it inspired me to incorporate interactive games into my organization’s educational programmes. I believe CAYN should grow and develop into a sustainable forum for students to discuss regional Central Asian issues. It’s wonderful that young people from all over the Central Asian region are being given such an opportunity,” said Albert Zulkharneev, Education and Training Program Director from the Center for Policy Studies (PIR) in Moscow, who was one of the speakers.

The third day of the event was a day of action during which the group participated in environmental protection activities. In the morning the students joined forces with local activists from several organizations to remove litter from a mountainous national park, and in the afternoon they spoke to local residents about the benefits of recycling.

This seminar is part of the OSCE’s efforts to enhance young people’s understanding of contemporary security threats and explain the OSCE’s role in responding to them. It was organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana with the support of other OSCE field offices in the region. Previous CAYN events were held in Charvak, Uzbekistan in 2004, Lake Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan in 2005, and in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2009, 2010 and 2011.