Security and Resilience

Central Asia Solidarity Groups have been working with this thematic area since the aftermath of the 2010 interethnic clashes in the southern region of Kyrgyzstan. A range of armed conflicts took place across the region since 2010, including recurring border conflicts between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, violent coups and revolutions in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and others. CAG has supported our partner organizations, not only in their immediate reconciliation efforts, but also in the provision of training programs in non-violence and support for more inclusive and democratic organizations while reducing conflict and fragmentation. However, the absence of ongoing armed conflicts is not an indication of peace. The threats to peace and security in the region are armed border conflicts, inter-ethnic clashes, the rise of nationalist rhetoric, extreme climate change, political instability, low level human development indexes, poverty, and an unequal distribution of natural resources. These threats are complex and vary from country to country, but are often interlinked. The increasing control and oppression of the civil society organizations across the region of Central Asia poses one of the biggest threats to the peace and security of the region. The absence of a secure environment in which the civil society of Central Asia can actively exercise and protect their human rights is also a strong hindrance to the democratization processes of the region. It is the local civil society organizations that are in a position to address the root causes of a given conflict, but it is often the case that these organizations lack the knowledge and capacity to do so. Organizations are affected by the conflicts and are usually forced to close down and operate in the gray zone, which hinders both their ability to intervene and their long-term sustainability.

Lecture on environment, peace and conflict in Central Asia Methodology development on holistic security, safety and well-being

In 2021, Central Asia Solidarity Groups conducted a joint series of research projects together with our partner organizations, as well as with external researchers and scholars who specialize in peace, security, resilience, and human security. The research has contributed to the development and update of the thematic program area of CAG formally known as conflict transformation. A careful regional analysis coupled with the expertise of external experts contributed to the introduction of the human security framework to the thematic program area. The Human Security framework allows one to gain a deeper understanding of the local contexts, including the root causes of insecurities, their inter-linkages, and their impact on different communities. It also addresses developmental challenges and problems stemming from other factors, such as violence (i.e. based on gender) or environmental degradation. One example of how CAG integrates the human security framework within our partnerships in Central Asia is the environmental organization El Too (Kyrgyzstan), which works with several different aspects of human security. More specifically, within our partnership we emphasize food, environmental and community security through projects that introduce permaculture principles and practices in rural communities – thus strengthening food sovereignty, community resilience, climate adaptation and contributing to ecological restoration in the local context. Within the project, a number of training programs on permaculture were conducted for over 60 women from 5 different villages, which resulted in about 90% of participants developing their own permaculture gardens. This led to a significant increase in seasonal income (another facet of human security: economic security). For 2022, CAG will mainstream human security perspectives within our other partnerships and explore how the framework meaningfully can inform local interventions.

Several dimensions of the human security framework focus on security around food, environment, and politics. These three dimensions are particularly interesting due to their interconnectedness in the context of Central Asia, a region that is experiencing drastic climate change that is leading to instability within and outside vulnerable and rural communities. In 2021, CAG participated at the Forum for Human Rights and organized a lecture on the topic, ”How Ecology Affects Peace and Conflict in Central Asia” which focused on the ecological issues of Central Asia, the role of local communities in environmental protection and how climate change is affecting the region. The seminar was held by Ilia Domashov, nature conservation specialist, ecologist and acting Associate Professor of Higher School of Medicine in Bishkek. In addition to our work with the human security framework during 2021, we have also explored other approaches. Our work with human rights defenders, activists and civil society representatives working on sensitive issues must be conducted with high awareness of various security, safety and welfare related dimensions. Therefore, during the autumn we launched an initiative to develop contextually relevant methodologies for training CSO leaders and activists. Based on the needs and wishes of this community, the methodologies and exercises explored have primarily been somatic, relational and emotional approaches that allow for self-care, resilience, co-regulation and emotional wellbeing. This work will continue in 2022, when pilot activities will also take place. Additionally, several external experts and trainers have been involved in this work, from Central Asia, Sweden and beyond.