Young Journalists Talking to the President of Kyrgyzstan
“It is necessary to increase the salaries of teachers by three times. Then, they will teach us better” wrote Ermek Nurmambetov, a nine year old Kyrgyz boy in his article entitled “If I was the President, I would…”. Ermek participated in the “Child Truth”-contest organized among young journalists aged 7-16 - and he won. Ermek was one of 26 winners from all over the Kyrgyz Republic. The winners were supported by UNICEF to arrive in the capital Bishkek for a series of thrilling events: An awarding ceremony, a tour around the UN House, an excursion to see the National TV studios and a publishing house. The highlight was the participation of the children in a press conference with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on 30 August 2006 in the eve of the Kyrgyz Independence Day (celebrated on August 31). During a meeting with UNICEF in Bishkek, the young journalists discussed the recently approved Code of the Kyrgyz Republic on Children with the UNICEF staff and asked challenging questions to learn how the Code could have impact on the lives of children in real cases they presented: “A woman in Naryn who is a mother of four children and who decided to place three of her children in a residential care institution because she does not have enough income”, “a boy who was warned to be expelled from his school for his bad behaviour”, and “a boy who lives in the streets because his parents drink alcohol and make him earn for the whole family by pushing carts at the market”.
At the press conference with the President, the children asked questions and expressed their views on burning issues for them and their peers back in their towns and villages: Does the President know that in Naryn Oblast in all schools children suffer from racket, if yes, what he is going do? What will the Government do to solve the problems of street children who cannot go to school or hospitals? Media support centers that had initiated the project were assured by the President that he himself would follow initiatives developing younth journalism in the Republic. The growing network of young journalists in Kyrgyzstan and a Pro-Child Media Club of professional media are among main partners of UNICEF in increasing public awareness of the importance of fulfilling all rights of all children, in breaking stereotypes of the society that contradicts the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in reinforcing positive culture and raising children’s voices and ensuring their meaningful participation in the decision making process.
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