Youth Consultations with the Government of Karakalpakstan - “Youth Voice Matters”

The national movement Yuksalish, the Youth Union of Uzbekistan and UNICEF jointly conducted the first regional youth consultation in Nukus, Karakalpakstan. The purpose was to amplify the voices of young people and to create a platform for productive dialogue between youth and the Government.

33 young people aged of 14-26 years old from different districts of Karakalpakstan participated in the consultation. The first day of the consultation young people developed their views about what should be improved in their communities so that young people can feel inspired today and be successful in the future.

By the end of the day, young participants had developed seven projects they would like to realize in their region, including raising ecological awareness among their peers, the creation of innovative libraries in remote areas, a programming club, a language education center to that would enhance young people’s employment opportunities, a motivation center for young people abusing drugs, alcohol or addicted to computer games or gambling, a training center for volunteers, and  innovative social events, such as a festival of Karakalpak traditions.

The consultation was supported by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Kakhraman Sariev. He emphasized that 60 percent of the population of Karakalpakstan are young people and to make effective decisions, the Government of Karakalpakstan needs to consider their aspirations and interests. “Young people are not like us, they think differently. We shall change our methods to work with young people”, stated Kakhraman Sariev.

On the following day, young people presented their ideas to the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers on Youth Issues, representatives of the Government, academia and the UN Joint Programme on the Aral Sea. Local decision makers supported all project proposals.

This consultation was a first step towards creating a sustainable dialogue between the Government of Karakalpakstan and young people.

The participants commented that they gained new knowledge and experience: “I learned a lot about how to organize my ideas and present to people. This is a first step, but maybe this can lead to the solution of problems,” said participant Gyuzel Khasanova, age 18 years.