The Institute for Youth Development was established in November 2010 as public fund with the aim of creating a stable environment for the development of young people through interaction with stakeholders. Representatives of active youth and youth leaders established the "Heritage of the Republic" fund to achieve this goal.

It lasted for more than three years and implemented a number of programmes and projects, making a significant contribution to youth development in the Kyrgyz Republic. Because of the expansion of its activities and the achievement of new tasks, the fund was later transformed into a different organisational structure with new roles - the Institute for Youth Development.

Image credit: IYD.

Today, the Institute is one of the leading organizations in Kyrgyzstan working with young people and promoting the development of youth policy. Its mission is to bring together stakeholders to solve socially significant problems that young people face in Kyrgyzstan. The priorities of the Institute are to increase young people's participation in decision-making procesess, improving their capacity to meet their own needs and demands in cooperation with state and municipal authorities, international and national organisations.

In January 2014 the organisation began implementing the Promotion of Ethnic Equality and Civic Engagement (PEACE) project, funded by the EU. This two-year long project aims to contribute to the reduction of ethnic and religious tensions and to strengthen peacebuilding in Kyrgyzstan.

In the framework of the project, 25 creative teams were formed in Bishkek, Tokmok, Osh, Batken and Jalalabad regions. Team members throughout the project participate in festivals, conferences and presentations, where they can demonstrate their vision of peace and unity through work in the field of media, fine arts, journalism, music and other creative projects.

In implementing the project, the PEACE team plans to raise awareness of civil society on issues of tolerance and civil liability, as well as to expand cooperation on peacebuilding and conflict prevention. The project will involve at least 500 young people from all regions of the country, helping to improve their leadership skills and potential, supporting their active participation in public, social and cultural life. In addition, young leaders will be able to cooperate with local, regional, national authorities on issues of tolerance, civic participation, peace-building and youth policy.

Follow the Institute on facebook, Twitter and Youtube. You can read its 2014 Annual Report here (in Russian).