Within the framework of the European Union project "Open Communities - Open Media", work is underway with 21 Small Public Councils (MOS) throughout the country.
- What is the Small Public Council (SPC)?
Small public councils are an organizational, territorially designated structure, created on a voluntary basis, including public activists (quarterly, members of aksakal courts, etc), representatives of law enforcement agencies, whose main activity is to provide comprehensive social and legal assistance to the population (especially to the vulnerable groups of population) of a certain territory.
- Why are the SPC created?
Small public councils were created in order to coordinate and interact with the local community, media and local self-government bodies in order to achieve agreed decisions on the most important issues for the population (vulnerable groups) of social, economic, socio-cultural development.
The activity of public councils is to resolve issues on the ground in cooperation with local authorities and the mass media. Within the framework of which field meetings of small public councils are held. This activity is aimed at strengthening the capacity of members of public councils and local activists. Below is information on these meetings:
- On July 16, 2020, a meeting of the Small Public Council (SPC) was held in the village of Bagysh, in Suzak Rayon of Jalal-Abad Region. Members of the SPCs and activists of the Bagysh aiyl okmotu urgently gathered to discuss an egregious case of domestic violence that recently occurred in the Suzak region and other urgent issues. The following issues were discussed on the agenda:
- Prevention of domestic violence. In order to warning and prevent the spread of domestic violence, members of the SPCs of the Bagysh ayil okmotu decided to develop lists of families at risk. Preventive discussions are planned for these families.
- The situation with migrant workers who returned from Russia. Many migrants are waiting for the opening of the borders in order to return to their families in Russia. Others are looking for work in their home countries. There is a question of creating jobs that returning compatriots need.
- Updating the database of children whose parents or one of the parents is in migration. At present, such a base has been created in Bagysh ayil okmotu, and it includes more than 900 children.
- On June 24, 2020, a meeting of members of the Small public council was held in the village of Belovodskoye of Moskovskiy rayon, Chui region. On the agenda was the election of a new chairman and secretary, as well as planning further activities. Following the voting, Rasmanov Avazbek was elected as the chairman of the Belovodsk Small public council.
- On June 25, 2020, meetings of members of Small public councils were held in Kemin rayon (Shabdan village) and in Chui rayon (Chui and Don-Aryk villages) of Chui oblast. At the meeting, the participants discussed further steps in the activities of public councils during the pandemic and developed preliminary action plan. For example, in the village of Chui in the near future it is planned to hold an expanded meeting with the participation of deputies of the local kenesh’s, employees of ayil okmotu and representatives of quarterly committees, where they will discuss the need to monitor the distribution of humanitarian aid in the village during an emergency and improve communications between the local population and representatives of local self-government in solving urgent community issues. In the village of Shabdan, the participants planned to hold a thematic meeting aimed at informing older people about prevention and compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards during a COVID 19 pandemic.
- On June 30, 2020 the meetings of Small Public Councils were held in Tyup Rayon (Mikhailovka village) and Ak-Suu rayon (Teploklyuchenka village) of the Issyk-Kul oblast. According to the agenda, the participants discussed the current situation on the local level during the pandemic and drew up short-term plans for the activities of public councils. Members of the public council of the Mikhailovka village planned to conduct a survey among the local population on the organization of entrepreneurial activity among vulnerable groups of population. The Small Public Council, together with local government bodies, plans to open a sewing workshop, a bakery and a dumpling workshop with the involvement of rural women, youth and other vulnerable groups. In Teploklyuchenka village, the members of the small public council plan in the near future to hold an expanded meeting with the participation of the youth monitoring group of the village, where an algorithm of actions will be jointly developed to resolve urgent issues in the community.
- On September 21, meeting of the Small Public Council of the Bagysh aiyl aimag of the Jalal-Abad region was held. On the agenda of the meeting, the issues of coverage of the activities of the SPC, training programs and additional skills for council members were raised. As the speaker of the Bagysh SPC, Anarkul Mashaeva, noted, such events are necessary to optimize knowledge, communication skills, self-esteem and motivation of her team. Moreover, for each participant it is an opportunity to get answers here and now, personally.
- On September 23, a meeting of the Small Public Council was held in the Yrys ayil aimak of the Suzak rayon of the Jalal-Abad region. Within the framework of the meeting, a new chairman of the SPC - Ismadiyar Ibragimov, was elected. At the same time, issues related to the exchange of information with the media, educational topics of upcoming training programs, main problems and further plans for the next year were discussed.