With the aim of promoting freedoms and protecting human rights through the formation and maintenance of a free information space, freedom of speech and expression, a Media Forum was held in Kyrgyzstan within the framework of the European Union project "Open Communities - Open Media".
The purpose of the media forum is to build interaction between forum participants for the joint strengthening of an independent information space, freedom of speech and expression in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Venue: Conference hall "Imperial Congress Hall", "Dostuk" hotel, Bishkek city
Participants: representatives of government agencies, international organizations, public councils, civic activists, journalists, bloggers, experts.
Totally: 93 participants, among them 61 women and 32 men.
Moderators: Ryskulbekov Erkin, journalist and Elena Bayalinova, media expert.
The media forum was held on November 25, 2020 with the participation of a wide range of media experts, journalists and 21 small public councils from 7 regions of the Kyrgyz Republic.
In the first part, a video greeting from GSI Director – Mr. Wilfrid Klein and International Project Coordinator – Mr. Hans Born was shown. A welcoming speech was given to all invited guests.
For a more visual presentation of the project, a short film developed by the project was shown about the activities of the project during the period of the Assessment, where the team's working trips were shown for the purpose of acquaintance, conducting surveys and questionnaires, as well as short interviews with the participants and activists).
At the end of the second session, a presentation "Development of a media component in the regions" was made by the media expert - A. Ismanov (founder and editor-in-chief of the online platform "Prevention Media"), and additionally he has presented the media plans of the project for 7 regions of the Kyrgyz Republic.
During the final part of the media forum, a solemn ceremony has been held to present letters of thanks and small presents to volunteers who contributed to helping the most vulnerable groups of population (elderly people, single mothers, poor families, orphans, etc.) during the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and Emergencies in the Kyrgyz Republic, and worked in the online headquarters together with the project.
Also, in the final part of the media forum, it was decided to announce the results of the Journalists' Contest, which was held from 2 to 20 November 2020. The “Open Kyrgyzstan” competition among journalists and active users of social media was aimed at: (i) encouraging and stimulating the activities of journalists who are aware of their civic and professional responsibility to the audience and society as a whole; (ii) promoting access to information and freedom of expression of various points of view and opinions on the problems of society and state policy in Kyrgyzstan. The winners of the journalists' competition were awarded prizes and diplomas.
Finally, as a result of the media forum, a Resolution was developed that is aimed at promoting the forum's decisions, priorities and the framework of the information policy of the regions through the implementation of a media plan that guarantees and ensures the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of opinion, speech and press (Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, section 2, chapter 2, article 31). The participants of the media forum considered it necessary to sign the resolution of the media forum.