As highlighted in the UN Youth Strategy, “young people are a valuable and vital resource worth investing in, as this investment will pay off many times over.” This position is fully shared in Turkmenistan, reflected in the State Program in the field of state youth policy of Turkmenistan for 2021 - 2025, approved at the beginning of this year, and in the Plan for its implementation. The program, developed with active participation of the Youth Organization named after Magtymguly, provides for a whole range of measures to ensure social protection and employment of youth, create conditions for their high-quality education, spiritual and physical development, full disclosure of potential in science, business, creativity, sports ... The state youth policy implies the formation of a system of social, economic, political, organizational and legal measures aimed at exercising the rights and freedoms of young citizens of Turkmenistan, supporting their mobility and openness to all advanced world experience, and developing international youth relations.
Using the opportunities created by the state, young Turkmen people receive professional education at prestigious foreign universities, actively participate and show high results in international intellectual, creative and sports competitions, and hold joint cultural events with their foreign peers. For example, the news agency of Belarus BelTA recently announced the completion of the route of the republican train #BelarusYouthUnity, on which young people from all regions of the country, as well as citizens of Russia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, traveled across Belarus for a week and took part in socially significant events. This interesting project has brought together purposeful, proactive and energetic youth with an active civic stance, who in the future will strengthen the friendly ties of their countries and peoples.
In his speech at the recent Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev noted that the development of contacts between the youth of the countries of the region requires special attention. As the Kazakh leader emphasized, it is she who will play an important role in preserving our deep historical ties. Considering it important to expand the exchange of students and provide all-round support for their pursuit of advanced knowledge, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev proposed increasing the quotas for the education of Central Asian citizens in higher educational institutions of Kazakhstan.
The Go Viral Festival & Network, a regional initiative that helps establish and maintain connections between regional opinion leaders, innovators and creative people, is aimed at expanding connections among Central Asian youth to exchange ideas and help achieve their goals. Go Viral is both a festival and a range of events including lectures, workshops, panel discussions, films, music performances and other Media, Business, Culture and Technology events from leading trend setters from the USA, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The project is sponsored and supported by the US Diplomatic Mission in Kazakhstan and is being implemented in partnership with the Kazakh company EZS Group.
In honor of the thirtieth anniversary of independence of the Central Asian countries, five US diplomatic missions in the region, together with the Go Viral Network, are holding the Next30 regional competition for young Central Asian leaders born in 1991 and later. 30 innovators from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in the spheres of business, media, culture, technology and civil society will have the opportunity to share their vision of the future in the region, talk about their achievements, success stories and contributions to the prospect of the prosperity of Central Asia.
Next30 winners will have the opportunity to get together, mingle at regional Go Viral events, and travel to the US next year to meet American experts and innovators in media, business, culture and technology.
Ogulgozel Rejepova
