On 10 June 2024, the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, with support of the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice and Right Livelihood, launched its Alumni/Student Summer School at the picturesque lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, focused on "Women, Girls, and Children's Rights in Central Asia." The Summer School brought together graduates of the Academy’s MA programmes, as well as students of the MA Programme in Human Rights and Sustainability from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan aiming to expand their expertise in human rights.
Throughout this week, 20 participants engaged in in-depth sessions with Prof. Dr. Anja Mihr, MAHRS Academic Supervisor; Prof. Elvis Fokala, Programme Manager, the Children's Rights Unit & Global Campus of Human Rights for Africa; Dr. Barbara Strasser, Children’s Rights Project Manager, Global Campus of Human Rights, Venice, and Imke Steimann, Head of Office of the Secretary-General; Bermet Ubaidillaeva, Gender Mainstreaming Specialist, UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic; Aigerim Kussaiyn kyzy, Social and Gender Studies Center Researcher; and Dr. Kate Walker, Director of the OSCE Academy. The event also featured guest lectures from Dr. Sima Samar, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and renowned human rights advocate; Ms. Ulziisuren Jamsran, UN Women Representative in Kyrgyzstan; and Ms. Karlygach Nurmanbetova, MAHRS Programme Specialist.
The Summer School covered a wide range of topics, including the UN Treaty-based System, gender rights and migration, the historical context of women's and children's rights in Central Asia, and innovative methods for fostering these rights through artworks and critical thinking.
The Summer School aimed to provide participants with insightful discussions, valuable networking opportunities, and the development of strategies to advance the rights of women, girls, and children in the region.