"Nature creates man, but it develops and shapes society"
В. Г. Белинский
"JOINT EFFORTS – THE PATH TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA", Co-financed by the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
The mission of the project: Involving active youth in the processes of strengthening peace and tolerance in the Fergana region.
🪙On June 14, 2025, the Fergana branch of the public association "Yuksak Salohiyat" organized and held a working meeting with young representatives of society - these are university students of Fergana city and active youth, volunteers of the branch and the Association of Volunteers of Uzbekistan.
‼️The purpose of this event was to take the first steps towards opening the "Commonwealth" Club, a club of active volunteers, which is planned to be created to unite the efforts of young people in preserving cultural and ethnic values between neighboring countries, peacebuilding, and tolerance.
⚡️The participants of the meeting were introduced to the goals and objectives of the project of the Fergana branch - "The role of youth in preserving cultural and ethnic values between neighboring countries and tolerance", the implementation of which became possible with the financial support of DVV International Uzbekistan.
☄️The meeting was attended by employees of the NGO "Mehrjon", who additionally informed the participants about the global goals and objectives of the program "JOINT EFFORTS – THE PATH TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CENTRAL ASIA".
The Fergana branch of the public association ‘Yuksak Saloҳiyat’ conducted a 4-day training for 20 volunteers on ‘Forum theatre skills and facilitator training’. The training was held from 28 June to 2 July this year in ‘Ziyorat’ hotel of Ferghana city within the framework of the project ‘Role of youth and tolerance in preserving cultural and ethnic values between neighbouring countries’.
Forum theatre is an interactive form of theatre in which the audience is not just an observer but an active participant in the performance. This type of theatre is used to study social problems, discuss different points of view and jointly find ways out of situations.
The training was held at a high level and the volunteers gained knowledge in a completely new direction: holding forum-theatres on the topics of establishing commonwealth, tolerance and good-neighbourly relations between young people and the population of neighbouring countries.
This initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the branch of the Association of German Folk Universities (DVV) in Uzbekistan and the Mehrjon Women's and Children's Centre in Fergana province. The project is funded by the European Union 🇪🇺 and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development 🇩🇪 under the project ‘Together Towards Sustainable Development in Central Asia’.
On July 2 of this year, the Fergana branch of the public association "Yuksak Salohiyat" organized another meeting of the working group of active volunteers within the framework of the project "The role of youth in preserving cultural and ethnic values and tolerance between neighboring countries".
Agenda of the event
The program of the event included two main issues:
Discussion of the Charter, Code of Ethics, and work plan for the second half of 2025.
Preparation for holding a forum theater for the population in three districts of the Fergana region (Fergana city, Kuvasay, and Besharyk district), including the development and discussion of scripts, as well as conducting rehearsals.
Expected results
The purpose of this event is to discuss the activities of the volunteer club "Hamdo‘stlik" and prepare for the planned forum theaters. All this is aimed at uniting the efforts of young people in preserving cultural and ethnic values, establishing peace, and promoting tolerance between neighboring states.
📌The Fergana branch of the public association "Yuksak Salohiyat" 🗓On July 15, 2025, organized another meeting of volunteers who are preparing to perform at forum theaters in the regions! The guys are very enthusiastic, the rehearsal is very emotional! From 10 am to 6 pm, there was a script reading, rehearsal, working out the climactic moments, the process continues!
We continue to inform about the process of preparing for the forum theater within the framework of the project of the Fergana branch of the public association "Yuksak Saloҳiyat" — "The role of youth in preserving cultural and ethnic values and developing tolerance between neighboring countries".
Preparation for the Forum Theater: Progress and Energy of Youth
⚡️ Young people gathered from different districts of the Fergana region are enthusiastically preparing for forum theater performances. On their own initiative, they prepare musical and stage numbers. This is important for involving the audience in the forum theater process.
Recent Rehearsal
🔼 On July 17, another rehearsal took place, where participants honed their skills. It is especially worth noting that the head of the department for working with NGOs of the Department of Justice of the Fergana region, Abduallaev Oloerjon, took part in the monitoring event.
The process of preparing for forum theaters continues!!!
The Fergana branch is teaching and learning on the go... It takes a lot of time to prepare one scene, the guys study the script, roles are distributed, dozens of run-throughs are done, dialogues are honed... along the way, notes and changes are made, this is really a creative process. The good thing is that the guys are interested in it. They come in the morning and rehearse again and again until the evening.
An important role in this process is played by the teacher of the Department of Music of Fergana State University - Mavludakhon Najmiddinova, who selflessly comes to every rehearsal and works with the guys.
❗️On July 21, 2025, (62 degrees heat!😂) rehearsals for the preparation of forum theaters continue! 10 guys are passionate, motivated by the fact that they will not only participate in the festival on August 21-22, but also go on a trip to Osh, at the invitation of partners from Kyrgyzstan NGO "Ordo Plus".
On August 1, 2025, the premiere of the Forum Theater took place on the stage of Music School No. 11 in Quvasoy, a city bordering Kyrgyzstan. This event was organized by the Fergana branch of the "Yuksak Salohiyat" public association as part of the project "The Role of Youth in Preserving Cultural and Ethnic Values and Promoting Tolerance Between Neighboring Countries."
Goals of the Forum Theater
📌 The Forum Theater aims to foster peace, goodwill, tolerance, and critical thinking among young people; strengthen civil society and local communities; and prevent negative phenomena in society. These insights were conveyed through a new and impactful methodology: the Forum Theater.
Performance Themes and Audience Engagement
🔥 The staged mini-performances focused on the following themes:
Preventing human trafficking
Combating gambling
Strengthening tolerance and peace
☄️ The audience participated very actively, discussing the complex situations presented on stage and offering solutions. Notably, during one of the plays, several female audience members came onto the stage and fundamentally transformed a tragic ending, creating a positive finale.
Conclusion and Acknowledgments
‼️ We believe we have fully achieved the objectives and mastered the methodology of the Forum Theater. The lively discussions in the hall and the practical recommendations served as clear evidence of this success.
🔼 The leadership of "Yuksak Salohiyat" expresses gratitude to Nigorakhon Ubaydullaeva, Deputy Hokim of Quvasoy city, for her assistance in organizing the event and for her active participation.
☄️On August 21–22, 2025, a grand event took place in the city of Fergana – the International Festival "Bridges of Friendship: Cooperation for Peace and Development", organized by the NGOs Association "Women in the Agrarian Sector" and "Mehrjon" with financial support from the Uzbekistan Branch of DVV International. Delegations from three countries participated in the festival: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan!
‼️It is important to note that the organizers of the festival carried out tremendous organizational work to achieve the ⚡️results obtained!
🌐The Fergana branch of the public organization "Yuksak Salohiyat", as one of the recipients of a mini-grant for the project "The Role of Youth in Preserving Cultural and Ethnic Values Between Neighboring Countries and Promoting Tolerance" under the program "Joint Efforts – the Path to Sustainable Development in Central Asia", also made its contribution to the successful completion of the project. On the first day of the festival, our volunteers successfully conducted a forum theatre master class during a panel discussion. On the second day of the festival, the now-united team of volunteers from the NGO "Yuksak Salohiyat" and the partner Kyrgyz organization "OrdoPlus" first received feedback from partners, a master class from a professional director, and then, within 20 minutes, prepared two scripts and staged two joint performances on new topics: the harmful impact of mobile phone addiction on family relationships and child-rearing, and secondly, sextortion – extortion of money through blackmail.
🔼The fact that volunteers from different countries achieved mutual understanding and a creative tandem during the meeting allowed them to stage scenes on urgent topics, which have no borders, in such a short time!
👏The Board of the Fergana branch of the NGO "Yuksak Salohiyat" sincerely thanks the young and successful leader of the "OrdoPlus" initiative group from the Kyrgyz Republic – Jyrgalbek uulu AmanTurа for excellent partnership, creative ideas, and collaboration!
📌 The regional project "Joint Efforts – the Path to Sustainable Development in Central Asia" is implemented in Uzbekistan by the DVV International Branch and the NGO "Mehrjon" with funding from the European Union @eudeluzb and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
📣 On September 25–26, 2025, volunteers from the Fergana branch of the public association "“Yuksak Salohiyat”", as part of the "NGO delegation from the Fergana region", took part in the "cross-border festival “Dialogue of Cultures”" held in "Osh, Kyrgyzstan".
⚡️This trip took place within the framework of the project "“The Role of Youth in Preserving Cultural and Ethnic Values Between Neighboring Countries and Promoting Tolerance”", funded by "DVV International".
☄️The festival brought together representatives of partner "non-governmental organizations (NGOs)" from "Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan". Each country showcased the rich cultural traditions of its regions through vibrant dances and songs, highlighting the unique heritage of the "Fergana Valley".
❗️As representatives of the "Fergana branch of “Yuksak Salohiyat”", we express our sincere gratitude to our "Kyrgyz partners" for their exceptionally warm and hospitable welcome. Events like this serve as invaluable platforms for strengthening friendship and mutual understanding among the youth of neighboring countries.
🔼We sincerely hope that the "“Dialogue of Cultures” festival" will become a cherished tradition, annually providing young people of the Fergana Valley with new opportunities for warm, friendly, and fruitful communication and cooperation. 🤝
📌This initiative is implemented in cooperation with "DVV International" and the "Center for Women and Children “Mehrjon”" within the framework of the project "“Working Together for Sustainable Development in Central Asia,”" funded by the "European Union" (https://t.me/eu4uz) and the "Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany".