May - December 2022
Grassroots Movements: Urban Activism in Central Asia
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
The educational institution "Kazakh-German University"
The educational institution "Kazakh-German University"
Against the backdrop of an unpredictable boom of reconstruction and mass construction in Central Asian cities, urban discontent and urban grassroots activism as well as protest mobilization are on the rise. The project seeks to shed light on the prospects for collective action in a region notorious for the shrinking of public space over the past three decades.
Overall objective:
To conduct systematic and comprehensive analysis of grassroots urban protest movements’ structures and rationales as well as their trajectory and prospects in post-Soviet Central Asia with examples from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Project objectives:
1) To conduct an extended study with a presentation of the methodology and study results focusing on:
- Examining the forms, actors, and trajectories of urban mobilization in post-Soviet Central Asia;
- Determining the impact of urban grass-root movements on spatial development in Central Asian metropolises;
- Determining how city governments respond to the demands of urban movements;
- Identifying political, social and cultural implications of urban grass-root mobilization for the development of civil society in Central Asia.
2) To produce a policy paper with policy recommendations on urban governance issues in each site (Almaty, Nur-Sultan, Bishkek, Tashkent and Dushanbe) for public stakeholders, developers, NGOs, and urban activists.
3) To contribute in raising awareness of urban governance issues among relevant stakeholders by organization of the workshop to discuss preliminary data to interested stakeholders.
- Examining the forms, actors, and trajectories of urban mobilization in post-Soviet Central Asia;
- Determining the impact of urban grass-root movements on spatial development in Central Asian metropolises;
- Determining how city governments respond to the demands of urban movements;
- Identifying political, social and cultural implications of urban grass-root mobilization for the development of civil society in Central Asia.
2) To produce a policy paper with policy recommendations on urban governance issues in each site (Almaty, Nur-Sultan, Bishkek, Tashkent and Dushanbe) for public stakeholders, developers, NGOs, and urban activists.
3) To contribute in raising awareness of urban governance issues among relevant stakeholders by organization of the workshop to discuss preliminary data to interested stakeholders.
The project was implemented by the Kazakh-German University with financial support of the Representative office of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Central Asia