Climate Fresk first-timers in Kyrgyzstan pave the way for more CEKOs in Central Asia
Two researchers from the American University of Central Asia have managed to fresk around 200 people in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, on their own since early 2022. Let’s check out this Climate Fresk success-story coming straight from Central Asia!
Last February, the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek (capital of Kyrgyzstan), hosted its first Climate Fresk workshops, thus reaching 120 students from 10 different universities of the country.
Initiated and organized by Olga Tarabashkina, PhD University of Adelaide and Associate Professor at the AUCA’s Department of Sociology, and Cholpon Aitakhunova, Fellow Researcher on International Climate Protection at the Ggerman Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Climate Fresk was deployed at the AUCA in a typical CEKO-way.
First through the training of 20 teachers, eco-activists and volunteering students, who did their first Fresk on the 5th of February, and were then trained to become Freskers themselves. 3 weeks later, they facilitated their first Climate Fresk workshops in English during a two-days long event.
This great workshop helps everyone to grasp really quickly the fundamentals of the climate change process and gives a platform for collaborative work among universities. Climate Fresk equips all generations of people with a clearer vision and thinking as to how climate change is spurred by human activity.
Following this event, some participants shared their feedback: “I am shocked with what I see on this Fresk but I am happy I did it. I want to be a good human and yet I have to learn how to do just that. This is a great shift of paradigm!”. Olga Tarabashkina confirms that “Climate Fresk game was well received by all students from various specialties and departments ranging from agriculture to politics and anthropology.”
The commitment of the two organizers did not restrict to the boundaries of Bishkek, but extended to other parts of the country. A second series of Climate Fresk workshops was organized in the South of Kyrgyzstan, as part of a Water and Climate Safety Program led by the Central Asian Water and Climate Youth Movement. 30 “Water and Climate Ambassadors” among young leaders of the region received quality education on water resources and climate at the end of May, including Climate Fresk workshops.
Olga and Cholpon (who was COY 16 Glasgow Country Coordinator for Kyrgyzstan) also joined forces to fresk people in neighboring countries, namely Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. They are currently working on translating the game in Kirghiz, as well as the kids version, and are reflecting on how to launch the translation of the game in Tajik and Uzbek. A way for them to grow the emerging Climate Fresk community in their country and close region: “We need this more than ever, we need more Climate Fresks in more schools, parks, offices, everywhere”, concludes Olga, who is also on her way to become Country Coordinator for Kyrgyzstan!
Thank you to the Freskers who have led these fabulous actions and laid the first stones to build the Climate Fresk community! Thanks to Olga and Cholpon!