News

Dialogue leads to trust between people and authorities in Osh

For a long time, residents of Alymbek Datka (a part of Osh city) had been observing a construction of new houses all over the district. This development could be seen as welcome investment activity, but many new constructions had taken place on of the grounds of playgrounds and did not meet the necessary standards for construction work. Consequently residents did not agree with a decree of the local mayors’ office on the construction of a new multi- story building in Alymbek Datka:

“We are worried about the construction. It would definitely complicate our lives. Can you imagine what happens if a fire or an earthquake occurs, which is quite frequent in our area? Neither ambulance nor the fire brigade would be able to reach our houses. In addition, the new houses would be built on our playground. We were determined to fight and will not be giving up”, said Zhanna Ashiralieva, resident of Alymbek Datka microdistrict.

This situation could have led to a big conflict between the authorities and residents, but with the help of UNHCR’s partner “Foundation for Tolerance International” the possible conflict was resolved. As Jyldyz Botobaeva, head of neighborhood community, states, assistance in conflict resolution was crucial: “We do not know how to resolve our problems. Municipal authorities did not even attempt to protect our rights. It was glaringly obvious that the construction multistory building does not meet any standards.”

In October 2014, UNHCR’s partner started organizing a roundtable to ensure open and honest dialogue and to discuss the situation. This roundtable gathered residents of the city district, representatives of local administration and other interested parties. Residents shared their concerns, explaining that the infrastructure of their houses will be damaged if new buildings are constructed and that the access for emergency services will be very limited due to proximity of the building, which may cause danger to the lives of people. In addition to building a bridge of dialogue, UNHCR held advocacy campaign through media outlets and organized a talk show on the local TV. As a result of the advocacy measures, the Osh mayor’s office nullified the previous decision on the construction of the multistoried building in the micro rayon Alymbek Datka.

“What a relief! You cannot imagine how to live with the thoughts that your house can collapse or your children will be locked in their homes because they do not have place to play. My trust in law and justice has been strengthened”, said Zhanna, local resident. UNHCR’s partners are continuing to provide legal assistance to the residents in case of illegal construction. The decision of the local administration to prohibit the illegal construction served as a positive example as it demonstrated that the authorities are open and willing to discuss and resolve residents’ problems, which will result in increasing trust towards the authorities’ problem solving capacity.

These activities in Osh’s Alymbek Datka district have been implemented as part of UNHCR’s peacebuilding project, which aims to create trust between people and authorities after the Osh events in June 2010.