ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

The United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) has announced the winners of its contest for young people across Central Asia and Afghanistan, “Youth Voices from Central Asia – UN75 and Regional Peace and Security.” The winners are as follows:

• Dulat Abdisamat, 20, from Taraz, Zhambyl Province, Kazakhstan
• Umut Asylbekova, 20, from Talas, Kyrgyzstan
• Bekniyaz Begliyev, 26, from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
• Mokhinur Bosakova, 27, from Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• Aliyor Boynzarov, 23, from Khorog, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, Tajikistan
• Zakria Fazl, 20, from Qala-i-Now, Badghis Province, Afghanistan
• Chyngyz Israyilov, 31, from Osh, Kyrgyzstan
• TaeHwan Kim, 17, from the Republic of Korea (currently living in Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
• Alisho Mirzoshirinov, 22, from Khorog, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, Tajikistan
• Shukurgeldi Myradov, 17, from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
• Salwa Nezami, 25, from Kabul, Afghanistan
• Shakhodat Obidova, 27, from Kagan, Bukhara Region, Uzbekistan
• Kristina Orlova, 27, from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
• Mukhammad Sayfiddinov, 20, from Bukhara, Uzbekistan
• Mariam Abdul Shukur Shukuri, 25, from Afghanistan (currently living in Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• Zhanna Turgumbaeva, 22, from Temurtau, Karaganda Province, Kazakhstan
• Saodat Usmonova, 21, from Dushanbe, Tajikistan
• Assem Zayeva, 20, from Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
• Aliya Zholdoshbekova, 22, from Talas, Kyrgyzstan

The contest was part of the UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy project and the winners will represent their countries at the upcoming second Government-Youth Dialogue for Central Asia and Afghanistan. There, they will have the opportunity to share their ideas with the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of all six countries.

A brochure featuring the winners and quotes from their essays can be found here in English and here in Russian. 

The winning essays will be published in their entirety as a compendium prior to the second Government- Youth Dialogue.