Ecologic 2.0: Rethinking Ecology through Media Publications

Kamila Usmanova
Kamila Usmanova
Through media publications we can influence public opinion and create public pressure for environmental measures and policies.
The Ecologic 2.0 project aims to create a public discourse on climate change through media publications. The project had two main components: holding a two-day camp (Bishkek, Osh) and organizing a contest of socially significant content.
IDEA Central Asia together with the EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic gathered journalists and bloggers from all over the country to raise awareness on climate change issues, as well as eco-tours to better understand the problem. At the end of the two-day camp, more than 50 journalists and bloggers from 7 regions of the country were reached.
Two-day camp in Bishkek, January 2023. Archive: IDEA Central Asia.
Two-day camp in Bishkek, January 2023. Archive: IDEA Central Asia.

Competition and a trip to Brussels:

In January, at the end of the camp, we launched a contest of socially important content for all journalists and bloggers in Kyrgyzstan. As a result of the contest, we covered 5 oblasts and Bishkek city (Batken region, Jalal-Abad region, Naryn region, Chui region, Osh region, Bishkek cityregion, Jalal-Abad region, Naryn region, Chui region, Osh region, Bishkek city).
In one month we received 55 submissions, of which:
13 - blogging materials;
20 - multimedia materials;
22 - text materials.
The authors of the 4 best materials won a trip to Brussels, to the EU Green Week 2023.
💡 EU Green Week 2023 is an opportunity to celebrate the progress we have made and to encourage individuals, communities and organizations to do more in the future - to protect, preserve and restore our environment for present and future generations, while continuously contributing to sustainable development.
Final Forum "Ecologic 2.0" in Bishkek, March 2023. Archive: IDEA Central Asia.
Final Forum "Ecologic 2.0" in Bishkek, March 2023. Archive: IDEA Central Asia.
A total of 9 contestants and participants were nominated. The opportunity to visit Brussels was won by:
The opportunity to purchase equipment for 10,000 soms won:
Kolbaeva Aisuluu - "Best blogger material of the second degree"

Living History:

The story of Zhenaly Kambaraliyev from Jalal-Abad region inspired many readers on social networks. Zhenaly is a journalist, he is 64 years old, and for many years he has been raising the problem of Tash-Kumyr reservoir pollution. When Zheenaly came to the IDEA Central Asia office and left an entry form, his work was published in three media outlets: the information portal Erkin-Too, the information portal NazarNews and the newspaper Slovo Kyrgyzstana.
From the article by Zhenaly Kambaraliyev:
"Several people on five inflatable boats, rounding the contours of garbage islands, go to the shore, where they are met by fellow villagers with questions: 'Did you find it?' But they, without answering the questions, as if on cue, barely setting foot on dry land, began to vomit under the trees. It turned out that they had inhaled the stench of the corpses of floating animals"
Final Forum "Ecologic 2.0" in Bishkek, March 2023. Archive: IDEA Central Asia.
Final Forum "Ecologic 2.0" in Bishkek, March 2023. Archive: IDEA Central Asia.
After the trip to Brussels, we saw significant changes at Zhenaly's.
From an interview with Zhenaly Kambaraliyev:
"Environmental problems of the world interested me more after my trip to Brussels. These are climate change, green economy and water problem in Central Asia. The last topic I have occasionally dealt with."
In 2021 we raised ecology issues through heated debates, in 2022 and 2023 we covered climate change topics in the media. As part of Ecologic 3.0, we will turn words into action.
Stay tuned and turn on the ecologic!