Voices from the Neighbourhood
#bishkeksmog
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As part of the grassroots think tank Polis180, which has a great network across the whole of Europe, we are convinced that an exchange of opinions, strategies and experiences can help a lot to put progressive issues on the political agenda in Europe.
In order to promote this exchange, we want to introduce various actors, activists and organizations that work on progressive issues in our immediate Eastern Neighbourhood. For our first three episodes, we will look at environmental activism, which is currently receiving a lot of attention throughout Europe and the world.
How global are the issues tackled by Fridays for Future? What problems do environmental activists face for example in Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine or Russia? What can we learn from organizations that stand up for climate justice in our Eastern Neighbourhood? We will try to find answers to these questions and as it says in the name of our podcast, we want the Voices from the Neighbourhood to be heard.
About this episode
What’s the deal with the smog problem in Kyrgyzstan’s capital? What are its causes and what can be done to change the status quo? For our second episode we interviewed Bermet Borubaeva back in May. She talked with us about #bishkeksmog, an initiative raising awareness for air pollution with artistic protest happenings.
Further information
For more information on #bishkeksmog you can visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
You can also check out the other projects mentioned in the episode:
Bishkek School of Contemporary Art (Facebook, Telegram, Instagram)
Trash Festival by Bishkek School of Contemporary Art
Initiative working on Bishkek city landfills
If you want to know more about Polis180 and the program group Perspektive Ost, feel free to follow us on Twitter or visit our Website!
Credits: Tom Moddenborg, Hendrik Schnittker
Guests: Bermet Borubaeva (activist at #bishkeksmog and co-founder of Bishkek School of Contemporary Art)
Sources (selection):
On Kyrgyzstan:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Kyrgyzstan
On the elections and change of constitution:
https://www.rferl.org/a/japarov-kyrgyzstan-presidential-election-referendum-/31040110.html
https://eurasianet.org/devil-in-the-details-of-kyrgyzstans-new-look-constitution
On the situation of CSOs and Freedom of speech & press:
https://eurasianet.org/kyrgyzstan-draft-bill-threatens-to-drive-ngos-against-the-wall
https://monitor.civicus.org/country/kyrgyzstan/
https://www.icnl.org/resources/civic-freedom-monitor/kyrgyz
On Smog in Bishkek:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aXuUUxiqQ4
https://www.iqair.com/de/kyrgyzstan/bishkek
https://eurasianet.org/kyrgyzstans-silent-hill-how-smog-is-killing-a-city
http://bishkeksmog.info/tpost/xg1mloenb1-ekologicheskoe-neravenstvo-ili-klimatich