The Regional Center of Expertise, Kyrgyzstan was acknowledged on May 31, 2007 by United Nations University (Tokyo, Japan) and since that time it is listed in Global RCE Networking among 168 RCEs around the world www.rcenetwork.org . On June 26, 2011, the RCE Kyrgyzstan was officially registered by the Ministry of Judges of Kyrgyz Republic as a Public Association of Regional Centers of Expertise on Education for sustainable development the “RCE KG”.The main goal of RCE-KG is “a Promotion of education for sustainable development in Kyrgyzstan”. From 2007 to present RCE-KG has implemented number of projects supported by UNESCO Kazakhstan National Office, US Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, EURASIA Foundation in Kyrgyzstan Republic, HELVETAS Swiss Inter-cooperation, US State Department, USAID and others.
The RCE-KG cooperates with various stakeholders and partners, including Kyryz State University named after I. Arabaev, State Agency on Environmental Protection of KG, Ministry of Education of KG, State Patent Department of KG, State Agency on Technical and Vocational Education, Bishkek Humanitarian University, Kyrgyz State University, Kyrgyz Pedagogical University, Kyrgyz Republic Children/Youth Environmental and Tourism Center, Ozone Center. The RCE Kyrgyzstan has sufficient experience of work with local communities and local people from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan due to several transboundary projects, which were carried out in the Fergana Valley.
The RCE-KG developed training workshops for promotion sustainable principles in daily life, including Training Manual for Sustainable Development at local level. The RCE also prepared the training module for educators in high education system of Kyrgyzstan for introducing goals and principles of education for sustainable development. The NGO also carried out 10 training workshops in seven region of the Republic.
The RCE is focused on awareness raising and knowledge sharing, including implemented project on “Research of the Structure of traditional knowledge and sustainable management of Kyrgyz social and natural environment”, supported by US Embassy in Kyrgyzstan . The RCE-KG tries to analyze and connect the historic ethnic culture of Kyrgyz people, relevant to sustainable use of natural elements and local traditional knowledge of recovery and rehabilitation of natural resources. The traditional knowledge and historic social organization of local economy (including livestock grazing in the various mountain belts during a year) could provide some useful solutions for environmental management to ensure sustainable development for future generations.
At present, the members of RCE-KG are actively involved in several initiatives, working with partners from Kyrgyzstan and other countries to raise funds for projects relevant to environmental education, public awareness and integration of sustainable development principles in everyday life on local, national and regional levels.