UNODC “Line Up, Live Up” program continues building life skills of youth to promote peace and a culture of lawfulness in Kyrgyzstan

By enhancing knowledge of the consequences of crime and substance abuse and developing life skills, “Line Up, Live Up” seeks to positively influence behaviour and attitudes of at-risk youth and prevent anti-social and risky behaviour. Kyrgyzstan is one of the pilot countries where the global UNODC initiative is implemented.

Within the 2017-2018 period, 64 sports coaches and physical education teachers from Bishkek city and Batken, Chuy, Jalal-Abad and Osh provinces were certified to deliver the sports-based life-skills development curriculum for over 800 youth in 42 pilot schools and other sports and educational centres.

“Together with UNODC, the State Agency on Youth, Physical Education and Sports has rolled out the “Line Up, Live Up” curriculum in various parts of the country, including in 21 sport schools working under our State Agency’s umbrella. We also produced a series of public social advertisements, broadcasted on national TV, which highlight the contributions that sport can make to the empowerment of individuals, particularly women and young people, as well as to health, education and social inclusion”, said Mr. Mirlan Parkhanov, Deputy Director of the State Agency on Youth, Physical Education and Sports.

“UNODC expresses its appreciation to the State Agency for Youth, Physical Education and Sports for the partnership and support provided. Based on the feedback from the involved trainers, we intend to continue implementation and replication of the program in Kyrgyzstan”, noted Mr. Koen Marquering, Manager of UNODC’s Criminal Justice Program in Central Asia. “Line Up Live Up” uses interesting, interactive approaches. Thanks to the trainers using these approaches, children grow up to lead law-abiding lives and contribute to the sustainable development of the country”.  

«I participated in the “Line Up Live Up” trainers’ course and was certified as a coach. I was amazed at the subtlety of the methodology and content of the curriculum. Trainers and PE teachers play an important role in children’s upbringing. We need to invest in the development of a peaceful, safe and prosperous society, and the best way of doing so is investing in life skills of our children”, said Mr. Azamat Abdrakhmanov, Head of the Juvenile Inspectorate of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic.

“We started the course at the Center for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency. Adolescents are usually brought to the center following police raids in the city. Initially, they are unhappy to be at the center. “Line Up, Live Up” helps us to gain their trust and change their attitudes. Some 60 youngsters have gone through the training on a voluntary basis now. 15 of them keep coming to the center to help us with the “Line Up, Live Up” lessons”.

Roundtable participants discussed the outcomes of the pilots conducted with the sports-based, life-skills training curriculum for youth aged 13-18 in Kyrgyzstan. They exchanged best practices, opinions on the training course. UNODC awarded them with sportswear and letters of appreciation.

Mr. Johannes De Haan, Coordinator of the “Line Up, Live Up” initiative from UNODC Headquarters in Vienna, shared international standards and best practices of youth crime prevention. He also reported on the global achievements of this initiative.

 “Line Up, Live Up” is implemented in Kyrgyzstan as part of the UNODC Global Program on Implementation of the Doha Declaration, which was implemented following the latest UN Crime Congress in 2015. The program strengthens youth resilience to crime, violence and drug use by enhancing their personal and social skills and increasing their knowledge on the risks associated with these phenomena.