Category: News

Protecting and Supporting Children on the Internet

Posted on by Azhybek Nurlanov

In honor of June 1, “International Children’s Day,” a large-scale online forum “Support and Protection of Children on the Internet” was held. It was organized jointly with the Kyrgyz chapter of the Internet Society and the Rosa Otunbayeva Initiative International Foundation. At the forum, international and local experts made presentations and shared their experiences. To what dangers can children be exposed to on the Internet, how to protect their personal information, about the psychological state of children in such situations and how to help them, how to balance real and virtual communication and what methods other countries use.

Dogdurgul Kendirbaeva, Director of the Rosa Otunbaeva Initiative International Foundation, said in her speech:
“The population of Kyrgyzstan is 6 million people, and the number of gadgets they use is 9 million devices. Only 15% of them see developmental and educational content, while the remaining 85% see unnecessary and short-lived information”.

Nurbek Arzymbaev, head of the Sanarip Tazalyk project, said there is very little information on the Internet about child protection in Kyrgyzstan.
“We surveyed 500 websites in Kyrgyzstan. Of these, only one site has taken measures to protect children’s personal data on the Internet. We could not find such information on the remaining 499 sites.”

The forum was also attended by Eliza Temirbekova, Early Childhood Development Specialist, Bakyt Abdishev, Communication Technology Specialist from the USA, Executive Director of KG Analytics Intelligent Society, online pedagogical design and e-learning specialist, author of professional development courses on Mugalim platform, Montessori teacher, STEM ambassador Symbat Satybaldieva, Aigul Dogdurova, founder of the aha.kg School of Self-development, Aiperi Bozoeva, expert of the Sanarip Tazalyk Project, and Ajybek Nurlanov, Manager for Partnership Development at Sanarip Insan and IlimBox. Each shared projects, personal experiences and valuable advice on protecting and supporting children.

At the end of the forum Sapargul Abdinabieva, Child Development Specialist, Media Expert of the “Sanarip Insan” Project of the European Union, thanked everyone and congratulated all the participants with the “International Children’s Day” on June 1.

The online forum was launched through the Zoom platform and streamed live via YouTube and Facebook. Approximately 300 citizens from across Kyrgyzstan, including parents, children, migrants, teachers, and youth actively asked questions.
The online forum concluded with an interactive competition, and the winners received invitations to trainings and interesting books.

Our Social Media

Posted on by Azhybek Nurlanov

The Tech4Society project has pages on social networks where we publish news about our project, tips on cybersecurity. These events will help increase cyber resilience in the activities of journalists, activists, and representatives of non-profit organizations.

Follow our Instagram to stay up to date.

https://instagram.com/tech4society/

Read cybersecurity tips on our telegram channel.

https://t.me/tech4society_kg

Also follow our events on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/Tech4Society-Kyrgyzstan-113407578026875/

Our technical assistance call center is available 24 hours. We respond to incidents related to data privacy, computer security and provide prompt assistance in case of cyber attacks. If you encounter one of these issues, you can call +996501551029, send a message to signal messenger, or email [email protected].

In order to raise awareness of cybersecurity in the civil sector, trainings are planned within the framework of the project. You can send an application in a free form to our mail (indicating the number of participants) and we will contact you.

Online Forum: Online Children’s Day

Posted on by Azhybek Nurlanov

Online Forum: Online Children’s Day

May 31, 2022, 14.00 Bishkek

Zoom connection via the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85016137739 pwd=TUk2N1JXVkpyaU1kS0I1OWtTZzAwZz09

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1075849403339733/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/PoRp7jDcE1w

On June 1, a large-scale online forum “Online Children’s Day” will be held in honor of International Children’s Day. International and local experts will also share their reports on what dangers or negative consequences children may face on the Internet, how to protect personal information, the psychological state of children and how to help them, how to balance real and virtual communication. The forum is held by the “Kyrgyz Internet Society” together with the International Foundation “Initiatives of Roza Otunbayeva”.

The forum will be held on the Zoom platform and will be broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook. It is open to citizens from all over Kyrgyzstan, including parents, children, migrants, educators and youth.

● Organizers: “Kyrgyz Internet Society” and International Foundation “Initiatives of Roza Otunbayeva”.
● Moderators: Talant Sultanov and Sapargul Abdinabieva

Opening. greetings

Talant Sultanov, Chairman Kyrgyz Internet Society

Sapargul Abdinabieva, early development specialist, media expert of the Sanarip Insan project

Speeches

  • Natalia Mochu, Regional Director of the International Telecommunication Union for the CIS Region
  • Dogdurkul Kendirbayeva, Director of the International Foundation “Initiative of Roza Otunbayeva”
  • Eliza Temirbekova, early development specialist, teacher, mother of two children
  • Symbat Satybaldiyeva, Executive Director of the KG Analytics Intellectual Society, online methodologist,
  • pedagogical design and e-learning specialist, author of advanced training courses on the Mugalim platform,
  • Montessori educator, STEM ambassador
  • Bakyt Abdishev, IT specialist, father of two
  • Aigul Dogdurova, founder of the Academy for Personal Development and Self-Education aha.kg
  • Nurbek Arzymbaev and Aiperi Bozoeva, project manager and expert Sanarip Tazalyk
  • Azhybek Nurlanov, Project Partnership Development Manager, Sanarip Insan and ilimbox

Questions and answers. Interactive competition with prizes

What digital opportunities are available for rural communities?

Posted on by Azhybek Nurlanov

In honor of “Europe Day” on May 9 and “World Telecommunication and Information Society Day” on May 17, the Kyrgyz Internet Society hosted a webinar entitled “What are the digital opportunities for rural residents?” The webinar was attended by leaders of several EU-funded projects in Kyrgyzstan that provided information technology opportunities and grant support to youth, women and migrants in rural areas.

The webinar was opened by Hans Farnhammer, First Counselor of the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic, Head of the Cooperation Department.

“Kyrgyzstan has taken a big step in digitalization. I think that the development is very fast and covers all areas: education and services. To develop them on a larger scale, we need an in-depth study of digital skills. I am very pleased that we are working with civil society to bring these skills to you. This is an invaluable opportunity for all of us,” said Hans Farnhammer.

Kseniya Tyshkevich, Project Coordinator from the European Neighborhood Council (ENC), Project “Promoting Equal Economic Opportunities and Resilience of Youth” in the Kyrgyz Republic (Sanarip Insan):

“To put it simply, a young entrepreneur living across the ocean or in a remote part of Kyrgyzstan can sell his products on the Internet, advertise or draw new ideas from the global flow of information, and he has such an opportunity. Based on this logic, the Sanarip Insan project is being implemented with the support of the European Union.”

Also speaking at the webinar were Prof. Ermanno Pietrocemoli, President of the Escuela Latinoamericana de Redes (EsLaRed) Foundation of the International Center for Theoretical Physics of the ICTP Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, and Grégoire Pouget, Co-Founder and CEO of Nothing2Hide:

“We all know about the benefits of the Internet, but sometimes it can be counterproductive and our joint project Sanarip Tazalyk helps and protects local journalists and activists.”

The remainder of the webinar featured presentations by the leaders of several projects funded by the European Union. Banur Abdiyeva, DigiKonush project coordinator, Leader PF director, Zhash Tabyshker project manager, Enactus Kyrgyzstan executive director Gulbarchin Suyunova, Sanarip Insan project media expert Sapargul Abdinabiyeva and Nurbek Arzymbayeva, Sanarip Tazalyk project manager shared information about their projects, goals and ways of their implementation.

At the end of the webinar, Talant Sultanov, Chairman of the Kyrgyz Internet Society, summed up the importance of achieving goals through cooperation and thanked the participants of the webinar.

The purpose of the webinar “What are the digital opportunities for rural residents?” – to inspire people in the regions, especially youth, women and migrants in remote rural areas, to learn about education, technology education, and provide information about grant opportunities. The main broadcast was on the Zoom platform, which was broadcast live on the official pages of the Kyrgyz Internet Society on YouTube and Facebook. It was attended by about 200 people from all over the country.

ISOC Kyrgyz Chapter officially joined the ITU Partner2Connect Program

Posted on by kyrgyzisoc

The Internet Society Kyrgyz Chapter Public Association is proud to announce that it has officially joined the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Partner2Connect Program. As part of this program, the organization has submitted a pledge to bring digital skills to rural youth and women in the Kyrgyz Republic with a financing amount of 500 000 US dollars.
The importance of digital skills for rural youth in the Kyrgyz Republic cannot be overstated. According to recent statistics, over 50% of the population in Kyrgyzstan lives in rural areas, and a significant portion of this population is made up of women and youth. These individuals often lack access to the same resources and opportunities as their urban counterparts, making digital skills crucial for their economic resilience.
Digital skills can greatly improve the economic resilience of rural youth in Kyrgyzstan. For example, with access to digital skills, young people in rural areas can start their own businesses and take advantage of the global market. Additionally, digital skills can help young people find jobs, access educational resources, and stay connected to their communities.
The ITU is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for all matters related to information and communication technologies. The Partner2Connect Program is a platform that brings together ITU members, private sector companies, and other organizations to promote digital skills and connectivity for all.

What digital opportunities are available for rural communities?

Posted on by Azhybek Nurlanov

To celebrate the Europe Day (9 May) and the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (17 May), the Kyrgyz Internet Society will host a webinar “What digital opportunities are available for rural communities?” The webinar will bring together leaders of several EU-funded and EU-related projects in the Kyrgyz Republic to inform youth, women and migrants in the rural areas about digital opportunities and grant support.

The webinar will be held on the Zoom platform. Participants from all regions of the Kyrgyz Republic can take part in it and ask questions.

2:00 pm Welcoming Remarks

Hans Farnhammer, Head of Cooperation, First Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic

2:15 pm Presentations

  • Professor Ermanno Pietrosemoli, Science, Technology and Innovation Unit, ICTP – International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Presidente Fundación Escuela Latinoamericana de Redes (EsLaRed)
  • Kseniya Tyshkevych, Project Coordinator, European Neighbourhood Council (ENC), Project: “Promoting equal opportunities and resilience of youth” in Kyrgyzstan (Sanarip Insan (Digital citizen))
  • Grégoire Pouget, co-founder and CEO of Nothing2Hide
  • Banur Abdiyeva, DigiKonush project coordinator, head of the Leader public foundation
  • Gulbarchin Suyunova, Zhash Tabyshker project coordinator, Executive Director of Enactus Kyrgyzstan
  • Sapargul Abdinabieva, media expert of the Sanarip Insan project
  • Nurbek Arzymbaev, Project Manager “Sanarip Tazalyk”, a joint initiative with the International Organization Tech4Press (France)

3:00 pm Discussion and Quiz with Prizes

3:25 pm Conclusion

Press Release Tech4Society

Posted on by Azhybek Nurlanov

A Cyber ​​Incident Response Team focused on the civilian sector began to work in Kyrgyzstan

In recent years, with the development of digitalization, the number of cybercrimes has also increased. According to official data, in Kyrgyzstan, on average, about 20 Kyrgyz websites are subjected to cyberattacks daily. Lack of education and lack of specialized experts lead to an increase in cybercrime and loss of personal data. With the launch of the Cybersecurity Coordination Center under the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic, almost all government agencies have the opportunity to receive assistance. At the same time, civil society remains vulnerable and continues to face cyber incidents, including hacks of personal pages.

In this regard, the Public Association “Internet Society Kyrgyzstan Chapter” (ISOC), with the assistance of Nothing2Hide (France), is launching the “Tech4Society” project to support activists, journalists and the civil sector on digital security issues. The project will operate a technical assistance call center in Kyrgyz and Russian, available 24 hours. This call center will respond to incidents related to data privacy, computer security and provide prompt assistance with cyber attacks that users face every day.

“In the media, examples of hacks and information leaks are increasingly being published. At the beginning of the year alone, more than ten journalists and activists complained that their accounts had been hacked. Moreover, at the end of 2019, following the publications of the customs corruption investigation, media websites experienced unprecedented DDoS attacks, which made their websites unavailable. To date, there are only two institutions in the country that deal with cyber incidents and they cover only the public sector. While civic activists, journalists and small businesses remain vulnerable and unprotected,” said Nurbek Arzymbaev, head of the Tech4Society project.

The project also plans to conduct trainings on cyber hygiene in order to increase awareness of the security tools of active communities. These events will help increase cyber resilience in the activities of journalists, activists, representatives of non-profit organizations and small businesses.

The call center can be contacted via the Signal app +996 501 551 029 or email [email protected].

More details about the project can be found at the following link: https://isoc.kg/ru/projects/t4s/

“Central Asia girls in ICT” online un-conference

Posted on by Azhybek Nurlanov

On April 28, in honor of the International Day of “Girls in Information and Communication Technologies”, the organization “Women in Digital Transformation”, “Initiatives of R. Otunbayeva” and the Kyrgyz Internet Society held an online discussion on the topic “Girls in ICT”. International and local experts, as well as successful women, shared their experience and opportunities in technology for girls. The main speaker of the online discussion was the ex-President of the Kyrgyz Republic Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva. In her speech, she shared that the potential of girls in technology is limitless:

“I am delighted that for the first time at the national level, an online session is being held in honor of Girls in ICT Day. Our foundation has been promoting the initiative to involve girls in digital technologies since 2013. As part of our STEAM training project, we have educated 193 specialists and trained more than 2,000 schoolgirls in Bishkek and Osh. We are supported by several donor organizations and institutions. Our goal, like yours, is to expand opportunities for girls in technology. Let’s work together to achieve common goals, because without technological knowledge we will not be able to conquer the 21st century,” shared the ex-president, Roza Otunbayeva.

MP Elvira Surabaldiyeva also noted that teaching girls about information technology is very important because it represents the interests of women in parliament. The next speaker was the Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic A. Beishenaliev. “As the primary source of information and technology education for children, we are now prioritizing science (STEM) teachers. According to a recent presidential decree, the salary of science teachers has been increased by 20% compared to other teachers.”

The next speaker of the online discussion was the Director of the State Agency for the Protection of Personal Data under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic – Nuria Kutnaeva. In her speech, she noted that we should all promote the idea of ​​IT, digitalization and help develop in this direction. Also, Nuria Kutnaeva shared a mentoring program where girls were trained in the necessary digital skills, digital security and IT career guidance. In addition to officials, the online discussion titled “Technological Opportunities for Girls” brought together several international and local experts.

During the online discussion, Natalia Mochu, ITU Regional Director for the CIS region, and Ekaterina Gromova, founder of the Women’s Digital Transformation Organization, spoke about international experience in the framework of ICT “Tashkent-Bishkek Girls” in the CIS.

Local Experts: Shaina Cram, Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy; Shirin Aitmatova, Vice-President of the International Aitmatov Foundation and ex-deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic; Gulnaz Kordanova, founder of Teach for Kazakhstan and Connect-Ed.kz (Kazakhstan); Elena Selezneva, Startup Accelerator, founder of Tech4Impact (Uzbekistan); Jamal Frontbek kyzy, head of the public organization “Mutakalim”; Banur Abdiyeva, DigiKonush project coordinator; Aizada Kalkanbekova, director of the Public Radio “Suusamyr FM”, editor-in-chief of kyrgyzmedia.kg; Aidana Omurbayeva, IT Influencer and DevOps Engineer, Relativity LLC; Aiperi Nogoibaeva, Deputy Director of the Kyrgyz Association of Software and Services Developers; Aiperi Bozoeva, expert of the Digital Hygiene project; Sapargul Abdinabiyeva, media expert of the Sanarip Insan project, as well as the coordinator of the Village Girl project – Aidai Amankulova, the head of the first space program of Kyrgyzstan Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova, shared their experience on the opportunities of ICT for women and girls in Central Asia.

 

At the end of the event, the co-founder of the Kyrgyz Internet Society, Aziz Soltobaev, concluded: “Today we realized that together we can achieve great results and demonstrate the power of girls not only in ICT, but in science in general.”

Chairman of the Kyrgyz Internet Society, Talant Sultanov thanked all the participants and encouraged the girls to receive information technology education. The purpose of the online discussion “Central Asian Girls in ICT” was to inspire girls from remote rural areas to study and receive technological education.

The initial broadcast took place on the Zoom platform, and was also broadcast live on the official social pages on YouTube and Facebook. From all over the country connected: via Zoom – 100 people; 162 people watched the live broadcast via Facebook; through YouTube – 145 people. After inspiring discussions, a small online competition was organized for the girls. The participants were asked questions in the field of information technology, the winners were awarded certificates for IT courses, free consultations from IT professionals and gifts such as books and notebooks.

Un-Conference Central Asia Girls in ICT

Posted on by Azhybek Nurlanov


Opportunities for girls in ICT education and careers in Central Asia: informal online discussion in honor of International Girls in ICT Day

April 28, 2022, 16.00 Bishkek, 10.00 UTC

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88516164405?pwd=anBlZFNwWm5zNGhLM29QQjhyamxLZz09

Facebook Live Stream: https://fb.watch/cG2PkgRuU8/ 

YouTube Live Stream: https://youtu.be/Xvt7Gd-SnBg

The Central Asian Girls in ICT event aims to inspire and empower girls and girls, especially in rural areas, to pursue education and careers in the ICT sector and STEAM in general. International and local experts and leaders will share their stories and talk about opportunities for girls in Central Asia. The online event will be held in an informal environment without protocol, so that the participants and participants can freely communicate with each other and with prominent ICT experts and leaders.

Program
Organizers: International Organization “Women in Digital Transformation”, Kyrgyz Internet Society and International Public Foundation “Initiatives of Roza Otunbayeva”
Hosts: Ekaterina Gromova, Talant Sultanov

16.00 Greetings

  • Roza Otunbayeva, founder of the International Public Foundation “Initiatives of Roza Otunbayeva”, ex-president
  • Almazbek Beishenaliev, Minister of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic
  • Elvira Surabaldieva, Deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic
  • Nuria Kutnaeva, Director of the State Agency for the Protection of Personal Data under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic

16.30 Teleconference Tashkent-Bishkek “Girls in ICT in the CIS Region”

  • Natalia Mochu, ITU Regional Director for the CIS Region
  • Ekaterina Gromova, Co-Founder, Women in Digital Transformation

16.45 Presentations “Opportunities in ICT for girls and girls in Central Asia”

  • Shayna Cram, Head of Public Affairs, US Embassy
  • Shirin Aitmatova, Vice-President of the International Aitmatov Foundation, Former Deputy of the Jogorku
  • Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic
  • Gulnaz Kordanova, Co-Founder, Teach for Kazakhstan and Connect-Ed.kz (Kazakhstan)
  • Elena Selezneva, Director, Startup Accelerator, Co-Founder of Tech4Impact (Uzbekistan)
  • Jamal Frontbek kyzy, Head of the public organization “Mutakalim”
  • Banur Abdiyeva, Founder of the Center for Civic Initiatives “Leader” (Karakol), European Union Project “DigiKonush”
  • Aizada Kalkanbekova, Director of the community radio “Suusamyr FM” and editor-in-chief of the news site kyrgyzmedia.kg
  • Aidana Omurbayeva, DevOps Engineer at Relativity LLC, IT Influencer
  • Aiperi Nogoibaeva, Deputy Director KARPOU (Kyrgyz Association of Software Developers and Services)
  • Aiperi Bozoeva, Digital Hygiene Project “Sanarip Tazalyk”
  • Sapargul Abdinabiyeva, European Union Project “Sanarip Insan”
  • Aidai Amankulova, Village Girl Project
  • Kyzzhibek Batyrkanova, Head of the first space program in Kyrgyzstan, an initiative included in the BBC Global List of “100 Most Influential and Inspiring Women in the World”

Questions and answers. Competition with prizes