On 26 and 27 April, a youth festival of national culture was held under the title “Peace! Friendship! Harmony!” in communities in the districts of Karacha and Sovietskoe Bazar-Korgon in Jalal-Abad Oblast.

The festival programme included renditions of national songs and dances and also a series of short comedy performances. Performers at the festival came from schools in the communities of Karacha and Sovietskoe. Around 470 people attended festival performances. Festival participants welcomed guests and called for friendship, peace and harmony in Kyrgyz, Russian, Uzbek, English, German, Kazakh, Turkish and other languages.

The positive and celebratory mood of the young people involved was particularly evident, as well as the awareness they gained of their own role and significance in strengthening harmonious relations within their communities.

The festival was implemented as part of the “Peaceful Transitions” project.