Turkmenistan

Please provide us with your views on the state of peace in the country you will represent at the One Young World Summit. 

On December 12, 1995, Turkmenistan was granted a permanent status of neutrality by the UN. The status served as a backbone for the foreign policy that adheres to fundamental principles of peacefulness, non-interference in the affairs of other nations, respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-participation in international military organizations and treaties. Indeed, the permanent status of neutrality helped Turkmenistan to stay away from political instability, military clashes and civil war during post-Soviet transition years, the status of permanent neutrality helped Turkmenistan to avoid domestic turmoil. 

How do you think your work and/or activism contribute to a sustainable peace?

I believe that one of the ways to contribute to the sustainable peace is to have quality academic education and adopt global citizenship education (GCE) into the curriculum. Quality education and civic learning (which involves students' active participation in projects that address global issues of a social, political, economic, or environmental nature) are two very powerful tools to underlie the causes of conflict and prevent violence. Therefore, in the course of several years, I have been actively involved in youth empowerment activities at national and regional levels. For instance, in my home country Turkmenistan, I have organized seminars on global cultures to raise global awareness and international understanding, and conducted workshops on reading, critical thinking, writing skills and communications to educate and empower youth. As a recent Master’s graduate from the field of education, I strongly believe that it is my duty to educate young people to form strong attitudes against conflict and war and promote constructive engagement and effective communication. There is a critical need for Turkmen youth to understand that without freedom of speech and their positive engagement in n projects that address global issues of a social, economic and environmental nature, we will not progress into a prosperous society. Therefore, only through quality education and developing cross-cultural understanding people of the planet can achieve sustainable development.