15.03.2013
A lot of guests came to the presentation of the exhibition “MayaPlanet: World against drug addiction” that was held on March 5, at the Department of Informational Technologies of the Kyrgyz-Turkish University “Manas” (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan). Besides the citizens, local parliament and government representatives, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of international organizations and Mass Media have visited the exposition. Guests shared their impressions about the exhibition.
Jyldyz Joldosheva, Deputy of the Kyrgyz Republic Parliament, President of Charity Fund named after Kurmanjan Datka:
Today's presentation of the international exhibition against drug addiction is not only prevention, it is blocking of the intentions of young people who want to use drugs or engage in drug trafficking, for example. I think the effect will be for sure, but for this we have to show the exhibition in all the schools and universities of the Kyrgyz Republic. I want to thank the Rector of the Kyrgyz-Turkish University "Manas", who gave the opportunity to open the first exhibition in this university.
Generally Jenishbek Bolsunbekovich does a great job not only in our country but also around the world. If before the world knew of Kyrgyz by Chingiz Aitmatov, now the world began to get to know about us through Jenishbek Nazaraliev. This, I believe, should be proud of our country.
I think we all have to fight against drugs. First of all, we need to love our children, so that they can feel that they are loved, that they came to this world to be happy and make happy others. It's the least thing we can give them. If there is a love, there won’t be any drugs.
Tursunbek Akun, ombudsman of the Kyrgyz Republic:
It raises the overall level of our country on the world stage, because our citizen - Dr. Nazaraliev, the leader of such a serious international organization raises an important issue, takes up the sword and lights up the torches on all five continents. The world must be drug-free. This is very important, and all human rights defenders, including ombudsmen from around the world, must support this initiative. To free people from the drugs is very important. We must strive to ensure that our citizens live without drugs and help to reduce the level of the world drug trafficking.
Jenishbek Nazaraliev is our citizen. This is a great citizen of the world, the greatest citizen of Kyrgyzstan. I welcome the fact that he started the project it his own country.
Oswaldo Biato Junior, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil in Kazakhstan:
This is a very important event to form a definite vision. Such activities should be complemented by youth projects in the area of sports, etc. There is a difference in situations in Kyrgyzstan and Brazil: the Brazil's most used drugs are cocaine and crack, while in Kyrgyzstan it is heroin. But the consequences are the same in both cases - the degradation of drug addicts, abandoned families, broken lives and an obvious threat to the future of young people. All of these consequences are very drastic. In Brazil, we are trying to fight against drug addiction not only by closing the border drug trafficking, but also through the creation of programs aimed at the development of sports and other public events. And, of course, integral part of that is treatment. We actively support the initiative of the World League in Kyrgyzstan. The organizers held a fundamental and important work. It is very important that the exhibition is being held in Kyrgyzstan, because in Latin America, there is a view that the drug problem is more relevant for the European countries and America, and that it does not concern us, although drug transit passes through Brazil. Incredibly important fact is that the transit countries have also initiated similar activities in order to fight against drugs.
Bonivur Ishemkulov, head of the Central-Asian Knowledge Center to reduce harm from drug use:
Today, when I was participating in the conference (in the beginning of the exhibition there were organizers and local government representatives’ speeches - Ed.), I noted for myself that this leads to a positive effect, when people who have a bearing on treatment, and are beginning to look at prevention, and to involve into this people who can influence on the situation throughout the republic. Indeed there is no governmental programs aimed at primary drug use prevention. There is no state policy, no money is allocated for drug use prevention from the state budget, and even a draft of the bill on drug addiction prevention have not been working out for 6 years in our parliament. Therefore it is pleasure for me see that the MPs and government officials also raised the prevention issue, and I think it is a good initiative by the respected professor (Jenishbek Nazaraliev - Ed.) - contribution to finally initiate effective prevention of drug abuse in the Kyrgyz Republic.
I think we are as an expert community of the Kyrgyz Republic will fully support such initiatives on the part of any well-known personalities, including professor. We have already supported it by the State Service on Drug Control. And we will continue to promote the idea of drug prevention. First of all among the young people .
I was studying in Europe, the Lisbon Monitoring Centre for Primary Prevention, where I has learned that today scary stories no longer work. Bullying by drugs, or showing of seamy, skulls, and so on - so far as European specialists say, it does not work in the world. We have to work in terms of the so-called positive drug use prevention. This is a new trend, it is still underdeveloped in our country, but we will come to this. We should not show the harm of drug use, but benefit from the non-use of drugs. I adhere to this point of view, but anyway, attracting the attention always plays a positive role.
There should be promotion of a healthy lifestyle, showing the successful stories of life, a demonstration of how well not using drugs. Meanwhile, we only say how drugs are bad. It is necessary to change the emphasis a little, I think, but in any case, I want to say that attracting any attention - it is a great contribution.
Erkinjan Musaev, head of public fund "Light":
Such actions are useful and effective as a tool of prevention drug abuse among young people. We are on the mainstream way of drug trafficking, all the heroin passes through our country, and that’s why we are the most vulnerable to this problem. In addition, our youth is not enough advanced than Western. They need to be developed culturally in order to reduce the risk of drug addiction. While in Western countries, the level of anti-drug propaganda programs is high, we are just beginning pass this way.
Zahidullah Jalali, Third Secretary of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in the Kyrgyz Republic
The exhibition held by the World League was amazing and this is part of what we have been looking forward to see in the joint struggle against using, cultivation, and trade of Drug. Narcotics and drug trafficking are regional as well as international problems and require a more coordinated and closer cooperation between the states. The Afghan government is taking the matter very serious and has been involved to undermine narco trafficking, cultivation, and use. Several of our state agencies are involved in fighting narcotics, traffickers, and drug dealers; and more than a hundred of our security personnel have paid their lives or suffered from injuries in the fight against drugs and drug traffickers. Afghanistan suffers more than any other countries from the harms of narcotics not to mention damages made to its reputation and a growing number of addicted citizens, but the narco money has been a financial source for the terrorists and armed opposition. Therefore, we are more serious than any other countries to fight narcotics and drug dealers and in this regard we had major achievements as well. Never the less we want the region and international community to take the issue as serious as we do and coordinate their efforts and closely cooperate with each other to detect the drug dealers and its financial sources and draw down the demand. We have also requested our neighbors to contain the inflow of precursors particularly the acetic anhydride which are significant components in heroin and narcotics and available only out of Afghanistan; and also to share intelligence on drug dealers and mafia that is involved in this business.
What the World League "World Against Drugs" has been conducting recently is the effort to raise the public awareness about the harms of drugs and fighting the demand of drugs in the region and hopefully it will turn more international. Such efforts are greatly appreciated and i am confident that they are significant in our joint struggle and we will be looking forward to see more of such events.
