The Yashliq Cultural Center, Yevpatoria

A public organization, the Yashliq Cultural Center was established in 1994. The aim of the Center is to assist with the development of civic initiatives and civic education. Its first project was the opening of a library in the Ismail-bey Crimean Tatar settlement near Yevpatoria in 1994. Since that time, the Yashliq activists sponsored many events (seminars, training sessions, and round tables). In general, teachers, students, school pupils, medical workers, journalists, librarians, and representatives of Crimean public organizations are involved in these activities.

Civic Education

In 1997-1998, the Yashliq Center conducted seven seminars for Crimean NGOs. In cooperation with the Polish Education for Democracy Foundation, the "Training Trainers" seminar was held for teachers from Lviv, Kiev, Simferopol, Bakhchisaray and Yevpatoria in August 1998. Since November 1998, the trainers of the Yashliq Center have been conducting a series of seminars on local initiatives development in ten regions of Crimea. This project is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation. In addition, with the assistance of the Crimean Tatar Initiative, the Yashliq Center has been working on a project, "Consultation and technical support for public organizations, schools, and libraries planning to write grant proposals." In 1996, a workshop on "The Democratic Leadership" was offered for 17 youth organizations of Crimea.

It is important to note that the seminars and training sessions are adapted to the practical needs of participants. In the last two years, training sessions have focused on the following main topics:

Democratic leadership
Strategic planning for NGO activities
Increasing the role of civic initiatives
Fund raising
Civic education in schools
How to write project proposals
Multimedia and Internet for schools
Increasing the role of public libraries in civil society development

The Yashliq Center actively involves the local authorities in these seminars. For example, we have started a new program of seminars for NGO representatives called "Methods of effective partnership with local governments" in an effort to develop local democratic initiatives and maintain contacts between NGOs. The trainers of the Center are cooperating with colleagues from other public organizations in Ukraine and actively seeking new partnerships.

Informational support

The Yashliq Cultural Center is also involved in the following activities that popularize the history and culture of Crimea:

Assistance to school libraries in obtaining literature on the history and culture of Crimean Tatars
Preparation of electronic texts of rare publications on the history and culture of Crimea
Consulting on informational support for the history and culture of Crimea

Several projects that provide informational support to national schools in five regions of Crimea, at a cost of $30,000, were approved. The Center obtained more than 800 books and subscriptions to 39 newspapers and journals, made more than 3,000 photo copies of documents relating to the history and culture of Crimea, and purchased copy machines and computers for Internet access.

Youth oriented projects

To assist in resolving the problems of youth (especially Crimean Tatar youth, socially the most unprotected), the Yashliq Cultural Center is carrying out a program of social adaptation, called "Help yourself" in the Ismail-bey micro region of Yevpatoria. The goals of this program are:

to provide information and support for finding jobs and continuing education opportunities
to offer training sessions on topics such as "How to find a job," "Youth and alcoholism," and "Why do I need the Internet?"

The Yashliq Center has been able to find jobs for more than 170 young Crimean Tatars residing in the Yevpatoria area.

Illustrations:
Right: Participants of the Training Trainers seminar.
Left: Folk Dance Group, Tan Yildizi (Morning Star).

Address: 76/74, 1st Konnaya Armiya Street, Simferopol
Crimea, Ukraine
Tel/Fax: (+38 0652) 497274
E-mail: ngo@crimea.com

Chairman: Ayder Seitosman