The “Roza Otunbayeva Initiative” International Public Foundation is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization established in January 2012 with the aim of initiating and implementing programs and projects that can contribute to the social, political, and economic development of the country, as well as respect for the environment in the Kyrgyz Republic.\n\nThe founder of the Foundation Roza Otunbayeva, is a former President of the Kyrgyz Republic, member of the high-level group of advisers on mediation under the UN Secretary-General, member of the Club de Madrid, and member of the Governing Board of UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP).\n\nMain goals of the Foundation:\n•\tPromoting human development, expanding civic participation, strengthening civil society;\n•\tImplementation of educational, cultural, environmental, and charitable programs and projects;\n•\tSupporting initiatives for peacekeeping, expanding communication platforms on issues of international political, economic, and humanitarian cooperation.\n\nSince its establishment, the Foundation has initiated and implemented throughout the country, in cooperation with various partners, more than 30 projects. \n\nMuch attention is paid by the Foundation to supporting the level of accessibility of art, music, literature, and folk crafts, both for children and for the general public. Thus, the Foundation has published several books about ICH elements of Kyrgyzstan adopted for children e.g. Manas comic book based on the Manas epic, “To Visit My Friends!” which explores the diverse culture of ethnic groups in Kyrgyzstan, etc.\n\nOne of the well-known projects implemented by the Foundation is "Development Centers on Jailoo". Jailoo is a summer pasture. The purpose of the project is aimed at creatinig conditions for equal access for the vulnerable population – the children of cattle breeders to preschool education. The project also includes programs aimed to promote traditional knowledge and cultural and historical heritage of the Kyrgyz people, introducing children to culture through the study of traditional games, and the formation of knowledge and skills of young children on the bases of tolerant interaction with representatives of different ethnic groups and nationalities.\n

Aigine1 CRC is a non-profit NGO established in May 2004 with the mission of expanding research and education into lesser-known aspects of the cultural and natural heritage of Kyrgyzstan, integrating local and scholarly epistemologies relating to cultural, biological, and ethnic diversities.\nFor the last ten years, Aigine has been studying, documenting, safeguarding, and promoting the vibrant cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz people in the following domains—sacred sites, including their natural, spiritual, and social components; the Kyrgyz heroic epic trilogy (Manas, Semetey, and Seitek)and Kyrgyz folk music. These domains accumulate key ICH elements requiring safeguarding and promotion among younger generations in present-day Kyrgyzstan.\nOur center has been engaged in a profound and systematic study of sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan since 2005. Today, we have an inventory of 1,075 sacred sites with detailed locations, descriptions, and pictures. This cluster of sites enabled us to define and outline the Sacred Geography of Kyrgyzstan. The study also investigated and unveiled such ICH elements as historical and contemporary dimensions of sacred sites, as well as belief systems, rituals and pilgrimage practices. This data has been published in fourteen books available in English, Kyrgyz, and Russian.