"Taalim Forum" is involved in the work on capacity building and community mobilization. Work is conducted in different directions. This can be seen from the completed projects, which include: trainings on methodology on participatory video; trainings on organic fruit gardening; supporting music education for children in the remote rural communities; organizing public lectures and presentations in communities; organization of the festival "People on Earth"; and supporting small projects.

Promoting participatory video method (PV), "Taalim Forum", first organized trainings of trainers for preparing facilitators in collaboration with the Anglo-French company «InsightShare». Trained facilitators and coordinators of "Taalim-Forum" now can conduct trainings for community groups teaching them how to create collectively their own documentaries.

Method of participatory video showed its effectiveness in practice. Groups of people in different parts of the world, collectively create their videos and use them to bring positive social changes. The process of working on PV projects helps in increasing activeness, strengthening capacity of the groups and whole communities enable them to take control of the situation, to solve their local problems, improve their life, and bring positive changes. The technique of using PV exists for over 30 years, and throughout the world the number of its supporters is growing.

More information about Participatory video you can find from Manual for Facilitators on methodology of Participatory Video prepared and issued by "Taalim-Forum" in Russian and Kyrgyz languages.

Facilitators and coordinators of "Taalim-Forum" organized PV trainings in rural communities, where various groups were learning how collectively to make a film on a topic that is common concern and interest of most of local people or a group. Group discussions were always a help in choosing a topic, during discussions the most interesting topics for the future films were identified. Then the film is made, assembled, edited, and screened by the whole community.

With the aim to exchange experience and opinions, representatives of various communities that made their PV films, gathered twice to participate at the “People on the Earth” PV Film Festivals in Bishkek (2008, 2009).

"Taalim Forum" established the closest cooperation with rural communities in Ak -Tala district of Naryn region. To identify needs of communities and determine future work, the leaders and ordinary villagers from Jany Tilek and Ak- Chii villages arrived in Bishkek to participate in the Round Table. As a result, residents have received support from "Taalim-Forum" in the form of training sessions on organic fruit growing. On the basis of this work and to support other communities in their need in knowledge and skills, "Taalim-Forum" jointly with specialists prepared and published a collection of brochures in Kyrgyz language on fruit gardening.

Another direction of work includes supporting music education for children in these communities. As a result, in Jany-Tilek village the music class was opened, its students received musical instruments, books, equipments, and an opportunity to learn from the master-musicians. More about the music project in Jany-Tilek village.

Areas of work on strengthening capacity of local communities:

• Training of trainers on participatory video technique (2008)
• Training of trainers on participatory video technique (2010)
• Promoting Participatory Video (PV) in rural communities
• “People on the Earth” - Participatory Video Festivals (2008, 2009)
• Development of music education in Jany-Tilek village, Ak-Talaa districts, Naryn region (2009-2013)
• Support of organic fruit gardening: Workshops on organic gardening in Ak-Talaa district (2009-2010)

10 films made by different groups and communities by using Participatory Video techniques were demonstrated to a wider public in the Cinema House in Bishkek.

The idea of organizing festivals was to demonstrate to a wider public the films created by the ordinary people from rural communities.

The second PV raining was organized with the support of InsightShare. The training took place in October 2010 in Kalmak-Ashu village. Trainer – Isabelle Lemaire – a Program Director and experienced trainer from InsightShare.

The idea of organizing of this training was developed during the workshop in 2007. Gary Martin, the Director of Global Diversity Foundation, who came to teach on the workshop, was the first who presented the basic principles of Participatory Video (PV) as empowering tool for communities to be heard and tell about their life and problems.

Promoting participatory video (PV)

Taalim-Forum is involved in promoting participatory video among local communities and different groups since 2008 when partnership relations with InsightShare Company were established and the first training on preparing PV facilitators was organized in Kyrgyzstan by InsightShare’s trainer.