Prevention of juvenile crime is central during guest lecture for students of the OSCE Academy

On September 30, 38 students from the OSCE Academy in Bishkek took part in a guest lecture dedicated to preventing young people from engaging in criminal and corrupt activities. The event was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and was facilitated by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

The event brought together students from Central Asia and Afghanistan enrolled in the OSCE Academy’s master’s programs in human rights and sustainability, politics and security, as well as the bachelor’s program in economics. Through case studies and group discussions, students learned about the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to preventing youth crime and tackling the root causes that lead to criminal activity. The lecture also examined international good practices to prevent at-risk youth from becoming involved in criminal activities, with an emphasis on early intervention and multi-stakeholder cooperation and support, provided by the North Rhine Ministry of the Interior’s “Kurve Kriegen” prevention initiative -Westphalia in Germany.

“It is critical that students understand the profound impact of juvenile crime on security and economic development in Central Asia and beyond,” said Dr. Pal Dunay, interim director of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek. “This interactive lecture served as a thought-provoking platform for students to learn about comprehensive methods to prevent juvenile crime.”

The lecture provided evidence-based insights into why and how preventive strategies are more effective than repression in addressing security challenges in the Central Asian region and beyond. The insights gained will also serve as a useful tool for students when preparing their master’s thesis.

The guest lecture was organized as part of the multi-year extra-budgetary project “Enhancing Youth Crime and Drug Use Prevention through Education on Legality and Awareness Campaigns Tackling the Threats of Organized Crime and Corruption”, funded by Germany. Other donors supporting this project are Andorra, Finland, Italy, Norway and Poland.