A Chat in the Yurt, discussing Central Asia and Europe – Episode XXVI – (GO)NGOs

Step into our Yurt and join us for a monthly conversation on Europe-Central Asia developments. In this series of podcasts, we welcome guests from both regions to discuss exciting new research and the latest developments in Europe and Central Asia. Together, we discuss society trends, political developments, economic turns, and cultural highlights while assessing the past and looking ahead to what may unfold.

 

In this episode, hosts Rashid Gabdulhakov and Kamila Smagulova meet with Sebastien Peyrouse, who is Director of the Central Asia Program (CAP) and Research Professor at the Institute for European Russian and Eurasian Studies of the George Washington University. Sebastien is also a Research Associate at EUCAM. Sebastien published an extensive reporton the narratives and strategies of GONGOs in the OSCE where he looked at government-run civil society from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Recently, a shorter version was published under the name ‘Agitprop 2.0‘ at PONARS. Sebastien explains how GONGOs function as a tool of influence and legitimicy of authoritarian governments. The value of OSCE Human Dimension gatherings is discussed and the importance of fact-checking in working with GONGOs is highlighted. Guest and hosts conclude with a trip through the Central Asian landscape of think tanks, NGOs and GONGOs. 

 

 

Join EUCAM in the Yurt via SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple podcasts. Be part of the discussion by posing questions and sharing your thoughts on our social media: LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Mastodon. EUCAM is a programme of the Centre for European Security Studies (CESS), the Netherlands.