On April 20-25, a week-long series of events celebrating World Book Day (April 23) will promote reading among children and youth in the Kyrgyz Republic. The events will be organized by the National Reading Committee at the Ministry of Education and Science in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism, the USAID Quality Reading Project, the UNICEF Program for Promoting Reading for Young Children in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Family Reading Project of the Aga Khan Foundation, and other organizations.
The celebration will start with an opening ceremony on April 20 at 9 a.m. in the press hall of Vecherniy Bishkek (2 Usenbaeva St.). On April 23 at 2 p.m., a concert with Kyrgyz pop stars will take place at Kurman-Datka Square. Meetings with writers, book fairs, and presentations will be organized throughout the week. Many schools, libraries, kindergartens, public cultural centers, hospitals, orphanages, and boarding schools will hold activities to promote children’s literature. On April 24, at 10am a round table will take place at the Republican Children’s Library (242 Ogonbaeva St.), where representatives of state education and culture institutions, local and international public organizations, experts, librarians, educators, parents, and mass media will discuss ways to foster a culture of reading, particularly among children and in families.
World Book Day was first established at the 28th General Session of UNESCO in Paris in 1995 to promote and preserve cultural traditions. Books open access not only to information but also to new ideas and greater appreciation of the scope of human accomplishment.
The Quality Reading Project is one of many assistance programs supported by the American people through USAID. For more information about this project and other USAID programs, please visit our website http://www.usaid.gov/kyrgyz-republic or Facebook page http://facebook.com/USAIDKyrgyzRepublic.
