The Central Asian countries share a legacy as republics of the Soviet Union; this means that the countries face many similar problems.
The collapse of the Soviet Union and independence in 1991 left the Central Asian countries in deep poverty and the most vulnerable inhabitants without access to support from the authorities. The local Ngos in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, where DanChurchAid works, focus on improving citizens' access to basic social services, such as medical assistance and education.
ECCA: The Ecumenical Consortium for Central Asia
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| DanChurchAid has been working in Central Asia since 1996. ECCA was established in 2001 by InterChurch Cooperation (ICCO, Netherlands), Christian Aid (UK) and DanChurchAid. NorwegianChurchAid joined the consortium in 2003. |
The Ecumenical Consortium for Central Asia uses a regional approach where partner organisations from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan discuss problems together and find common solutions. Regional networks give the Ngos bigger influence towards the authorities and also the possibility to enter into dialogue with the EU.
The agencies constituting the Ecumenical Consortium for Central Asia integrate their involvement in the region; all work within five prioritised themes. The close cooperation offers better possibilities to obtain changes, because all four agencies work in the same direction.
The aim in 2006 is to integrate this cooperation further and to a higher degree include the partners in the process.