The respondent indicated that there is neither a NYSP nor a movement to create one in Turkmenistan. The respondent does believe that a NYSP will be created one day, as there is a need for youth service. The respondent indicated that “educational awareness, training, and a legal base” are all needed to advance the NYSP movement.

The respondent noted that national policy landscape in Turkmenistan has “changed dramatically since the fall of the USSR.” However, despite recent reforms and innovations, the government “has yet to address the private social sector of Turkmenistan with supportive policies.” The respondent noted that the political climate worsened in 2003 when the government instituted “a law on the work of NGOs” which prohibits any action (even meetings) of non-registered organizations or groups. Despite the existence of international NGOs striving for societal development in Turkmenistan, the respondent noted that “the government has withheld its support from the country’s civil society.”

The respondent identified obstacles to the NYSP movement as “the lack of an officially approved, legal basis to create a NYSP, the lack of government support, a general lack of expertise in the field of youth service, and the need for awareness of youth service and policy.”

The respondent noted that in order for a NYSP to be created in Turkmenistan, “the state must legalize the activity, the local and international bodies must support the movement, special training must be conducted to implement the policy, monitoring and evaluation from experts should ensure the success of the policy, and lastly, networking and capacity building activities must take place among key players in the field of NYSP.”

The respondent had several suggestions for policy makers who may be interested in creating a NYSP. First, “the policy should be led by a body of youth (16-25) for their own interests.” Second, “the policy should be supported by the government, but not restricted to government bodies.” Third, “the policy should receive partial funding from government and foreign agencies either in the form of an award or in the form of a grant for specific projects.” Fourth, “the policy should be directed by a Board of Directors with a term of service for 2 years. Board members could be representatives of sponsoring organizations, international agencies, embassies, the government, business sectors, and individuals committed to the movement and its progress.” Lastly, “the NYSP should be democratic, have nominations and elections, and remain open to the public.”