By Urmat Kalmanbetov, Attache of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic to Benelux and France, Permanent Representation to the EU, NATO and UNESCO
This year Kyrgyzstan hosted III World Nomad Games, which are now considered by many countries and organizations as nomadic Olympics.
The World Nomad Games is the biggest international project held in the Kyrgyz Republic, a project initiated by the government in 2012 for the revival and preservation of the culture of nomadic civilization.
The mission of the World Nomad Games covers the revival, development and preservation of the ethno-culture, diversity and originality of the people of the world in order to foster a more tolerant and open relationship between people. We can see now that the goals were achieved by the scale of the III World Nomad Games, which far exceeded the previous games, demonstrating the growing popularity and attention to the event. The Games with its’ grandeur and spectacle attracted attention of many people from near and far abroad.
This year delegations from over 90 countries, including such countries as Netherlands, France, Great Britain, USA took part in the games in 37 types of etnosports, which were covered by more than 600 foreign mass media representatives from 56 countries. Sportsmen from all over the world, including Europe, America and Africa competed in horse races and games, different types of wrestling, martial arts, archery, intellectual games, hunting and many other games. Such big representation of countries in the World Nomad Games says that they are not only for countries with nomadic past. The Games have the global goal to show and share the rich nomadic culture to the world.
Nomadic world connects hundreds of people together. Their culture is original, unique, shows the entire way of life and traditions of the people.
If we take a look at the history, we discover that because of nomads, cultural exchanges happened between different people. In the past, when there were no tourists, no international forums, people lived in their certain location, nomads were brave to relocate from one place to another, from one area of continent to another. Due to such movement, they shared their knowledge, which they had with settled people, learned something new from specialists and carried to new regions of the world.
Nomadic civilizations coexisted harmoniously with nature. Nomads, adapting to the ecological niche of their residence, did not change the land scape of the earth. Culture and traditions of nomads were not only war like, contrary to stereotypes; nomads spent their free time and holidays by performing different games of physical and intellectual nature.These games have survived to the present day.
It is important to mention that this year for the first time in its history, the World Nomad Games were declared a smoke-free event. The introduction of the smoke-free initiative during the III World Nomad Games provided a unique opportunity to leave a long-lasting and sustainable public health message for the community and country.
Of course, a big part in the World Nomad Games played its’ cultural and scientific components. Games are aimed at strengthening and further developing interfaith and intercultural dialogue, understanding, friendship, harmony, and cooperation between the people of the world, and demonstrating the cultural diversity of the world, as well as supporting the scientific and methodological foundation of the ethnosport movement, including ethnosports, traditional games, and traditional competitions.
Third world Nomad Games’ scientific forum «Historical heritage and the future» had the tasks of researching the role and place of the culture of nomadic peoples in the development of human civilization and the theories of human civilization and forming theories and forming theories of nomadic civilizations; the development of culture and the connection between traditional games and the lifestyle and traditions of peoples, as well as forming a permanent platform as part of the World Nomad Games for researchers, academics, and the organizers of the Games.
As it was said earlier, the Games are now considered by the world community as Nomadic Olympics. And to maintain its growing popularity the mission to host 4th World Nomad Games was given to Turkey. So we can confidently say that nomadic culture is alive and will keep to foster a more tolerant and open relationship between people around the world.
