Mission & Strategy

The Central Asian Free Market Institute is an independent think-tank. It's mission is to increase the individual freedom and responsibility of people in Central Asia. That includes strengthening the institutions of the market economy, property, and the rule of law.

CAFMI achieves these ends by:

1. Assembling teams of experts to research the problems of the region and to offer policymakers constructive options for improvement;
2. Educating youth, businessmen, politicians and the general public in the principles of liberty and responsibility.

VISION

Central Asia has a unique history of dashing, bold market movies. Kazakhstan was the first country in Central Asia to privatize its pension system in 1999, Kyrgyzstan followed suite in 2009. Tajikistan is in midst of this path. Kyrgyzstan joined the WTO, while Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are still in the accession process ten years after.

We wish the countries to engage in free-market reforms with greater rigor. We want to aid this process by producing relevant and poignant research. At the same time we will advertise the free-market successes of each of the countries to exude pride in the reformer and willingness to exceed in the neighbors. Our hope lies in the belief that such competition will propel the region into a free-market oasis like that formed by the three Baltic States.

KEY OBJECTIVES

• distribution and protection of the values of individualism and personal freedom
• dissemination and promotion of ideas of private property and free markets
• promotion of the principle of limited government (nonintervention of State in personal and economic life of the individual)
• training and support of individuals and organizations who are advocates for individual and economic freedom

KEY STRATEGIES

• The following critical strategies will be pursued by CAFMI:
• Creating coalitions of different organizations (institutes, businesses or trade groups) for researching specific problems
• Disseminating the research findings among our target audience
• Forge ties with leading free-market think-tanks in Asia, Europe and North America
• Educating young leaders who would educate their peers

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Students and young activists
• Researchers and Journalists
• Businessmen and entrepreneurs
• Decision makers: members of parliament, officials and politicians

LEGAL ENTITY
The Central Asian Free Market Institute is a non-profit organization registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic on April 6, 2009 as a Foundation.

LOCATION
The Central Asian Free Market Institute is headquartered in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The creation of institute’s branches in Osh (Kyrgyzstan), Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan) is within our plans for the next two years.