Teen Volunteers Form Corridor for Officials at Abay Anniversary, Sparking Debate

At the 180th anniversary celebration of Abay in the village of Karaul, a group of teenage volunteers formed a hand-in-hand corridor around officials, a scene that drew active discussion on social media.

Orda.kz looked into the matter.

Footage from the event showed high-ranking guests, including Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev, Abay Region Akim Berik Uali, East Kazakhstan Region Akim Nurybmet Saktaganov, and Minister of Science Sayasat Nurbek, walking between lines of volunteers holding hands.

Local authorities explained that the public misunderstood the situation, saying this was a personal initiative by the youth “as a sign of respect for elders.”

No instructions were given to volunteers to accompany officials in this way. The action was the personal initiative of young people as a sign of respect for elders. They were immediately informed that such actions are not required,
the Abay Region akimat stated.

The volunteers were from the local Youth Resource Center, a municipal state institution.

More than 400 volunteers in total assisted at the celebration, mainly with guest reception and event organization.

This event, dedicated to honoring the great thinker, is an expression of civic responsibility for the volunteers,
 the center wrote on Instagram.

However, the NGO “Voice of Youth” questioned whether the involvement was entirely voluntary:

This video illustrates the authorities’ attitude toward young people and their rights. Unfortunately, local executive bodies sometimes involve volunteers in such formats, which doesn’t quite look like volunteerism,
the organization commented.

Original Author: Yelena Medvedva