How important can honour possibly mean? It may be difficult to understand if you are from a culture, which is very much individualistic that for some, honour can be worth dying for, even killing for. I am not talking about killing for self defense, even a random murderous rampage but worse, ending the life of a very close loved one usually a daughter or a sister.

Honour killingsusually occur in families with traditional morals living in a very tight community. Regardless of where they live, statistics show that the backgrounds of these families are of cultures with similarities in their views of family honour, female chastity and their private home lives...

Bride kidnapping has once again grabbed the attention of the Kyrgyz government, claiming that a few things will be put into place to combat Ala Kachuu on a national level.

“The Kyrgyz government is using TV, radio and visits to schools to fight bride-kidnapping…”

The American University of Central Asia played host to a workshop/seminar hosted by British Human Rights organization Restless Beings.  Having recently registered to carry out social work in Kyrgyzstan,  Restless Beings approached the University in early April to arrange this special workshop.

Restless Beings began its field research in the spring of 2011 in and around Bishkek on the issue of non consensual Ala Kachuu (Bride Kidnapping).  Having previously worked alongside Kyz Kogon and Dr Russell Kleinbach (Professor at AUCA), Restless Beings have decided to begin operations in Kyrgyzstan to work towards the long term education against non consensual bride kidnapping and in the short term to provide counseling and a degree of comfort for victims of Ala Kachuu.

For the next three months I'm taking some personal time out of Restless Beings to volunteer in Palestine with Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA). CADFA is a grass roots organisation committed to human rights and works through establishing twinning links with Abu Dis in Palestine. CADFA promotes twinning links not as an end in itself but as an effective way to draw the human rights situation in Abu Dis to the attention of people in Camden and the wider community. During my time here I will be working with the local community centre, Al Quds University and a refugee school in Abu Dis. I have now been in Palestine for three weeks with three other volunteers; we're living and working together in a town called Abu Dis, a small suburb of East Jerusalem. Abu Dis used to be a fifteen minute drive away from East Jerusalem, home of the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall, however now it takes more than an hour to get there. Why you ask- because Abu Dis has been cut off by the Apartheid Wall.

'I had to run away'; not a title one would usually expect to see on a report. In fact it sounds more like a story, a tale or the title of a film. This tragic phrase is the heading of a very real report. A report on the Afghan girls and women in prisons for crimes that you and I will probably see as basic human rights.

'I had to run away', 120 pages about these voiceless souls living in four walls in constant fear. These four walls with the most basic facilities lie in the beautiful lands of Afghanistan where so much was celebrated before several wars tore it apart.

April 12th was International Street Children Day.

Easy for it to pass most of us by as we return back to work, and university, and to our families at the end of the day, after a long Easter bank holiday weekend with our family and loved ones. It’s also just as easy to pass these children by on the streets, in the UK, on holiday, or when flicking past an advert about them on...

The day in Bishkek was a warm one, with clear skies and another opportunity to sport my Kyrgyz shades. Also the perfect weather for some off the cuff creativity.

After having tea with the director of 'I love Bishkek' a few days back, we agreed to do some collaborative work with a twist for the Restless Beings Ala Kachuu project.

Filling our bellies with lunch, the team were ready to start working from 4pm. A 27 strong team were all made up, briefed and prepped by 5pm - ready for some thought provoking antics.

So the last few days have been really emotionally draining with interviews from families of suicide victims of Ala Kachuu to hearing inspirational stories of young guys pushing out amazing ideas to build confidence and offer support to bride kidnapping victims. Add to that an exhausting 14 hour drive from Issyk Kul back to Bishkek and you'll know how we were all feeling yesterday.

Sunlight poured in through the hotel window, it was a 7am start today. The villagers in Karakol had some of the best views of the snow peaked mountains in Krygyzstan. This sublime beauty set the tone for the day ahead which was one of the toughest and most emotionally poignant.

Our trip to Karakol was a significant part of this investigative journey for RestlessBeings. The itinerary of the day included meetings with victims, the family of a suicide victim who had ended her life because of non consensual ala kachuu and other members of the community. Our day began with a meeting with the principal of a local college. We were keen to establish a contact with some of the colleges and universities throughout the country; those educating the future, and to hear their thoughts and views on non consensual ala kachuu. The principle was keen to express the developments both in the college and the local community and how attitudes to bride kidnapping, were gradually shifting. This was a positive not which drastically changed when we met two recent non consensual ala kachuu victims.

4am starts are never fun. The five us met at the lobby of the Shumkar Hotel waiting patiently for our ride and translator all ready and packed for a two day visit to Issyk Kul; a beautiful lake more than 100 miles wide. A couple of sandstorms later and awesome breathtaking views and we were in a large town called Karakol at the Northern part of Issyk Kul Lake.

Many notable NGO's and researchers have stated that the phenomenon of non consensual bride kidnapping (Ala Kachuu) is worse in these extremely rural parts of Kyrgyzstan. We were due to meet with one of the NGO's we have been in touch with and after settling into our pad for the night, we were quickly away for the first of two of our meetings.