The mahalla, an institution of citizens’ self-governing bodies, plays a big role in the preservation and enrichment of national traditions and values, enhancement of the population’s legal awareness, strengthening family values and bringing up a younger generation.
It is one of the manifestations of the people’s national way of life. And as a form of cohabitation of people within a few streets, it has contributed since olden days to the entrenchment of the ideas of kindness, creativity, generosity, compassion, mutual support and solidarity of residents. Being a unique system of self-management of people, it has no parallel elsewhere in the world, has evolved over centuries and has incorporated the best national traditions and values.
However, only in the years since independence has mahalla gained official status. The material-technical base of self-governing institutions was created and continues to strengthen, the ways and principles of their development, to effectively operate the necessary institutional framework for the normal functioning of the mahalla. They clearly reflect its role as an important tool for the formation of civil society in the country, protection of democratic values, human rights and freedoms, and the legitimate interests of people.
Currently, Uzbekistan is home to about 10,000 citizens’ self-governing bodies. In the process of transition from a strong state to a strong civil society, mahallas have gradually been granted more than 30 functions that previously rested with public authorities on the ground.
Each citizen assembly is staffed by a chairperson, a consultant for religious, spiritual and moral education, a secretary in charge and head of the public formation “Mahalla posboni”. Furthermore, over 100,000 advisors to the chairperson elected among respectable residents participate in this work. They head commissions for primary areas of activity: spiritual and educational issues, public control and protection of consumer rights, work with women, underage children’s issues, youth issues and sports among others. The list of these areas testifies to the importance of this institution as a structure closest to the population that protects citizens’ rights and interests on the ground.
The Mahalla Fund that operates across the country provides methodological, practical and financial support for citizens’ self-governing bodies in holding various events.
Based on the principles of legality, transparency, social justice and humaneness, the Mahalla Fund carries out activities across the republic in disseminating the progressive experience of leading citizen assemblies and contributes to the further expansion of the system of public control over state management bodies, social support of the population, and transforming the mahalla into a center of development for private entrepreneurship and family business.