Sevara Shakirova works on social media campaigns relating to human trafficking victims’ and migrants’ rights. She also works with young people to promote media literacy and fact-checking. Sevara is interested in exploring how to promote media literacy and critical thinking, construct campaigns to combat the negative influence of social media and create content on civic education and combatting trafficking in persons.

Sevara holds a master's degree in "Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages" from Jilin University and is currently pursuing a PhD in "Ancient and Modern literature of China-China, Liaoning province, Dalian City" from Liaoning Pedagogical University. Sevara has worked as a SMM specialist, a language tutor, a customer service representative and a field worker for the ministry of education, among other roles. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Fact checking! Доверяй, но проверяй!

The project enhanced students' knowledge of fact checking and disinformation through a series of lectures on media literacy and cybersecurity. Some 354 high school students in 12 schools in the city of Osh benefitted from the series. Students at three of the schools also participated in a media literacy quiz competition where they solidified what they learned in the lectures. Information about the launch of the project, guest lectures and general media literacy themes was posted on Instagram in Kyrgyz and Russian, with a total of 46,985 views by the end of the project.

"I hope this project will help to raise awareness of children in media literacy, cybersecurity and digital literacy, teach them to apply their knowledge in practice and critically evaluate any information." - Sevara Shakirova

IVLP Exchange Experience 

Sevara participated in the IVLP Project 21st Century ChangeMakers: Trend Leaders Promote Social Media Discernment Among Youth (EUR/SCA), organized by the U.S. Department of State and FHI 360.

Sevara's exchange experience led to the development of her IVLP Impact Award Project: "During the three weeks [of IVLP] I studied the new experience of the United States, that the education system in Western countries is built on developing critical thinking in children from an early age...therefore, most users of various media channels are prepared to critically perceive information, so young people do not believe everything they show on television and write on social media. While in Kyrgyzstan, young people are accustomed not to think critically, but simply to believe everything that the media side tells us."

U.S. Communities Visited

Colorado Springs, CO; Denver, CO; Washington, DC; Orlando, FL; St. Petersburg, FL; Louisville, KY

"I believe that it is important for our youth to distinguish between satire [and] healthy constructive criticism...Young people should talk about cultural literacy, should perceive and analyze information." - Sevara Shakirova

Country: Kyrgyzstan 

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