Youth organizations were important actors in color revolutions demanding more rights from incumbent governments in former Soviet societies. Kyrgyzstan is an example where numerous attempts to overthrow various governments took place. Since the youth is generally unemployed, underqualified, undereducated because of drastic implementation of free market policies immediately after the unexpected and unforeseen collapse of the Iron Curtain, they were the most vulnerable demographic for exploitation by extremist groups and criminal organizations. The study employed theories of complex adaptive systems and social network analysis concepts and tools in order to evaluate the actors, relations, interventions and policy results during and after mass mobilizations leading to political change.
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