The Youth Ecological Center (YEC) was founded in 1993 as a union of youth, scientists, and teachers for the ecological education of the general population and the distribution of independent social/ecological information. In 1995, the YEC succeeded in organizing the first Tajik collective communication and information unit with the assistance of ISAR/USAID and the American NGO called The Sacred Earth Network. YEC was also involved in the creation and development of the first independent NGOs in Tajikistan. In 1997, YEC registered the first Tajik independent social/ecological NGO in Tajikistan and became a member of the Social Ecological Union, an international organization composed of more than 400 NGOs from the United States, Canada, CIS, and Baltic states.

In an effort to spread basic knowledge of democracy, as well as civil and legal education, YEC created the Independent Young Leaders School in Dushanbe and the Youth Democratic Union. Since 1997, more than 3,000 young people have taken part in seminars and courses on democratic leadership. YEC also created the Resource Center on Ecological Education in Dushanbe providing technical and informational services free of charge to more than fifty NGOs in Tajikistan, and to a great number of teachers and youth. Besides editing textbooks, offering free access to e-mail, and providing an open stack library, YEC organizes seminars for teachers and youth. It also runs an ecological Sunday school attended by more than 100 high school seniors in Dushanbe.

YEC has also succeeded in organizing, issuing and distributing "Tabiat" the only independent social/ecological bulletin in Tajikistan. More than 100 NGOs in Tajikistan submit their information to appear in the printed version of the "Tabiat" bulletin nowadays. Due to the support of the American organizations SEN and LEEP, the electronic version of "Tabiat" is available worldwide over the Internet and is the only source of ecological information from Tajikistan.

In 1997, the YEC founded the Fanskie Mountains National Park (18,000 square hectares), where members prevented forest cutting for three years with the assistance of the local population. The local population does not have the money to purchase coal for fuel so they cut down trees in the forest. To remedy this situation, the YEC has created new businesses where people earn money to enable them to buy coal. The YEC is building bathhouses and a local bread bakery. YEC projects are strengthening local communities, assisting their stable development, preserving the natural environment and developing local tourism.

Sergei Vorsin, Youth Ecological Center