US embassy cable - 05TASHKENT3019

C O N F I D E N T I A L  TASHKENT 003019 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/2/15 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, SOCI, PINR, UZ 
SUBJECT: GULNORA KARIMOVA PROVIDES GRANTS IN HOPE OF 
IMPROVING IMAGE 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMB. JON R. PURNELL, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D). 
 
REFS: A) TASHKENT 2892 B) TASHKENT 2473 C) TASHKENT 2376 D) 
TASHKENT 2378 
 
1. (C) Summary: Eager to improve her less than stellar 
image, First Daughter Gulnora Karimova is pursuing an 
intensive grant disbursement program with both domestic and 
international dimensions.  She is using three associations 
to provide grants: FundForum.Uz promotes Uzbek foreign 
cultural relations, Mehr Nuri focuses on internal social 
issues, and the Women's Council on women's and children's 
issues.  Karimova has reportedly traveled to all of 
Uzbekistan's fourteen oblasts over the past few months to 
personally present assistance to the needy.  Despite her new 
philanthropic side, the Uzbek public's opinion of Karimova 
does not seem to have changed; she remains universally 
disliked.  End summary. 
 
GULNORA CRISS-CROSSES UZBEKISTAN 
-------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) First Daughter Gulnora Karimova, who is keen to 
improve her image as well as that of her family (ref B), has 
established a network of three umbrella grant-making 
institutions to disburse a wide range of social, cultural, 
and educational programs.  FundForum.Uz ("The Uzbekistan 
Cultural and Artistic Fund") aims to develop Uzbek cultural 
relations with foreign countries.  Mehr Nuri ("Light of 
Kindness") focuses on domestic social issues.  "We Are Near: 
Your Women's Council" works on women's and children's 
issues.  A letter personally signed by Karimova states that 
the three organizations meet civil society standards, and 
are ready to cooperate with everyone "who shares our views." 
A well-respected woman's activist, whose organization has 
regional branches throughout the country, told poloff that 
Karimova visited all fourteen oblasts over the past three 
months to provide grants to NGOs.  On October 14, Gulnora 
also met with women's NGOs in Tashkent (ref A). 
 
FUNDFORUM.UZ SUPPORTS CLOSER UZBEK-RUSSIAN TIES 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
3.  (C) FundForum.Uz was established in February 2004 with 
the aim of developing Uzbek cultural relations with the 
international community.  The Fund's documents state that it 
aims to improve Uzbekistan's cultural relations with Russia, 
China, Egypt, Japan and "several European countries."  But 
while FundForum.Uz professes to be a "bridge between 
nations," its past activities appear almost exclusively 
aimed at strengthening Uzbek-Russian cultural cooperation. 
FundForum.Uz has sponsored Russian art exhibits, opera 
singers, and pop music festivals in Tashkent (including 
concerts by leading singers Katya Lel, Maksim Galkin, and 
the "Loobe" band).  It has also sponsored numerous Uzbek 
cultural events in Russia, including art and photo exhibits, 
book fairs, opera, youth and puppet theatres, a Novruz 
celebration, a Russia-Uzbekistan soccer match, and the World 
Gym Championships. 
 
4.  (C) FundForum.Uz's Leadership Council includes Russian 
National TV Station Association President Eduard Sagalaev, 
Russian Federation actor Leonid Bronevoy, cosmonaut Vladimir 
Janibekov, archeologist Boris Stavinsky, opera singer Elena 
Obratsova, historian Gregory Semenov and Russian actress 
Vera Alentova.  The Fund has representative offices in both 
Moscow and Beijing. 
 
5. (C) According to an informed source, FundForum.Uz's 
initial endowment was 500 million soum ($434,000).  From 
November until January 2006, FundForum.Uz will fund seven 
projects totaling 16.9 million soum ($14,700) in Margilan 
(women and children), Kokand (handicapped children), Navoi 
(talented youth), Samarkand (children's artistic 
development; librarian association), and Bukhara (art 
center; photography center). 
 
"MEHR NURI" FOCUSED ON INTERNAL SOCIAL ISSUES 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Mehr Nuri works on internal social issues, targeting 
poor children, students, women, pensioners, mahallas, 
schools, hospitals and religious institutions.  Mehr Nuri's 
guiding motto is "Show Kindness Every Day."  Mehr Nuri 
provides monthly allowances to hundreds of needy families 
via charitable bank accounts.  In 2005 Mehr Nuri provided 
grants to over two-dozen students covering a year of higher 
education.  It also provided desks and supplies for schools. 
Mehr Nuri has given gifts and provided meals for mahalla 
(neighborhood) associations.  In Namangan, the organization 
invited hundreds of pensioners to a meal.  Mehr Nuri also 
provided equipment to orphanages and maternity hospitals, as 
well as furniture and computers to madrassas and religious 
institutions in Andijon, Bukhara, Karshi, and Tashkent. 
Following October 28 Friday prayers at Tashkent's main 
mosque, the head imam announced that Mehr Nuri was 
sponsoring Iftar dinners in Samarkand, Bukhara, and 
Namangan. 
 
7. (C) Over the next six months Mehr Nuri is expected to 
fund five projects costing 34.6 million soum ($30,000) in 
Fergana City (women and children), Samarkand (assistance to 
handicapped; businesswoman association), Bukhara 
(businesswomen association), and Kokand (women's legal 
protection). 
 
WOMEN'S COUNCIL SUPPORTS WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
8.  (C) "We are Near: Your Women's Council" focuses on 
improving the health of mothers, children, and families.  It 
held its first public event in February 2005, and organized 
its first gathering of Women's Councils in March.  The 
Council organizes regular Friday meetings on women's issues, 
and has distributed children's gifts.  A woman's activist 
familiar with the First Daughter's activities told poloff 
that Karimova has been providing grants of 5 million soum to 
Women's Committees around the country.  These committees 
have in turn organized many of Gulnora's meetings with NGOs. 
 
9.  (C) From November-December the Women's Council will fund 
five projects worth 27.2 million soum ($23,650) in Kokand 
(women's reproductive health), Bukhara (women's crisis 
center), Samarkand (AIDS awareness; women and children), and 
Tashkent (television programs on charitable giving and the 
role of modern women). 
 
IS IT ENOUGH? 
------------- 
 
10. (C) Comment: Karimova, whose grant-making activities are 
undoubtedly aimed at improving her public image, still has a 
long way to go.  The general perception remains that she 
prefers to live abroad, and it is a fact that she can barely 
speak the national language.  She is also perceived as 
having an unquenchable thirst for money and power, with 
business holdings that cover a wide sector of the economy 
(refs C and D). 
 
PURNELL