GULNORA KARIMOVA PROVIDES GRANTS IN HOPE OF

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
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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
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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
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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?
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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