QINGHAI NGOS DISCUSS PROBLEMS, PROSPECTS FOR

UNCLAS BEIJING 002187 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SOCI PGOV CH SUBJECT: QINGHAI NGOS DISCUSS PROBLEMS, PROSPECTS FOR WORK IN TIBETAN AREAS ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Qinghai Province told Chengdu- based Poloff that local NGOs have grown rapidly in the last several years. NGOs in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai have invested 40 million RMB (USD 5.2 million) in social development work, representatives stated. The political environment for NGOs in Qinghai is less restrictive than in the neighboring Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). Local government partners in Qinghai appear satisfied with NGO projects and appear willing to offer assistance when problems arise. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Preceeding a March 13-17 trip to the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) via the Qinghai-TAR Railroad, Chengdu-based Poloff spoke in Qinghai's provincial capital of Xining with several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and an academic. The NGOs Plateau Perspectives (Canada),Shem Women's Group (domestic),Appropriate Technology Asia (U.K) and Snowland Service Group (domestic) and a scholar from the Humanities School at Qinghai Normal University described the generally more relaxed environment for NGOs in Qinghai, noting that the local governments are generally eager for help in addressing social service and other needs. ¶3. (U) In a demonstration of this more open attitude toward NGO assistance, the Qinghai Civil Affairs Bureau released an official press statement in January notig that in 2006, Qinghai received 9.8 million RMB (USD 1.3 million) from both domestic and foreign organizations, including the Bridge Fund from America which provided 3.3 million RMB (USD 425,000) to develop rural education and health in the province. The Bureau also noted that during the last several years, NGOs have rapidly grown in the Yushul Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and that there are currently about 45 different kinds NGOs (many of which are "government-organizes NGOs) in the Prefecture. "By the end of 2006, NGOs had invested 40 million RMB (USD 5.2 million) in social development work in Yushul Prefecture," according to the Bureau's statement. Health Projects -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Working in the health area is much less sensitive than implementing educational projects, according to a representative of Plateau Perspectives, a Canadian NGO that works on both health and education in Yushu (Tibetan Yushul) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Plateau Perspectives has built four health clinics in four counties. These clinics give nomadic and pastoral families basic access to health care that was previously unavailable to them unless they traveled for several days to township or county clinics. In response to a question, the representative said his NGO did not work on HIV/AIDS, which would be seen as more sensitive. ¶5. (SBU) A scholar from the Humanities School of Qinghai Normal University separately said that HIV/AIDS is a growing problem in Tibetan areas of Qinghai. Noting that AIDS remains a sensitive subject, the scholar said that that there is very little information available locally on STDs and HIV/AIDS. While there are some public health educational materials in Tibetan and Chinese posted in public places, he said the Tibetan language versions are full of mistakes and that Tibetan people would likely not understand the material. If the lack of public health information on these diseases persists, he speculated that HIV/AIDS could spread quickly in Qinghai. Education Projects -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In the education field, Plateau Perspectives has built two permanent school buildings in two counties to replace traditional tent schools for nomadic students. The biggest challenge in schooling in Zhiduo is that families are unwilling to send children to school because it is too far from home. In addition to building facilities, Plateau Perspectives also conducts teacher training. The contact explained that the NGO was required to pass all of the reports on their educational activities to the local Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) prior to passing it to provincial education bureau partners. In the past, the FAO had revised these reports because the FAO feared the foreign NGO might be perceived as directly teaching students, when only teacher training is allowed. ¶7. (SBU) British NGO Appropriate Technology Asia (ATA),working in the education field in Qinghai since 1999, also reported government sensitivity concerning education projects, including revisions to reports. ATA works in poor communities of Tibetan, Hui and Han people in Hualong, Minghe and counties of Capu Township in Yushu Prefecture. In addition to teacher training, ATA promotes development projects such as passive solar systems, rainwater collection systems and greenhouses. The goal of these projects is to increase the amount of time children have to go to school and women have to do other economic activities (by freeing them from collecting fuel for home heating and water),increase food security, and improve health conditions. ¶8. (SBU) Both NGOs cooperate with local health and education bureaus. Plateau Perspectives was formerly registered with the local commercial bureau, but since that agreement expired, has remained without a registration. Representatives separately agreed the local Civil Affairs Bureau is very supportive of their work and willing to assist them in working through problems, but not willing to register them or provide any written agreement or memorandum of understanding. The representative of ATA added that the success of NGOs in Qinghai has to do as much with the project officer's personality and ability to work with local partners and FAO as it does with the political climate. Development of Local NGOs -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Director of a local NGO, the Snowland Service Group (SSG),maintained that local government development priorities has created space for NGOs to engage in social development work in rural Qinghai. The director of SSG, a 2006 State Department International Visitor, was formerly Director of the Yushu County Poverty Alleviation Office, but resigned to start his own NGO because of disillusionment with corruption and government ineffectiveness. After founding SSG in 1999, the director was able to officially register with the Civil Affairs Bureau in 2001, the first grassroots NGO in Qinghai Province to do so. ¶10. (SBU) SSG's current mission is to carry out capacity building for people in Yushu prefecture, specifically in the area of business management training. SSG conducted a survey of the service industry in the prefecture and discovered that 80 percent of service businesses are run by "outsiders" and only 20 percent are run by Tibetans. SSG hopes that with training, Tibetans will be better able to take advantage of employment opportunities in the "third sector" and improve their economic livelihoods. ¶11. (SBU) A major obstacle to development work continues to be restrictions on organizing among NGOs in China. Qinghai NGOs cannot cooperate with Sichuan NGOs, for example, and it is difficult for groups of NGOs to form networks. Despite these difficulties, SSG has organized an annual conference for NGOs to which it invites local officials in order to improve transparency and government support for NGO work. Gender Issues -------------- ¶12. (U) Another important area of work for one Qinghai grassroots NGO, the Shem Women's Group, is rural development with a gender focus. Shem, which means "charity" in Tibetan, was established in 2005 by four recent female graduates of Qinghai Normal University Minority Teachers Training College. The women were inspired after having taken gender studies, rural development and "Buddhism and Gender" classes with an American teacher. The young women now carry out projects that focus on women's empowerment, health, education, and economic development in Tibetan communities in Qinghai. They are also continuing to teach gender studies and development courses to other Tibetan students of English at the University and to organize the student's efforts to solicit funding for development projects in their home communities.