KYRGYZSTAN: AMBASSADOR VISITS ISSYK KUL CIVIL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001165 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (GORKOWSKI) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SOCI KG SUBJECT: KYRGYZSTAN: AMBASSADOR VISITS ISSYK KUL CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTIONS REF: A. BISHKEK 953 ¶B. BISHKEK 1094 ¶C. BISHKEK 1124 ¶D. BISHKEK 1134 ¶E. BISHKEK 1144 BISHKEK 00001165 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: During meetings October 23 in Karakol, the Ambassador fielded questions about the U.S. political system, learned about civil society programs and fundraising activities, and obtained insights into efforts to improve primary healthcare in Issyk Kul oblast. Representatives of the Russian Orthodox and Muslim communities briefed the Ambassador on the state of their congregations. End summary. Discussing U.S. Politics at the American Corner -------------- -- ¶2. (SBU) During the Ambassador's October 23 visit to the American Corner in Karakol, local students and teachers engaged the Ambassador with questions about the U.S. political system. After questions about candidate qualifications, the role of political parties, and the issue of corruption in elections, a short power outage provided the transition to a discussion of the Ambassador's career and the challenges of life as a U.S. diplomat. Civil Society Speaks Up -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In her meeting with local NGO "Leader," the Ambassador learned about the organization's activities to strengthen local civil society groups. "Leader" has been active for nearly 17 years, and its director, Banur Abdiyeva, highlighted to the Ambassador progress in the "street law," youth volunteering, anti-human trafficking and related programs. Abdiyeva described efforts to fundraise through operation of a guest house, sale of souvenirs, and rental of skiing equipment in order to broaden its funding base beyond international grants. She also thanked the Ambassador for previous Democracy Commission support, which alongside other international donors, has sustained "Leader's" operations. Advancing Medical Care -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Representatives of the Karakol branch of the Family Group Practice Association (FGPA) briefed the Ambassador October 23 about their efforts to strengthen primary healthcare through continuous quality improvement, training and certification of medical personnel and advocacy. Local representatives stressed the need to professionalize nurses from "assistants" to "caregivers," and highlighted educational credit-generating seminars being provided to local medical personnel to help improve standards. FGPA personnel have liaised with religious leaders to ensure their support of family planning work, which includes provision of contraceptives. Outreach to Russian Orthodox and Muslim Communities -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) Also on October 23, the Ambassador visited Karakol's main Russian Orthodox church, which survived its Soviet-era conversion into a sports hall and a subsequent fire and has since been restored. The attendant described three miraculous Virgin Mary icons -- the first one deflected five Bolshevik bullets, the second one appeared in a vision to a driver escorting two visiting U.S. physicians and helped him avoid a head-on collision, and a replica of a third one protected a shop from a fire that engulfed all neighboring shops. The ascription of so many miracles to these icons may be a reflection of the Russian Orthodox community's relative BISHKEK 00001165 002.2 OF 002 isolation in Karakol and feelings of being beleaguered. (Note: See reftel A for observations about the Russian Orthodox community in Osh. End note.) The attendant also expressed the community's commiseration with the American people over 9/11, which (she thought not coincidentally) coincides with the Russian Orthodox observation of St. John the Baptist's Beheading (a tragedy believed to have occurred on a September 11 some 2,000 years ago). ¶6. (U) After visiting the Russian Orthodox church, the Ambassador met the imam of a historical mosque in Karakol. The imam described the construction of the wooden mosque, which contains no nails, and escorted the Ambassador around the exterior of the mosque. One of the imam's assistants mentioned that the mosque does attract a lot of younger people, and a group of about 10-12 younger men were praying outside during the Ambassador's visit. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The Ambassador's meetings in Karakol uncovered a very active local civil society, which appears to be achieving results. While the NGOs identified funding challenges, they also have taken important steps to develop local streams of revenue for their operations. Together with some solid accomplishments, this step is a signal that civil society in Karakol is developing responsibly. GFOELLER