VZCZCXRO0800
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHEK #1165/01 3190725
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 140725Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BISHKEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1520
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2749
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1112
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3140
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2526
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL

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