VZCZCXRO9468
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #1615/01 3531000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181000Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2007
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3150
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2400
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2265
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4596
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2844
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001615 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, EUR/ACE, ECA, IIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN: GRANTEE RELOCATES TO FIND MORE RECEPTIVE 
AUTHORITIES; LESS RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On November 25, PAO visited an active grantee 
that runs an after school educational center and has found far 
better tolerance and cooperation with local authorities after 
recently moving the center to a different town.  Now located in 
Ruhabat, on the outskirts of Ashgabat, the new program has many new 
school-age participants in a program that is appreciated by 
authorities and parents.  This successful transfer of her program 
shows that there is significant local diversity in government 
authorities.  It also shows that there are often indirect ways to 
make blockaded programs work, despite the interference of 
authorities.  However, her new participants are surprisingly more 
interested in studying Russian than English; and many of the girls 
lack motivation for advanced study or careers.  This demonstrates 
the limits of public outreach to rural areas.  END SUMMARY. 
 
THE REASON FOR MOVING: AN ALL TOO COMMON RUN-AROUND 
 
¶3. (SBU) Democracy Commission grantee Maya Ovezova (protect 
throughout) used to run a popular after school program in the town 
of Annau, a short distance east of Ashgabat.  At her center in a 
small leased commercial space, she oversaw courses in English 
language, computer skills, leadership and civic values.  During the 
course of her work she had various problems with local authorities 
even though she held a valid educational license from the Ministry 
of Education.  Usually, she was able to resolve these, but reported 
that one of the three schools in Annau had a director who forbade 
that school's students from attending her program. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Then starting in mid-2008, local authorities claimed that 
Ovezova's Ministry of Education license did not specify that she 
could operate in Annau and required her to obtain a new license from 
the Ministry before she would be permitted to continue her work or 
renew the lease for the premises.  The Ministry of Education told 
her that her license was valid for all of Turkmenistan and to take 
up the problem with the Annau officials.  The Ministry refused to 
provide any written clarification or to contact the Annau officials 
themselves.  (NOTE: This kind of bureaucratic "catch-22" is not 
uncommon in other contexts.  END NOTE.) 
 
SEMI-SURREAL "GOLDEN AGE" LOCATION 
 
¶5. (SBU) After weeks of a stalemate between the Ministry of 
Education and local authorities, Ovezova learned through personal 
contacts that the mayor of Ruhabat, an "ex-burb" on the opposite 
side of Ashgabat, would be easier to work with.  In October, she 
re-opened her program in Ruhabat's new, white marble shopping center 
just off the main highway that heads northwest from Ashgabat towards 
Balkanabat.  Ruhabat is slightly further removed and less connected 
to Ashgabat than Annau. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) When PAO visited the shopping center in November over half 
of the commercial spaces available for lease by business owners were 
vacant.  There were a couple of small convenience stores, a 
photography store and a wedding dress store.  Ovezova's program 
occupies one of the smallest spaces, but she noted that the city 
mayor invited her to take "any space she wanted."  Eerily the 
two-story, echo-filled center was largely devoid of people besides 
shopkeepers or the 15 or more preteen students congregated in and 
around Ovezova's modest educational center. 
 
JUST OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL, BUT FAR MORE "PROVINCIAL" 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Ovezova and a teacher-volunteer led the gathered computer 
skills class in a short PowerPoint presentation of her center's 
activities since reopening in Ruhabat.  PAO then engaged the 
students in Q&A about the United States and also about students' 
future plans.  All students were Turkmen native speakers and only 
used minimal Russian or English.  Most expressed an interest in 
 
ASHGABAT 00001615  002 OF 002 
 
 
learning Russian over English.  Some of the boys had aspirations to 
study in Russian universities, and one discounted that he'd ever 
have the chance to study in America.  (NOTE: PAO heavily promoted 
USG education programs and tried to add a heavy dose of optimism. 
END NOTE) 
 
¶8.  (SBU) In later discussion, Ovezova noted that she was trying to 
persuade many of her female students to aim for something more 
ambitious than waiting for arranged marriages and becoming 
housewives.  Although more than half of her students are girls, she 
noted that in contrast to her experience in Annau, many are sent by 
parents who want to keep them out of trouble, and have less of an 
interest in personal development.  Ovezova is confident that with 
time the girls will see greater possibilities. 
 
¶9. (SBU) COMMENT: Despite the continued authoritarian tendencies, 
Turkmenistan has potential for successful development projects and 
civic activity.  Much depends on the personalities in specific 
locations.  This is the first example of a Democracy Commission 
grantee completely "moving shop, that we know about.  But such major 
changes are demanded by the difficult obstacles of working in 
Turkmenistan.  However, another striking difference by locale is the 
more limited and more pro-Russian worldview of the students in 
Ruhabat.  While many outreach programs have a dramatic impact in 
Ashgabat or other major cities, smaller towns and villages are far 
behind.  END COMMENT. 
 
MILES