VZCZCXRO7951
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHSK RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0250 0621325
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031325Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0110
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0143

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000250 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SCA/CEN (HUSHEK) 
INL/AAE (BUHLER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR EAID KCRM KJUS TI
SUBJECT: KARATE AGAINST DRUGS-PERFORMANCE IN KULYAB 
 
REF: 08 DUSHANBE 1381 
 
¶1. Summary: INL Dushanbe officers participated in a drug demand 
reduction performance in the southern city of Kulab conducted 
February 17 by members of the Tajikistan Karate-do Federation. 
The karate experts led by the Federation's head coach, Bahrom 
Khomidov, engaged high school students in a spirited, 
interactive performance promoting a healthy and drug-free 
lifestyle.  End summary. 
 
¶2. Background: INL teamed up with the Karate-do Federation of 
Tajikistan last October sponsoring a kick-off tournament with 
prizes for karate champions and an essay competition for high 
school students on the dangers of drugs (reftel).  The essay 
winners received a free English language course or karate 
lessons.  Following the tournament, INL enlisted the support of 
the karate champions and Federation leadership to travel to 30 
schools around Tajikistan to teach about the dangers of drug use 
and show athletes as positive role models. End background. 
 
¶3. On February 17, INL Dushanbe team traveled to Kulyab, in the 
south of Tajikistan, to monitor the final outreach performance 
of the project.  The performance took place in secondary school 
 # 9, a 1970's era structure that was in good repair although it 
lacked heat and electricity as did most of the town.  More than 
one hundred teenagers, teachers, and staff comprised the 
audience.  The local representative of the Ministry of Education 
joined us for the event and proved to be an active participant. 
 
¶3.  Head karate-do coach, Bahrom Khamidov, briefed the students 
about different types of drugs and how drug use can damage their 
health.  He actively reached out to the audience, offering kids 
ample opportunity to speak and express their opinion.  He used 
"Films of your life" an interactive game/presentation model 
which INL Dushanbe modified to appeal to Tajik youth.  The model 
creates interaction between the audience and the presenter and 
students are offered a chance to publicly imagine their futures 
in both healthy and drug-addicted lives at age 20, 40, and 60. 
Focusing on the dangers to the family, the most critical support 
network in a country which provides next to no social services, 
Khamidov used dramatic examples of the danger of students' drug 
use.  He encouraged students to openly discuss the possibility 
of losing beloved family members or even complete family 
destruction.  It was notable how seriously the students regarded 
the negative impact of drug use on their lives.  One young man 
hypothesized that a life of drug use would cause him to lose his 
future family and (more importantly) he said his wife's next 
husband would have no regard for another man's children. 
 
¶4.  After  the emphasis on the dangers of drugs, Khamidov turned 
to the karate team to demonstrate to the audience the 
possibilities for a person leading a drug-free life style, 
participating in sports, becoming strong and self confident, and 
living a successful life - an alternative to drug addiction. 
Four members of the karate team gave a brief demonstration of 
their sport, with the mock combat definitely catching the 
attention of the audience. 
 
¶5.  At the end of event the most active student participants 
were invited to the stage to receive presents handed by INL and 
Ministry of Education representatives.  Bahrom Khamidov called 
on the students to pass on the information they received during 
this performance to their friends, relatives, and neighbors in 
order to build a better society for a better future for 
themselves and Tajikistan. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment:  INL Dushanbe believes that engaging the group 
most susceptible to illegal narcotics to drug demand reduction 
projects will be most fruitful.  To identify target schools for 
the presentations we drew from data collected during USAID's 
demand reduction project which resulted in considerable cost 
savings.  In the next phase of the project, we are planning to 
use "Youth Power Centers" previously founded by USAID and which 
provide teenagers alternate activities in place of drug use. 
The Ministry of Education, not the most cooperative ministry in 
the government, was a solid partner in this project, even 
helping the Federation representatives hone the message for 
maximum impact.  End comment 
 
JACOBSON