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RR RUEHLN RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #1080/01 2580509
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 150509Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0739
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0232
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 1576

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 DUSHANBE 001080 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN 
DEPT FOR S/GPI MKWALKER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC PREL SCUL SMIG EINV TI
SUBJECT: IS THERE IS A TAJIK DIASPORA? 
 
REF: STATE 864011 
 
DUSHANBE 00001080  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Post provides responses to reftel as follows: 
 
A) To what extent are diasporans from your host country an 
identifiable community?  Are there existing diaspora networks, 
organizations or online communities available as platforms for 
outreach? 
 
-- There are relatively few Tajiks from Tajikistan in the United 
States, and they do not form a very large and cohesive 
community.  (Tajiks from Afghanistan, by contrast, are more 
organized along diasporic lines -- for instance the Afghan 
community centered in Fremont, California.  Post is not aware of 
any definitive study on the question, but anecdotal evidence 
suggests that Tajiks from Tajikistan generally identify more and 
feel more comfortable with other ex-Soviet Central Asians, even 
those that are ethnically Turkic, than with Tajiks from 
Afghanistan.)  According to some sources, the biggest single 
enclave of Tajiks from Tajikistan is in Omaha, Nebraska, which 
began forming as a result of an exchange program between the 
University of Nebraska, Omaha, and Tajik Technological 
University in the mid-1990s.  Many Tajiks stayed after 
graduating and brought their families over.  There is also a 
sizable population of Afghans in Nebraska owing to a similar 
exchange. 
 
Bukharan Jews who grew up in Tajikistan, many of whom now live 
in the United States, particularly in and around New York City, 
might be considered a Tajik diaspora group.  Most of 
Tajikistan's small Jewish community emigrated during the Soviet 
period.  In recent years a couple of small delegations of 
Bukharan Jews have visited Tajikistan to explore economic 
opportunities and to support closer ties between the United 
States and Tajikistan. 
 
In contrast to their relatively small and fragmented presence in 
America, Tajiks form a very large community in Russia. 
According to some estimates, as many as a million Tajiks (out of 
a total country population of seven million) work in Russia as 
labor migrants.  While many of these Tajiks are seasonal 
migrants, and thus perhaps not diasporans per se, there is 
evidence suggesting that more Tajiks are staying for longer 
periods of time, partly in response to the global financial 
crisis.  Tajiks in Russia identify more strongly as a community, 
and have mobilized collectively in many cases.  For example, 
recently there have been protests by Tajiks over unpaid wages in 
several Russian cities.  Mobilization and identification have 
been supported by the fact that many Tajiks in Russia are 
employed in just a few economic sectors, particularly 
construction and services. 
 
B) What is the nature of the connection of the diaspora 
community to the host country?  Examples include kinship 
networks; educational or other institutional ties; financial 
support as from remittances; and direct participation in 
community or country affairs and civil society. 
 
-- The Tajik economy is extremely dependent on Tajiks working 
abroad, particularly in Russia.  Tajiks sent home nearly $2.7 
billion in remittances last year.  According to survey research, 
the majority of Tajik families have at least one member (almost 
always male, but sometimes female) working in Russia.  Indeed, 
there are some rural communities in Tajikistan that have almost 
no working-age males, since all are abroad.  Most Tajiks in 
Russia maintain close ties with their families in Tajikistan, 
and many of them come home during the winters when seasonal work 
in Russia drops off. 
 
As noted above, more Tajiks appear to be staying for longer 
periods in Russia.  The continuous rise in remittances over the 
past six years suggests that their ties remain strong to 
Tajikistan, however.  Remittances declined for the first time in 
2009, as a result of the world financial crisis.  Evidence 
suggests that many Tajiks are hoping to wait the crisis out in 
Russia. 
 
According to IMF figures, the U.S (with 6%) and Germany (with 
2%) are next largest sources of remittances to Tajikistan. 
Although there are relatively few Tajiks in these countries, 
they tend to be skilled professionals and their per capita 
remittances are much higher than average. 
 
C) To what extent has your host country or government activated 
its diaspora communities for humanitarian relief?  How would you 
characterize the level of response?  If outreach is relatively 
recent, do you foresee opportunities to maintain diaspora 
community involvement in country over the long term? 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00001080  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
-- The Tajik diaspora has made the difference between economic 
survival and cataclysm for many Tajik families.  During the 
brutal winter of 2007-08, when temperatures plunged to record 
lows while food and heating prices rose precipitously, most 
experts believe that systemic crisis was averted only by virtue 
of a sharp increase in remittances from family members working 
in Russia.  While the government has certainly been aware of the 
huge importance of remittances, it has made little effort to 
organize or mobilize the activity of Tajiks working abroad. 
Most guestworkers continue to maintain active ties directly with 
their families, through money transfers and seasonal visits, and 
their activity has not been mediated by the state. 
 
D) To what extent is the diaspora community engaged in long-term 
investment in country, for example micro-enterprise development, 
job creation, entrepreneurship, and institutional capacity 
building?  What is post's assessment of the future potential for 
long-term and sustained engagement of the diaspora community in 
such efforts? 
 
-- The Tajik diaspora community -- whether in Russia or 
elsewhere -- has not engaged in much self-conscious 
"development" work in Tajikistan.  For the most part, Tajiks 
send money home with the sole goal of assisting their families. 
While many of the domestic elite have had experience working 
abroad (some in the upper echelons have worked in the West), 
with a very few exceptions there is no sense that Tajiks from 
abroad have returned home to assist their country. 
 
As noted above, there are very few Tajiks working in the United 
States, and there is thus little opportunity to engage Tajiks in 
America in development efforts. 
 
E) To what extent is the diaspora community working toward 
scientific, engineering, medical and educational institution 
building?  How might diasporans with backgrounds in these fields 
or otherwise affiliated with the Academy, or professional and 
technical societies, become engaged in science diplomacy 
programs? 
 
-- There is very little diaspora involvement in these areas. 
The few Tajiks who gain advanced technical ability in Tajikistan 
or abroad tend to seek jobs abroad, and often to emigrate.  This 
has in fact been a problem in retaining highly qualified embassy 
staff.  Post is aware of very few Tajiks who have moved in the 
other direction. 
 
Tajikistan's lone private university, the Institute of Technical 
Innovations and Communications (ITIC), was set up by Tajik-born 
U.S. citizen Sadriddin Akramov.  ITIC has angered authorities by 
employing outspoken critics of the government.  The Ministry of 
Education recently issued an order forbidding the university 
from opening for classes on September 1, but ITIC ignored the 
order.  Akramov and the Ministry are engaged in an ongoing court 
battle. 
 
F) To what extent is the diaspora community engaged in conflict 
resolution and peace building?  Do you see future potential to 
translate diaspora community participation in these processes 
into other priorities governing the bilateral (and/or regional) 
relationship? 
 
-- There is very little engagement in this area.  On the 
contrary, some Tajiks based in Russia are involved in opposition 
politics and media. 
 
G) To what extent is the diaspora community engaged in meeting 
the health, education and welfare needs of indigenous peoples? 
 
-- For the most part, there is little engagement in this area. 
The work of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) might be 
considered the one notable exception.  Run by the Prince Karim 
Al Husseini, the Ismaili Aga Khan, the AKDN and its partner 
organizations are involved in a number of humanitarian and 
development projects in Tajikistan.  While many of these are 
broad-based, the Aga Khan has concentrated much of its work in 
the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, which has a 
predominantly Ismaili population. 
 
H) To what extent is the diaspora community engaged in democracy 
promotion, electoral reform and civil society development?  Are 
there key milestones in your host country or host government's 
development that would create opportunities for such engagement 
in the future? 
 
-- Given the Tajik government's aversion to genuine democratic 
processes, there would appear to be some potential in this area. 
 The embassy has worked to harness this through exchange 
 
DUSHANBE 00001080  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
programs that offer Tajiks the chance to engage with 
counterparts in America.  High school exchanges, international 
visitors' leadership programs, and professional exchanges for 
experts in various fields give Tajiks the chance to experience 
democratic institutions and practices.  Many of these Tajiks, 
upon returning home, act as important sources of information for 
their colleagues, friends, and family.  The relatively small 
numbers of Tajiks who have experienced such programs, however, 
have so far had little effect on the vast democratic challenges 
facing Tajikistan. 
 
I) How would you characterize the level of concern and attention 
given to diaspora communities by your host government?  If 
applicable, please describe the host government's organization 
and strategy dedicated to relationship-building with its 
diaspora communities.  For example, host governments may have 
established promotion offices to encourage diasporans' return, 
bringing with them know-how and financial resources. 
 
-- The government of Tajikistan is deeply concerned with the 
welfare of the Tajik diaspora because the country is so reliant 
on the money sent home by Tajiks working abroad.  (Indeed, some 
say the government gets away with spending less per capita on 
education and health than almost anywhere else in the world 
because remittances to Tajikistan are higher than anywhere else 
in the world -- equivalent to 52% of GDP in 2008.)  Far from 
encouraging Tajiks to return home, the government has rather 
been working to make sure Tajiks can remain abroad.  In the wake 
of the financial crisis it has made some efforts to train 
returning Tajiks for domestic jobs, but these efforts remain 
largely on paper.  The government has been more active in 
defending (if only rhetorically) the rights of Tajiks in Russia 
who have been victims of discrimination or violence.  One of the 
sharpest diplomatic incidents to occur between Tajikistan and 
Russia followed the murder of a Tajik guestworker last winter. 
The Republic of Tajikistan has also been seeking out new labor 
markets for its citizens, particularly in the Middle East. 
 
J) If post has undertaken programs to reach out proactively to 
diaspora community members, please share the circumstances that 
prompted the outreach effort, how outreach was conducted or 
programmed, personal impressions from the experience, and 
benefits from the outreach effort. 
 
-- Post works with a very active network of alumni from exchange 
programs with the United States.  These alumni have worked 
together to promote charity events, brief visiting U.S. 
dignitaries and policy makers, and contribute formally and 
informally to post's reporting on economic, social, and 
political events in Tajikistan.  There is no organized effort to 
reach Tajiks who have worked in Russia, although given their 
prevalence post encounters such individuals daily. 
 
K) If post has received unsolicited requests from the diaspora 
community, please share the nature the requests, the 
considerations post took into account in formulating respective 
responses, and the outcomes of interaction. 
 
-- Post has received no such requests to date. 
 
L) To what extent has post designed or participated in public 
diplomacy programs customized to diaspora community needs and 
interests?  Does post anticipate taking advantage of such 
opportunities in the future? (Ref. A is one example.) 
 
-- See response to J, above. 
 
M) In planning future programs and anticipating requests for 
assistance from diaspora community actors, what types of 
knowledge management tools and information materials would be 
most helpful to action officers at post?  If the Department were 
to develop a reach-back program to academics in the field of 
diaspora community engagement, what are post's preferences for 
accessing such a mechanism? 
 
-- Given the immense challenges facing Tajikistan, one of the 
poorest and least-developed countries in Asia, there is 
certainly opportunity to engage diaspora communities in 
providing assistance here.  But there are numerous challenges: 
the very small numbers of Tajiks in the west with the skills, 
education, and resources to provide assistance; the tendency of 
those few Tajiks who do develop advanced skills domestically to 
emigrate; the concern of most Tajik guestworkers with the raw 
fundamentals of life -- putting food on the tables of their 
families, rather than engaging in broader development efforts; 
and the government's poor business and investment climate, which 
acts as a disincentive for Tajiks (or others) interested in 
development, whether for profit or not.  Post is ready and 
 
DUSHANBE 00001080  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
willing to work with the Department to engage the diaspora 
community to the extent these challenges can be overcome. 
 
¶2.  (U) Point of contact at Embassy Dushanbe is Economic Officer 
Daniel Kronenfeld. 
GROSS