Well, like, Duh! what I was implying was that it’s about a bit more than just just plain old in delicto flagrante. And as I said, I don’t think data is available .. yet. PSI’s website explicitly states that it works with intravenous drug-users, so having a flap about free condon distribition overlooks other aspects of their work. As their own pdf report explains: ‘HIV infection rate in these countries [Central Asia] has increased noticeably over the past few years, particularly among IDUs, who make up at least 64% of all HIV cases.’ And if you’re still worried about the condom distribution any case, as far as I can tell from PSI’s website, there is a strong element of sex education involved:

PSI targets a variety of groups in multiple country settings with marketing, communications and service delivery promoting the ABC strategy of prevention: Abstinence for youth, mutual fidelity (or Be faithful) for couples and correct and consistent Condom use.

PSI’s evidence-based behavior change communications (BCC) programs identify appropriate intervention areas, respond to target group needs and work with target groups to address barriers to safer behaviors.

•PSI provides targeted BCC through:
Outreach to reach sex workers to reduce sexual risk behavior for HIV and sexually transmitted infections while motivating sex workers to utilize HIV prevention services.
•Peer Educators to reach youth at-risk of sexual or injecting drug-use behavior with HIV prevention education.
•Youth Centers to provide at-risk youth access to HIV prevention services and healthy alternatives to drug use.
PSI’s behavior change modules have been adopted as the standard by the Ministry of Health in Kazakhstan and many national governmental and non-governmental organizations have been trained on the PSI model.

But I think that’s enough of the PSI infomercial, already.

‘However, I don’t believe that makes NGOs immune from criticism–especially when they may be harming American interests.’

‘If a USAID program is hurting American interests, leading to greater anti-Americanism, it shouldn’t be funded, IMHO.’

Laurence, I have to agree with Nathan: this is supposed to be about preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS – not promoting American interests abroad.

‘I’m no expert on AIDS prevention program, but somehow doubt there is much hard data to demonstrate that this condom distribution effort did much to reduce HIV infection rates.’

Myabe there isn’t hard data on the effectiveness of prophylactics … yet (but you’d have to work very hard to persuade me that rubbers should be dispensed with entirely). However, there is plenty of data for a worrying increase in HIV/AIDS in Central Asia, as neweurasia‘s own group-post on the issue last year demonstrated.

It’s not just about sex either – intravenous drug-use is a major cause, too; and where are those drugs coming from? Afghanistan …

Work is continuing as normal. Project HOPE is training health care workers in Uzbekistan on how to prevent the spread of tuberculosis and treat patients already infected with the illness. In addition, Project HOPE is operating maternal and child health programs in the country. The programs provide health care workers with knowledge and medical resources needed to improve health and decrease maternal and child mortality rates.

Project HOPE Statement Regarding Uzbekistan

In response to a humanitarian need in Kyrgyzstan in May 2005, Project
HOPE helped assess the health of refugees who had entered the country
from Andijon, Uzbekistan. As a result of the assessment, and as part of
Project HOPE’s mission to provide humanitarian assistance to people in
need, antibiotics were distributed to the refugees, primarily to women
and children.

The Uzbekistan government recently completed a standard audit of Project
HOPE’s programs in its country. The audit followed a typical process
that the Uzbekistan government regularly requests of NGOs operating in
its country. The Uzbekistan government has not contacted Project HOPE
about any other special audits or investigations.

Project HOPE operates only in countries where it is invited. Project
HOPE actively coordinates all activities of health education and
humanitarian assistance with local governments in both Kyrgyzstan and
Uzbekistan.

Uzbek Authorities Probe Branch Of U.S. NGO (RFE/RL)
February 26, 2007 (RFE/RL) — The Uzbek Justice Ministry is investigating U.S. nongovernmental group Project HOPE to determine whether the group’s activities in the country comply with its declared goals and Uzbek law.

The organization has been running health projects in Central Asia.

“Project HOPE delivers humanitarian aid all over the region, throughout countries,” Tom Mohr, who oversees Project HOPE’s tuberculosis-control project in Almaty, told RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service today. “To Uzbekistan, Project HOPE has delivered a huge amount of humanitarian aid over the last six years. And where aid is delivered in those countries, that’s always decided together, jointly with the government and with the agreement of the government that we’re working with.”

As reports of the investigation emerged, Aktam Jalilov, an official of the Uzbek think tank Regional Policy Foundation, said Project HOPE helped deliver humanitarian aid to a camp of Uzbek refugees in Kyrgyzstan in May 2005.

Jalilov told journalists that the camp accommodated members of the banned Islamic group Akromiya following a government crackdown in the Uzbek eastern city of Andijon.

Tashkent has forced a number of Western-funded organizations to stop operating in the country in the past months.

I went to the Project Hope website (http://www.projecthope.org/wherewehelp/russiacentralasia/kyrgyzstan.asp), and saw descriptions of health-related programs such as TB prevention, “healthy family,” and infant mortality–all non-political. There was no mention of work with Akromiya refugees.

Interestingly, Aktam Jalilov, the Uzbek spokesperson mentioned in the RFE/RL story, has the same name as the head of the International Journalism department when I taught at UWED as a Fulbright in 2002-2003. He later came to the US–Harvard’s Davis Center and Indiana University–as a Soros-sponsored fellow, I believe. We were on a panel at Harvard for a CESS conference. If it is the same person, he’s been a beneficiary of American NGO programs, himself…

Bertrand, I don’t hate NGOs. I’ve worked for several, volunteered with others, and continue to donate time and money. However, I don’t believe that makes NGOs immune from criticism–especially when they may be harming American interests.

Brian, I don’t care about the Uzbek government position one way or the other. It’s not my country. However, I do care about the American government position, and improving America’s relationships with countries around the world. If a USAID program is hurting American interests, leading to greater anti-Americanism, it shouldn’t be funded, IMHO.

Indeed, if Project Hope was working with Akromiya in Kyrgyzstan, it strikes me that USAID may be more out of touch with the threat posed by Islamist extremists to American interests to an even greater extent than I had thought possible…

Nathan, I understand that Project Hope is being investigated because they treated alleged Akromiya members in a camp in Kyrgyzstan…. nearly 2 years ago. Even if you give the Uzbek govt. the benefit of the doubt on many many things, the timing just sounds so political.

How is it you came to hate NGOs so much? Were you bitten by one as a child?

P.S.: Nathan’s post above is spot on.

PSI/Central Asia uses commercial marketing techniques to build informed demand among high-risk groups for high quality condoms. Favorite condoms have been marketed to vulnerable groups since 2002. In addition to working with commercial distribution and wholesale partners to provide those most at risk of HIV with access to high quality, affordable condoms, PSI builds knowledge of those groups so they may distinguish high-quality condoms such as Favorite from alternatives in Central Asian markets that fail to provide the highest rates of protection. High risk groups are trained for correct and consistent condom use are also trained to evaluate the packaging, expiration date, and product for flaws.

You can read up on World Vision’s HIV/AIDS initiatives here. They work with prostitutes also. It may come as a surprise to you, but many evangelical Christians are proponents of the reduction of human suffering without regard to who or what the human in question is. It is further worth noting that in Uzbekistan, PSI also partners with Komsomol Kamolot. So, it’s not as if they are too terribly out there.

I’m not sure that USAID has much to answer for. DKT sued them for denying funding over the organization’s refusal to sign a statement explicitly opposing prostitution. The courts found the requirement unconstitutional when applied to US organization, though I think that USAID can still apply the stipulation to foreign organizations.

I don’t know if you ever discussed STDs with anyone in Uzbekistan. It’s obviously a heated subject bound to inflame sensitivities. But it should not be ignored or danced around. Prostitution is common in Uzbekistan. Homosexuality exists. People sleep around. And unless they receive better education about sexual health, they will get sick. I don’t think trying to prevent Central Asia from exploding HIV infection rates is at all a waste of our money, especially when it’s fairly cheap.

Since you seem so steamed about PSI working with homosexuals and prostitutes, do you think the Uzbek justice ministry is right to use this as an argument for its expulsion? Do you agree with the criminalization of homosexuality? Do you think that at the very least they should be excluded from assistance from health NGOs?

At least in my book, what really sets this case apart from others is that the government is using its anti-homosexual laws and attitudes to justify expulsion of a health organization.