News history

On August 12, International Youth Day, the United National Information Centre (UNIC) in Uzbekistan and the UNFPA announced that Kelajak ovozi (Voice of the future) Talented Youth Contest is the best youth project. A brainchild of Gulnara Karimova and launched in 2005, the contest is the largest-scale and most popular youth project in Uzbekistan, which has covered over 200 thousand boys and girls across the country. Those who emerge as winners receive substantial support in the achievement of creative and professional goals. Also, Mehr Nuri (Ray of mercy) Foundation which allocates grants and scholarships for talented students, also established by Gulnara Karimova, was given an award recognizing the foundations contributions to the improvement of the youths social status.

The Fund Forum and Mehr Nuri (Ray of mercy) Charitable Foundation - organizations headed by Gulnara Karimova - have been granted Special Consultative Status by the UN Economic and Social Council. In July 2010, the NGO Committee at one of its last sessions recommended that the foundations be granted the Status. This is the first time the Status has been granted to public organizations in Uzbekistan.

This summer will linger in memories for a long time and will be the beginning of new achievements for around 500 young boys and girls who participated in Kelajak ovozi (Voice of the future) Summer Training Camp, a youth-oriented project devised by the Fund Forum and the Youth Initiative Centre. The address by Gulnara Karimova, the author of the project, at the closing ceremony read: “This is not a one-day project. I hope that the true results of the Summer Camp will be seen when the ideas born here are embodied and in the success of the camp’s participants. I would like all of you, brought together by the Fund Forum, to stick together and support each other in spite of the fact that you live in different regions of Uzbekistan.”

On July 1, the Japanese Garden in Tashkent played host to «In the Name of Childhood» Charitable Ball designed to entertain children. The primary goal of the project is to discover and support children`s artistic abilities and raise funds for the development of charitable projects through a charitable auction held as part of the Ball. The auction lots were offered by Uzbek pop singers Rashid Halikov and Shakhriyor, boutiques Eve and Madina, as well as Gulnara, the author of the project. The proceeds from this year`s auction will be channeled into the implementation of the project “Peace Day”, run by the Women`s Council jointly with the Special Olympics Uzbekistan, UNDP and UNICEF. The event to support disabled children will take place on September 21, 2010.

Children`s International Calisthenics Tournament Kichkintoy (Baby), now in its third year, brought together in Tashkent over 160 young gymnasts from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The project organized by the Fund Forum and its Forum Junior Sport Complex jointly with the Ministry of Culture and Sports Affairs of Uzbekistan, Children`s Sports Development Fund and Tashkent City Mayor`s Office, provides support for the youngest gymnasts and enables them to perform for large audiences. The tournament concluded with Gulnara Karimova, the author of the project, awarding prizes and presents to all the participants of the sporting festival.