USAID is winding down funding in Kazakhstan: media publishes list

Tengrinews.kz – A list of grants from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for which funding has been terminated has been published, according to Punchbowl News.

According to the document, as of March 5, contracts have also been canceled in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The information indicates that the amounts of two contracts related to the implementation of projects in Kazakhstan were $2.350 million and $3.350 million.

The first amount was related to funding a project on the topic of "Strengthening Civic Participation in Kazakhstan." The second funding was intended to implement the goal of "Strengthening Human Rights and Equality," which was "to strengthen the capacity of LGBT organizations in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to advocate sustainably and safely for the full recognition and respect of the human rights of LGBT people and all people."

"The overarching goal is to strengthen the ability of LGBT organizations to sustainably and safely advocate for the full recognition of and respect for the human rights of LGBT and all persons. In doing so, the activity will support local LGBT civil society organizations (CSOs), which in turn will work to support LGBT communities. LGBT communities that are stronger and better educated about their rights are more likely to support the work that LGBT CSOs are doing. National and local LGBT groups will advocate at the national levels," the information says.

By the way, the United States has officially canceled 83% of USAID programs. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that the 200 contracts that were canceled "spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, and in some cases harmed, the core national interests of the United States."