Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Fund Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan, the largest public organization in Uzbekistan and an umbrella for a number of partner organizations, held on Wednesday a forum which brought together roughly 800 people – Uzbek culture and arts professionals, singers, actors and actresses, film directors, scientists, physicians, prominent athletes and journalists. The event was given the goal of exchanging opinions regarding the organization’s activities and generating suggestions for 2010.

The forum was kicked off with a video presentation of the Fund’s activities in 2009, featuring charitable campaigns, cultural, educational, scientific and sporting events. The Fund’s partners that have been involved in activities which, according to the forum participants, are socially significant include the Women’s Council Public Association, Mehr nuri (Ray of mercy) Charitable Foundation, ‘In the Name of Life’ Association of Women, Social Initiative Support Fund (SISF), Kelajak ovozi (Voice of the future) Youth Initiative Centre, IJOD Association of Artists, Art Critics and Peoples’ Masters of Uzbekistan, Centre of National Arts, Meros Association of Antiques, Association of Traditional Medicine, ‘Forum Junior Sport’ Children’s Complex, among others.

According to Gulnara Karimova, the Chairperson of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, over 3 million people have benefited from the Fund’s cultural, scientific, social and charitable activities since its inception 6 years ago. The Fund has gained extensive experience thus far and has become a platform bringing to fruition ideas, initiatives and projects proposed by culture and arts professionals, scientists, physicians, athletes and those involved in other spheres.

The forum was held in the form of an open dialogue and focused on the categories of children’s projects; youth and education; charity, medicine and social sphere; sports; international activity; and culture, art and science. Each category included a short presentation on the projects implemented and those in the pipeline for 2010.

Specifically, Karimova came up with the idea to set up a network of Universal Cultural Centres to be built in each region of the country. The model of the cultural centre was shown in a 3D video presentation. The centres are expected to become places providing useful and interesting leisure for the population and to contribute to the development of young people’s skills.

Another project in the pipeline is a Charitable Marathon to be held in May. The goal of the event is to raise funds which will be used to purchase medication for women diagnosed with breast cancer. The runners in the race will include Uzbek pop stars, famous actors and actresses, athletes and other participants.

Also, the Fund announced an open tender for the construction of a children’s ecological entertainment park in Tashkent, an idea which drew immediate approval from the Union of Architects of Uzbekistan, whose representatives were among those attending the forum. The tender will seek innovative projects featuring unusual installations and thematic sculptures. The primary requirement is the use of eco-friendly materials and original ideas for the park concept.

Throughout 2010, the SISF will make available grants to implement social initiatives and projects in regions under NGO Support Programme.

Representatives of the Women’s Council attending the forum noted the implications of the international breast cancer conference which was organized in Tashkent in July last year. The event focused on the medical aspects and the role of public organizations in the solution of breast cancer problem, and was lauded as a commendable step towards addressing breast cancer. Among the 200-odd people attending the international event last year were high-profile breast cancer specialists from France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the USA.

Since its inception 6 years ago, the Fund has run nearly 600 projects in Uzbekistan and abroad, many of which have become traditional.

Among the annual high-profile events is Asrlar sadosi (Echo of centuries) Traditional Culture Festival, which seeks to demonstrate the entire diversity of Uzbek culture – national music, dances, applied art, costumes and cuisine.

Another in the series of cultural highlights is Art Week Style.uz, a cultural mega project with a focus on culture, art and fashion. Style.uz, now in its fourth year, includes arts exhibitions, catwalk shows, master classes and charitable concerts, and attracts distinguished arts personalities, fashion designers, singers, actors and actresses, chief editors and journalists of the world’s foremost fashion magazines.

The Fund has accorded significant attention to the development of sports in Uzbekistan. Projects to support Uzbek sports featured football stars Samuel Eto’o and Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom taught master classes to young Uzbek footballers, in November and December respectively, in Tashkent under the Fund’s Young Footballers Support Program. Both of the big-name athletes signed cooperation memorandums with the Fund.

The forum culminated in a ceremony to award certificates to the 30 participants of a recently run week-long Young Entrepreneurs School, an event which will now be organized every three months by Kelajak ovozi YIC under the aegis of the Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Fund.

The Fund continues to contribute to the development of arts, culture, education, social and charitable activities in Uzbekistan, and to represent the unique national legacy and scientific achievements locally and internationally. It works to discover young talents, to support athletes and crafts dynasties, and to develop international collaboration.