PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL

UNCLAS ROME 002197 SIPDIS FOR IIP/G/EUR CSIEMONH; IIP/G RCROSS-NAJAFI; IIP/T/SV- AHIRSHORN; EUR/PPD/RHILTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP PRC SUBJECT: PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL BARONE, SENIOR WRITER, "U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT;" ROME, MARCH 18-19, 2002 ¶1. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: PA ROME ORGANIZED A TWO DAY SPEAKER PROGRAM FOR U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL BARONE, AUTHOR, SENIOR WRITER, U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, AND CO-AUTHOR OF THE "ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS", MARCH 18-19, 2002 IN ROME. ON TUESDAY, MARCH 18, BARONE SPOKE ABOUT HIS BOOK, "THE NEW AMERICANS: HOW THE MELTING POT CAN WORK AGAIN" AT A CONFERENCE ON "MULTICULTURALISM IN THE U.S. AND EUROPE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 02197 061623Z AFTER SEPTEMBER 11" AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROME "LA SAPIENZA." ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, HE SPOKE ON THE "U.S. CONGRESS" AT A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH ITALIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS AND STAFF AND JOURNALISTS AT THE AMERICAN STUDIES CENTER IN ROME. PA ROME ALSO FACILITATED A NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS FOR BARONE WITH ITALIAN MINISTERS AND AMBASSADOR SEMBLER. BARONE WAS INTERVIEWED BY SEVERAL MEDIA OUTLETS, INCLUDING RADIO RAI (NATIONAL ITALIAN RADIO AND TELEVISION NETWORK) AND ADN KRONOS (NEWS AGENCY). ¶2. DATES: APRIL 18-19; 3RD QUARTER; FISCAL YEAR: FY2002. ¶3. JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVE: AS A FOLLOW-UP TO PA ITALY'S IMMIGRATION CONFERENCE IN MAY 2001, THE UNIVERSITY OF ROME ORGANIZED A MAJOR TWO-DAY EVENT INVOLVING OVER 25 SPEAKERS, ON IMMIGRATION IN ITALY. TO CONTRIBUTE AN AMERICAN VOICE, POST SUGGESTED AUTHOR MICHAEL BARONE, AS HIS NEW BOOK TAKES A NOVEL APPROACH TO THE AMERICAN "MELTING POT" AND MULTICULTURALISM. BECAUSE INTEGRATION IS AN HIGHLY DEBATED ISSUE HERE IN ITALY, POST WANTED TO PRESENT BARONE'S STRESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WEAVING NEW IMMIGRANTS INTO "THE FABRIC OF AMERICAN LIFE". WE ALSO WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BARONE'S EXPERTISE ON AMERICAN POLITICS TO ENGAGE KEY ITALIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS AND STAFF IN A DISCUSSION ON CURRENT ISSUES IN THE U.S. CONGRESS. ¶4. MPP UMBRELLA THEMES: COOPERATION ON GLOBAL ISSUES, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 02197 061623Z ¶5. AUDIENCE REACHED: ITALIAN ACADEMICS, SOCIOLOGISTS, PARLIAMENT MEMBERS AND STAFFERS, GOI OFFICIALS, JOURNALISTS. ¶6. RESULT/IMPACT: BARONE'S PROGRAMS IN ROME PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH KEY ITALIAN AUDIENCES ON A VARIETY OF TIMELY SUBJECTS. IN PARTICULAR, ON IMMIGRATION ISSUES WHICH ARE OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE FOR OUR COUNTRIES ESPECIALLY AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, WHEN, DUE TO GROWING SECURITY CONCERNS, THERE HAS BEEN A MORE RESTRICTIVE IMMIGRATION POLICY. ITALIAN SOCIOLOGISTS, JOURNALISTS WERE ALL EAGER TO HEAR ABOUT BARONE'S NEW LOOK AT WHAT THE RICH AND VARIED HISTORY OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN AMERICA CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE FUTURE. BARONE ENCOURAGED ITALY TO A MAJOR OPENNESS TOWARD IMMIGRATION: AMERICA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS WHO BRING WITH THEM DIFFERENT GROUPS OF THINKING AND VALUES, AND IT HAS ALWAYS SUCCEEDED IN BRINGING THEM TOGETHER IN A COMMON CIVIC CULTURE. BARONE'S CHALLENGING MESSAGE WAS THAT: THE MELTING POT STILL HOLDS ITS POWER: THE PROMISE THAT ALL IMMIGRANTS CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO "ONE AMERICA" WHERE ALL CITIZENS ARE UNITED IN DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY. BARONE WAS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE AND ENGAGING IN HIS PRESENTATION ON CURRENT ISSUES IN THE U.S. CONGRESS, ADDRESSED TO ITALIAN PARLIAMENT OFFICIALS AND JOURNALISTS. (IN A FOLLOW UP ARTICLE FOR THE "U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT" ENTITLED "EUROPEANS FOR THE U.S.," BARONE REITERATES THAT ITALY, AN IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, REMAINS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE UNITED STATES AND GEORGE BUSH ON SEVERAL FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES.) UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 02197 061623Z BARONE'S PRESENTATIONS WERE WIDELY COVERED BY ADN KRONOS (NEWS AGENCY). ¶7. NON USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN-KIND SUPPORT: NONE ¶8. QUALITY OF U.S. OFFICE SUPPORT: GOOD. SEMBLER. UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME02197 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED