GLOBE IN THE UAE: OCTOBER 6-7 VISIT OF CHARLIE

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004609 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; ECA/A/S/A E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO TC SUBJECT: GLOBE IN THE UAE: OCTOBER 6-7 VISIT OF CHARLIE KELLET ¶1. SUMMARY: ABU DHABI PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE ORGANIZED THE VISIT OF MR. CHARLIE KELLET, SENIOR PROGRAM ANALYST OF GLOBE USA, TO THE UAE. THE PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT WAS TO WORK WITH THE UAE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (MOE) ON AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR GLOBE AND TO ADDRESS ANY ISSUES OF CONCERN THEY MIGHT HAVE. KELLET'S VISIT CAME AT A CRUCIAL TIME WHEN MOE HAS JUST TAKEN OVER GLOBE PROJECT FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH. PAO EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR AND KELLET WORKED INTENSELY WITH MOE AND THE VISIT RESULTED IN SPONSORING FIVE MOE STAFF TO ATTEND THE THIRD GLOBE REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN BAHRAIN, IN AN ATTEMPT BY MOE TO QUICKLY MOVE THE PROJECT INTO IMPLEMENTATION PHASE. ¶2. PAO ORGANIZED THE VISIT OF MR. CHARLIE KELLET, SENIOR PROGRAM ANALYST OF GLOBE USA, TO THE UAE TO WORK WITH PAO AND MOE STAFF ON IMPLEMENTING THE STALLED GLOBE AGREEMENT IN THE UAE. PAO EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR ACCOMPANIED KELLET THROUGHOUT HIS MEETINGS WITH MOE UNDERSECRETARY, EDUCATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS, TEACHERS AND SUPERVISORS. ¶3. THE MEETING WITH THE UNDERSECRETARY WAS VERY ENCOURAGING AND PRODUCTIVE. KELLET DISCUSSED IMPLEMENTATION AND FUNDING ISSUES RELATED TO GLOBE AS WELL AS REGIONAL COUNTRIES' INVOLVEMENT WITH GLOBE. KELLET MENTIONED THAT THE MIDDLE EAST IS CURRENTLY THE FASTEST GROWING REGION IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS, IN PARTICULAR IN BAHRAIN, EGYPT, LEBANON AND JORDAN. THE UNDERSECRETARY WAS PLEASED WITH THE INFORMATION HE RECEIVED, STRESSED THE FACT THAT THE MINISTER HIMSELF IS PROUD THAT GLOBE NOW IS THE FULL RESPONSIBILITY OF MOE AND IS KEEN ON ACHIEVING FAST AND SUCCESSFUL RESULTS IN THIS REGARD. MOE WILL BE ORGANIZING A CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE THE OFFICIAL SIGNING OF THE NEW AGREEMENT. ¶4. KELLET THEN MET WITH 9 TEACHERS, 5 SUPERVISORS AND 4 STAFF AND GAVE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON GLOBE'S CONCEPTS AND OBJECTIVES, AND PROVIDED EXAMPLES ON DATA COLLECTION BY STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD AND HOW THIS DATA CONCERNS THEIR COUNTRIES. THE PRESENTATION SERVED TO ACCELERATE BOTH THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS AND EXCITEMENT OF THE ATTENDEES ABOUT PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM. ¶5. RESULTS: DUE TO THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT EXTENDED TO MOE STAFF BY KELLET & EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR DURING THIS VISIT, THE UNDERSECRETARY APPROVED TO SELECT AND SPONSOR FIVE UAE FEMALE TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS, TO ATTEND THE THIRD REGIONAL GLOBE CONFERENCE IN MANAMA, BAHRAIN (OCTOBER 11-15). THE STAFF WILL BE TRAINED ON GLOBE THEMES AND PROTOCOLS, WILL LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF THEIR NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, AND WILL MAKE CONTACTS IN THE REGION, THUS ENABLING THE MOE TO MOVE INTO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION STAGE. ALBRIGHT