USG-AMWAY CORPORATION JOIN TO CLEAR MINEFIELD NEAR

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000996 SIPDIS DEPT FOR OFFICES OF HUMANITARIAN DEMINING AND PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BK HR PREF SUBJECT: USG-AMWAY CORPORATION JOIN TO CLEAR MINEFIELD NEAR SPLIT ¶1. TO HIGHLIGHT A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE USG AND AMWAY CORPORATION IN CROATIA TO CLEAR A MINEFIELD NEAR A PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE TOWN OF ZRNOVNICA NEAR SPLIT, THE AMBASSADOR ATTENDED A CEREMONY AT THE SCHOOL ON MAY 5. SENIOR AMWAY REPRESENTATIVES, THE MAYOR OF SPLIT, AND CROATIAN MINE ACTION CENTER (CROMAC) AND INTERNATIONAL TRUST FUND (ITF) OFFICIALS WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT THE EVENT, WHICH RECEIVED WIDESPREAD MEDIA PUBLICITY. AMWAY CORPORATION IN CROATIA INITIALLY RAISED USD 15,000 FROM ITS DISTRIBUTORS IN CROATIA AND ASKED IF THE USG WOULD MATCH THAT AMOUNT THROUGH ITS MATCHING FUNDS PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE ITF IN SLOVENIA, AND ALSO ASSIST WITH FINDING A PROSPECTIVE DEMINING PROJECT. ¶2. AFTER DISCOVERING THAT THE SELECTED PROJECT WOULD COST MORE THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED BECAUSE OF AN INCREASE IN ITS OVERALL SIZE, THE AMBASSADOR, WITH THE SUPPORT OF PM,S OFFICE OF HUMANITARIAN DEMINING, AGREED TO COVER THE DIFFERENCE. THE AMBASSADOR AND AMWAY OFFICIALS PRESENTED A CHECK TO GOC DEMINING OFFICIALS IN THE AMOUNT OF USD 120,000 TO COVER THE COST OF THE PROJECT. DEMINING OPERATIONS WILL BEGIN WHEN THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDS NEXT MONTH AND WILL BE COMPLETED BY AUGUST. ¶3. THE AMBASSADOR, AMWAY OFFICIALS, AND THE MAYOR WERE WELCOMED TO THE SCHOOL BY THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE FROM ITS 400 STUDENTS AS A SHOW OF THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO FINANCE CLEARING A MINEFIELD LITERALLY TEN YARDS FROM THEIR SCHOOL. THE CHILDREN PERFORMED SONGS AND DANCES AND EXPRESSED THEIR APPRECIATION TO THE USG AND AMWAY CORPORATION. DURING HIS SPEECH, THE AMBASSADOR COMMENTED THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE JOINT PROJECT WITH AMWAY IS TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE FIELD OF DEMINING. HE URGED OTHER COMPANIES IN CROATIA TO FOLLOW AMWAY,S LEAD BY DONATING OR RAISING FUNDS. THE AMBASSADOR ALSO PRESENTED OVER 200 ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CHILDREN,S BOOKS THAT HAD BEEN REQUESTED BY THE PRINCIPAL FOR THE SCHOOL,S LIBRARY. THE DONATION OF THE BOOKS, AND EVENTUALLY A COMPUTER, WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY PM,S OFFICE OF HUMANITARIAN DEMINING. ¶4. THE AMBASSADOR THANKED ALL OF THOSE WHO HAD MADE THE EVENT POSSIBLE, NOTING THAT THE DEMINED AREA WILL BENEFIT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BY REMOVING CONCERNS OVER THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN ATTENDING THE SCHOOL. DESPITE THE USG,S SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION, THE AMBASSADOR MADE IT CLEAR DURING PRESS INTERVIEWS THAT THIS WAS AMWAY,S EVENT AND ITS OPPORTUNITY TO &BASK IN THE SUN8 FOR ITS EFFORTS. AMWAY IN TURN INFORMED US IT IS ALREADY BUDGETING FOR FURTHER MINE ACTION NEXT YEAR. ROSSIN NNNN