PUBLIC DIPLOMACY CULTURAL AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 001261

SIPDIS

AT STATE FOR A/S DINA POWELL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OEXC SCUL
SUBJECT: PUBLIC DIPLOMACY CULTURAL AND
SPORTS PROGRAMS

REF STATE 222516


1. Response to Questions per referenced
reftel.


A. The population of Djibouti is passionate
about sports and cultural programs, and
Embassy-organized programs grant the Mission
access to otherwise inaccessible audiences,
and offer a unique opportunity for mutual
understanding.

The Public Diplomacy Section (PD)
organizes different activities during
International Education Week (IEW). The
soccer tournament that closes every IEW is
the event that draws the most attention.
This tournament works well to access the
youth population with which we might not
normally interact. Girls' soccer teams from
middle schools and high schools participate
fully in the tournament, supporting the
Mission's commitment to encouraging girls'
equal access to education. Ramadan
tournaments also allow access to the youth
that attend Islamic schools and to those who
have dropped out of school.

These tournaments are not part of a
formal PD sports program but they are one of
the most effective and least expensive
community outreach activities. As soccer is
very popular, the tournaments widely engage
the public and promote the US image a great
deal.

Through a grant PD also sponsored a
soccer team at the local girls' orphanage for
the 2004-05 Female National League. The
girls from the orphanage are taught an
Islamic-centered curriculum, so this is an
opportunity to promote women's empowerment.

This year, to promote the Mission's
objective to keep girls in school, PD is also
sponsoring the girls' team of a public middle
school.

Besides sports, another program that
engages the local population focuses on music
and theater productions. The kick off
ceremony for Black History Month is usually a
gospel concert organized in collaboration
with the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of
Africa (CJTF-HOA),Djibouti. This concert
challenges and changes the negative
stereotype that locals might have of the US
military base here by showing that the US
forces participate in the cultural life of
the city. The US gospel band on stage with
local artists is the kind of image that
challenges the belief that Americans are
cloistered on the military camp.

Another very successful and inexpensive
cultural program PD has set up in partnership
with CJTF-HOA is the conversation groups
(English clubs). About 350 students, aged
15-25, participate in these groups. Many
attend Arabic schools during the day and
study English at night. The informal
structure of these groups not only grants the
Embassy access to an otherwise inaccessible
part of the local population, it also helps
to introduce topics covering a range of
social and civic issues that serve as
building blocks for open discussion among
group members. These groups allow
Djiboutians and Americans to interact in
informal settings. Many conversation topics
focus on cultural differences and
similarities, enabling all parties to better
understanding one another.


B. Because films and videos are associated
with news more than entertainment in
Djibouti, they are not as effective for
outreach as interactive performing arts.

Theater, in contrast, is one of the most
valued performing art activities. For the
opening of IEW 2005, two English Clubs
presented skits centered on the importance of
education and the promotion of women's role
in society. This event was a tremendous
success with the public as well as with the
targeted student audience.
Broadcasting cultural information or
events in local languages would be effective
as well as extend our access to rural
populations.


C. The major constraint the Mission faces in
effectively utilizing cultural and arts
programs is the language barrier.
Appropriate resources are not available in
Somali or other local languages. However,
the Mission is engaged in promoting English
language through students' conversation
groups, teachers training, language labs,
"American Corners" library, and television
programs.

Paper shows, exhibitions and the like do
not get as much attention as sports events,
music, and theater. The population is
inclined to enjoy interactive rather than
static events.

The second constraint is funding. PD
funds are limited and getting scarcer as the
Section is enlarging its action field, coming
to interact with more ambitious projects and
trying to keep up a regular enriched
programming calendar.

An additional constraint is that the
position of Public Diplomacy Officer (PDO) is
currently vacant. The next PDO is expected
by March 2006. Programs put in place by the
former PDO are continuing, but new programs
are on hold until a replacement arrives.


D. PD partnered with a middle school to co-
sponsor the girls' soccer team. The school
is responsible for transportation and
refreshments.

PD partnered with the English Clubs
during IEW 2005 to perform free of charge for
PD and the audience.

PD always requests partnership from the
private sector when it comes to purchasing
trophies and medallions for the sports
tournaments, and sometimes the same private
sector supplies the sports events with
refreshments. These small partnerships do
not significantly impact PD funds.


RAGSDALE