FY 2006 IVLP - NOMINATION AND PART I BIODATA ONE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 PARIS 004209 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ECA/PE/V/R/E (CAROL GRABAUSKAS; STEVE TAYLOR); EUR/PPD (LILLIAN DEVALCOURT) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OEXC SCUL FR SUBJECT: FY 2006 IVLP - NOMINATION AND PART I BIODATA ONE PRINCIPAL CANDIDATE AND ONE ALTERNATE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM "JOURNALIST ON FOREIGN POLICY AND THE U.S. SOCIETY". REF: POST WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE ONE PRINCIPAL CANDIDATE FOR SUBJECT PROGRAM: MR. LUCAS MENGET. ONE ALTERNATE IS NOMINATED FOR SUBJECT: MR. ERWAN GUEHO. START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT): : The following data is in a fixed format which enables : automated processing in Washington and should not be : edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software. EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB VERSION: 3.0.7 POST-EMAIL: PaillardS@state.gov TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS Paris TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 14544 EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA START NOMINATION: ECA-OFFICE: E/VGE PROG-AGENCY-NAME: POST-PROJ-ID: 282 ECA-PROJ-NO: PROJ-NAME: FY 2006 - INDIVIDUAL Program for Journalist on Foreign Policy and the U.S. Society START MEMO PROJ-DESC: END MEMO PROJ-DESC: PROJ-TYPE: Individual PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor FY: 2006 DEPART-POST: SESSION-DATE: RETURN-POST: NO-OF-PART: 2 RANK-ORDER: 10 START MEMO POST-OBJ: END MEMO POST-OBJ: START MEMO POST-RCMD: END MEMO POST-RCMD: ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1047 PROG-AGENCY-ID: PROJ-TYPE-ID: IND PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 NOMINATING-POST-ID: 14544 FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: STATUS: N ORIGINATOR: P SUBJ-DISC: Foreign Policy START BIO: PREFIX: Mr. F-NAME: Lucas M-NAME: L-NAME: Menget SUFFIX: POSITION-CODE: 0 PRINCIPAL?: Yes M-ADDR1: Radio France Internationale M-ADDR2: 116, avenue du President Kennedy M-ADDR3: M-CITY: Paris M-STATE: M-CNTRY: France M-ZONE: 75016 M-ZIP: M-PHONE: + (33) 1.56.40.52.23 M-FAX: + (33) 1.56.40.44.61 M-EMAIL: lucas.menget@rfi.fr M-CNTRY-ID: FR M-ADDRTYPE: B GENDER: M DOB: 12/24/1974 MAR-STAT: M BIRTH-CITY: Chambray-les-Tours BIRTH-CNTRY: France CITIZ-CNTRY: France RES-CNTRY: France START MEMO POSITION: Foreign Reporter, Radio France Internationale - RFI, since 1999 END MEMO POSITION: START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: Secretary General of the association "Lire dans le noir" (read SIPDIS in the dark) END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 1997-1998 - Night reporter at France-Info Radio and France 2 Television 1996 - Reporter for France-Inter Radio END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: START MEMO US-TRAVEL: New York City - September 11, 2001 - a couple of weeks reporting END MEMO US-TRAVEL: START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: - Kosovo - 1999 reporting - Albania - 2001 reporting - Kuwait - 2003 reporting - Jordan, Iraq, Israel - 2003-2004 reporting END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: START MEMO EDUCATION: 1998 - Graduated from Paris School of Journalism 1995 - University degree in History END MEMO EDUCATION: START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: FIRST-LANG: French ENGL-READ: 3 ENGL-SPEAK: 3 ENGL-COMP: 3 START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: The editorial line of widely listened to Radio France Internationale is sometimes critical of the United States on a range of foreign policy issues. Criticism includes US policies in the broader Middle East. Lucas Menget, who has spent time in Iraq, as well as other countries in the region, reports often on Middle Eastern issues, and it would be useful to have him meet US experts and officials who could explain U.S. initiatives and interests in the area. It would also be useful for him to learn about Muslim Americans and their integration into American life. Beyond the Middle East, Menget also reports on other foreign policy issues that often touch upon the United States. He should better know the "players" who influence to some degree U.S. policy considerations. He is interested, for example, in demographic issues such as our expanding Hispanic population and how they broadly affect US policy considerations. He is also interested in American volunteerism and civic and humanitarian- minded efforts. He would like to better understand small town America's interests and concerns, given that population's broad support for President Bush in the 2004 election. An individual IV program that focused on his areas of interest and allowed him access to federal, state and local officials, members of congressional committees, academics and analysts, as well as community leaders would enhance his understanding of the many considerations and influences that go into the formulation of US foreign policy. His enhanced understanding would, we believe, eventually be reflected in more nuanced and informed reporting on issues pertaining to the United States for RFI's huge international and domestic audience. END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: START MEMO VIS-OBJ: END MEMO VIS-OBJ: START MEMO VIS-REC: END MEMO VIS-REC: NOMINATING-OFFICER: Michele Carteron START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: Lucas Menget is a young foreign affairs journalist with a promising future as a foreign editor and/or the U.S.-based correspondent for Radio France Internationale, France's equivalent to the VOA or BBC. RFI is seen as a reliable source of information worldwide, broadcasting in many languages other than French. Listernship is estimated to be some 30 million people, with an important audience in Africa and the Middle East. Menget's reports, often but not exclusively on Middle Eastern topics, are aired in the key news programs on a regular basis. END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: NOM-OFF: PA - U.S. Embassy Paris, France SPEAKER?: No NOTIFY-EMB: No MEDIA?: No HOME-STAY: No HOME-HOSP?: No E-I-TYPE: NONE NOMINEE-ID: 568 PERSON-ID: 467 BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: FR CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: FR RES-CNTRY-ID: FR FIRST-LANG-ID: FR E-I-TYPE-ID: N NOM-POST-ID: 14544 NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 0 NOM-STATUS: N DS2019-ACTION: 1 DS2019-SUBJECT: SPONS-FUNDS: 0 SPONS-AGENCY1: USGOVT-AGENCY1: US-AGENCY-AMT1: 0 USGOVT-AGENCY2: US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 INTL-ORG1: INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 INTL-ORG2: INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 COMMISSION: 0 OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 VIS-AMOUNT: 0 VIS-CAT: END BIO: START BIO: PREFIX: Mr. F-NAME: Erwan M-NAME: L-NAME: Gueho SUFFIX: POSITION-CODE: 0 PRINCIPAL?: No M-ADDR1: Nord-Eclair M-ADDR2: 42, rue du General Darrail M-ADDR3: M-CITY: Roubaix M-STATE: M-CNTRY: France M-ZONE: 59100 M-ZIP: M-PHONE: + (33) 3.20.25.62.77 M-FAX: + (33) 3.20.25.62.83 M-EMAIL: erwan.gueho@nord-eclair.com M-CNTRY-ID: FR M-ADDRTYPE: B GENDER: M DOB: 01/20/1973 MAR-STAT: S BIRTH-CITY: Lorient BIRTH-CNTRY: France CITIZ-CNTRY: France RES-CNTRY: France START MEMO POSITION: Head of News, regional daily "Nord-Eclair", since 2001 END MEMO POSITION: START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 1998-2001 - Journalist at Nord-Eclair 1997 - Intern at the French Navy's journal "Cols Bleus" 1996 - temporary at France 3 Auvergne (regional television) July 1996 - temporary at "Les Echos" (written press) August 1995 - temporary at "Ouest France" (written press) 1995 - temporary at France 2 (national television) END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: START MEMO US-TRAVEL: None END MEMO US-TRAVEL: START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: - Poland (Warsaw, Cracow) - May and October 2004, professional trip - Germany (Berlin) - October 2004, professional trip - Spain - Summer 2004, personal trip - Norway - Winter 2002, professional trip END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: START MEMO EDUCATION: 1994-1996 - Post Graduate in Journalism at CELSA (Studies of Information Sciences and Communication, Paris University of La Sorbonne) 1991-1994 - Graduate from the Institute of Political Studies of Rennes END MEMO EDUCATION: START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: Vice-President of the "Nord-Eclair" association of journalists Co-founder of the European association of journalists END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: Numerous newspaper articles END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: FIRST-LANG: French ENGL-READ: 2 ENGL-SPEAK: 2 ENGL-COMP: 2 START OTHER-LANGS: OTHER-LANG: German OTHER-LANG-ID: GM READ: 3 SPEAK: 2 COMP: 3 END OTHER-LANGS: START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: An International Visitor Program (IVP) for Erwan Gueho would address the MPP Strategic Goal of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Strategy 1 ("A Mission-wide, integrated, comprehensive network of outreach to audiences - directly, through the media, and via the Internet - supported and enhanced by relationships created through personal contact, exchanges, and other cooperative programs.") Through the IVP, ¶M. Gueho would learn directly from responsible officials about the U.S. government's perceptions of various aspects of its foreign policy, allowing him to broaden his understanding of policies and actions that are frequently misunderstood in France. This would provide the basis for more perceptive analyses in his writing. His experiences in the United States could also provide material for "human interest" stories about Americans which would help put a "human face" on America. END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: Erwan Gueho would be an ideal participant in a group program for journalists in French focused on foreign policy issues of concern to Europe and the U.S., including counter terrorism and security issues, the future of trans-Atlantic relations, the changing roles of international organizations such as NATO and the United Nations, and global trade. Post also recommends the inclusion of visits to major U.S. museums and participation in cultural and sports activities to provide the broadest possible experience of life in the United States and to counter persistent perceptions of the U.S. as a "cultural wasteland". END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: START MEMO VIS-OBJ: END MEMO VIS-OBJ: START MEMO VIS-REC: END MEMO VIS-REC: NOMINATING-OFFICER: Richard Huckaby START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: Erwan Gueho is a serious and dedicated young reporter for the regional daily Nord Eclair. One of his continuing responsibilities is the "World" section of the paper. During the run-up to the 2004 U.S. presidential election, he created an accurate and widely read series of articles on the electoral process, as well as details concerning the positions of the major candidates. The fact that he contacted the APP and the IRC in Paris for information indicates the seriousness and dedication with which he approaches his work, as does the fact that he is almost always present at seminars and conferences involving international topics. Since he writes for Nord Eclair, the second largest regional daily in the North, his work reaches a large audience over a wide geographical region. In a recent conversation, the Editor-in- Chief of the paper indicated his confidence that M. Gueho would be a leader in the field. For this reason, it is important that the U.S. government build on the positive relationship already established with this rising young reporter by providing him the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the United States, which he has never visited, and to discuss foreign policy issues with officials in Washington. END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: NOM-OFF: APP Lille, France SPEAKER?: No NOTIFY-EMB: No MEDIA?: No HOME-STAY: No HOME-HOSP?: No E-I-TYPE: INTERPRETER NOMINEE-ID: 569 PERSON-ID: 468 BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: FR CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: FR RES-CNTRY-ID: FR FIRST-LANG-ID: FR E-I-TYPE-ID: I NOM-POST-ID: 14544 NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 0 NOM-STATUS: N DS2019-ACTION: 1 DS2019-SUBJECT: SPONS-FUNDS: 0 SPONS-AGENCY1: USGOVT-AGENCY1: US-AGENCY-AMT1: 0 USGOVT-AGENCY2: US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0 INTL-ORG1: INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0 INTL-ORG2: INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0 VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0 COMMISSION: 0 OTHER-AMOUNT: 0 VIS-AMOUNT: 0 VIS-CAT: END BIO: END NOMINATION: END FIXED-FORMAT TEXT: WOLFF