MIST SPORTS CARAVAN SCORES HIGH MARKS IN NIGER

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000898 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED STATE FOR AF/RSA AND AF/W (BACHMAN) FROM AMBASSADOR ALLEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR KPAO PREL ASEC EAID SCUL KCOR NG SUBJECT: MIST SPORTS CARAVAN SCORES HIGH MARKS IN NIGER REF: STATE 131554 (U) 1. SUMMARY. THE AUGUST SPORTS CARAVAN SHOWCASING THE NIGERIEN JUNIOR NATIONAL BASKETBALL AND SOCCER TEAMS AGAINST THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SPORTS TEAMS AROUND THE THEME, "UNE FAMILLE, UN NIGER" (ONE FAMILY, ONE NIGER),HAS SCORED HIGH MARKS ACROSS NIGER. IT ALSO FEATURES AN ACTING COMPANY (TROUPE MOURNA) THAT IS PERFORMING SKITS ON THE CARAVAN THEME. THE EVENTS HAVE RECEIVED POSITIVE, EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF AUGUST. EMBASSY DELEGATION'S TRAVEL COVERS SEVEN OF NINE SPORTS VENUES TO PROMOTE THE MESSAGES OF TOLERANCE, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ANTI-CORRUPTION. NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND CIVIC LEADERS HAVE PARTICULARLY EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR A THEME THAT PROMOTES NATIONAL UNITY. THE ANTI-CORRUPTION MESSAGE APPARENTLY STRUCK A SENSITIVE NERVE AT ONE GOVERNMENT MINISTRY, AS REPORTEDLY A GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MANAGER WAS INSTRUCTED TO STOP THE PRINTING OF A COMIC STRIP THE EMBASSY HAD PLACED IN THE NEWSPAPER. TO DATE, THE SPORTS CARAVAN HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL VEHICLES IN NIGER TO CARRY THE MESSAGE OF DEMOCRACY, SO MUCH SO, THAT LEADERS, SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, NIGERIEN YOUTH, ARE CALLING FOR ANOTHER CARAVAN NEXT YEAR. MOREOVER, OTHER SPORTS FEDERATIONS HAVE MADE INQUIRIES AS TO HOW THEY MIGHT BE CONSIDERED FOR A SIMILAR ACTIVITY. END SUMMARY. (U) 2. AN EMBASSY DELEGATION (AMBASSADOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, REGIONAL SECURITY OFFICER AND/OR THE RELEVANT FSNS) PARTICIPATED IN A TOUR COVERING SEVEN OF NINE CARAVAN VENUES IN NIGER: BASKETBALL IN NIAMEY, ZINDER, MARADI, KONNI AND DOSSO (AUG 6-13); SOCCER IN NIAMEY (AUG 15) AND DIFFA (ETA AUG 26). PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE ALSO HAS PROVIDED SUPPORT TO ENSURE MEDIA COVERAGE AT TWO ADDITIONAL SOCCER VENUES: TAHOUA AND AGADEZ (AUG 21-23). (U) 3. MEMBERS OF THE NIGERIEN JUNIOR NATIONAL BASKETBALL AND SOCCER TEAMS PLAYED AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE NATIONAL TEAMS IN THE OPENING GAMES, THEN COMPETED AGAINST REGIONAL SQUADS IN OTHER LOCATIONS. THE CARAVAN'S THEME, "UNE FAMILLE, UN NIGER" ("ONE FAMILY, ONE NIGER"),CONTINUED WITH LAST YEAR'S MESSAGES TO PROMOTE INTER-RACIAL, INTER-ETHNIC, INTER-REGIONAL AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND INTRODUCED TWO NEW SUBTHEMES: GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ANTI-CORRUPTION. REMARKS PREPARED FOR THE SEVEN STOPS COVER THE SUBTHEMES. A WELL-KNOWN ACTING COMPANY, TROUPE MOURNA, ALSO HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE CARAVAN BY PERFORMING, AT THE OPENING AND HALF-TIME OF EACH GAME, SKITS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE TOLERANCE THEME. (U) 4. I CONDUCTED OUTREACH BEFORE AND DURING THE CARAVAN, AND PROVIDED TELEVISION AND RADIO INTERVIEWS ON THE CARAVAN THEMES. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MEDIA (TELEVISION, RADIO, AND PRESS) COVERAGE WAS POSITIVE WITH EACH STOP OF THE CARAVAN MAKING THE DAILY EVENING NEWS. NATIONAL MEDIA AND THEIR REGIONAL AFFILIATES HAVE BROADCAST THE CARAVAN (REMARKS, GAMES AND SKITS) WITH ONE RADIO STATION CARRYING THE EVENT LIVE LOCALLY AT SEVERAL STOPS. AT THE CARAVAN HOST CITIES, HUNDREDS OF YOUTH (AND ADULTS) HAVE BEEN WEARING T-SHIRTS BEARING THE THEME "UNE FAMILLE, UN NIGER" WITH DEMAND FOR T-SHIRTS AND OTHER CARAVAN MATERIALS (NOTEBOOKS, PENCILS AND TOTEBAGS) FAR EXCEEDING SUPPLIES ALLOTTED TO EACH STOP. NOTE: DURING PRESS INTERVIEWS, I ALSO EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE MEDIA'S SUPPORT OF THE CARAVAN AND SPOKE OF THE MEDIA'S IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THE PUBLIC IN A PROFESSIONAL, ETHICAL MANNER. END NOTE. (SBU) 5. TO AMPLIFY THE ANTI-CORRUPTION MESSAGE, MY REMARKS INCLUDED POINTS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL STRATEGY TO INTERNATIONALIZE EFFORTS AGAINST KLEPTOCRACY (REFTEL). WE ALSO PLACED A SERIES OF EDITORIALS AND COMIC STRIPS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE NEWSPAPERS. THE NEWPAPER PLACEMENTS REPORTEDLY DID NOT SIT WELL WITH AT LEAST ONE MINISTRY, AS A GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MANAGER WAS INSTRUCTED TO STOP PRINTING A COMIC STRIP THAT FEATURED A LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ACCEPTING A BRIBE TO FORGIVE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION. (U) 6. OVERALL, THE CARAVAN EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTIONS, WITH ATTENDANCE IN THE 37,000 TO 40,000 RANGE (WITH ONE MORE STOP ON THE AGENDA - DIFFA). IT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO DATE, WITH CALLS ALREADY FOR ANOTHER CARAVAN NEXT YEAR. MOREOVER, OTHER SPORTS FEDERATIONS (E.G., TENNIS, HANDBALL, VOLLEYBALL AND JUDO) WANT TO JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON AND HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING IN A SIMILAR ACTIVITY. NOTE: THE ZINDER/MARADI/KONNI LEGS OF THE TRIP PROVIDED ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN USAID TDYER AT MEETINGS WITH FOOD SECURITY PARTNERS AND TO GAIN FIRST-HAND INSIGHT ON THE FOOD SECURITY SITUATIONS IN THOSE REGIONS (TO BE REPORTED SEPTEL). I ALSO MET WITH PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS IN MARADI AND ZINDER (NEW PC DIRECTOR JOINED US IN MARADI),AND CONDUCTED SIDE VISITS TO THREE PCV PROJECTS (ONE EACH IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND AGRICULTURE). ON THE DIFFA STOP (AUG 26),IN AN EFFORT TO GENERATE PROPOSALS FROM THAT REGION NEXT FISCAL YEAR, EMBASSY DELEGATION WILL CONDUCT AN INFORMATION SESSION FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, ON THE AMBASSADOR'S SELF-HELP FUND, AS WELL AS THE DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND. END NOTE. ALLEN