Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ANTANANARIVO236
2007-03-09 10:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Antananarivo
Cable title:  

AMERICAN WEEK IN MAHAJANGA IS A HIT

Tags:  PREL KDEM KMCA KPAO EAID PHUM PINR AMGT ASOC MA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0834
RR RUEHLMC
DE RUEHAN #0236/01 0681023
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091023Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4456
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANTANANARIVO 000236 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/EX, AF/E, AF/FO, AND DRL
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID AND PEACE CORPS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM KMCA KPAO EAID PHUM PINR AMGT ASOC MA
SUBJECT: AMERICAN WEEK IN MAHAJANGA IS A HIT


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANTANANARIVO 000236

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/EX, AF/E, AF/FO, AND DRL
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID AND PEACE CORPS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM KMCA KPAO EAID PHUM PINR AMGT ASOC MA
SUBJECT: AMERICAN WEEK IN MAHAJANGA IS A HIT



1. SUMMARY: From February 27 - March 1, 40 Mission personnel and
numerous partners hosted American Week in Mahajanga, a city on
Madagascar's northwestern coast with a sizeable Muslim population.
Well over 5,000 local citizens visited our exhibit booths, attended
an Embassy-sponsored basketball tournament and cultural
performances, and were present for the closing of a USG-sponsored
cultural preservation exhibit. As confirmed in press accounts, the
impact of American Week "will continue and will remain engraved in
the hearts of the people in Mahajanga." END SUMMARY.

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What was American Week?
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2. Mahajanga is a regional center of several hundred thousand
citizens, a sizeable minority of them Muslim, on the northwestern
coast of Madagascar. As the drive from Antananarivo takes 10 to 14
hours, the citizens of Mahajanga have limited or no understanding of
the work of the U.S. Mission. Building on two local events already
organized by the Public Affairs Section: the finals of the Second
Annual Black History Month HIV/AIDS and Malaria Awareness Basketball
Tournament, conducted for high school students in Mahajanga, and the
closing of the 2006 Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation
project, "Opening the Door on History: Preserving Madagascar's
Indo-Arabian Carved Doors," Post took advantage of this week as an
excellent opportunity to further educate area citizens about what
the U.S. Mission does in Madagascar.


3. Monday, February 26: While the Mission was setting up for
American Week, Ambassador McGee and USAID Director Patrick spent the
day meeting with important local contacts. The Ambassador began the
day by donating an x-ray screening machine to the airport upon his
arrival. Local leaders and law enforcement welcomed the donation of
Mahajanga's first such machine as a significant improvement to the
porous security at this international airport. Following this

ceremony, the Ambassador visited the local Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) office and met with civic and business leaders in
Mahajanga (septel).


4. Tuesday, February 27: Ambassador McGee officially opened
American Week at La Maison de la Culture with a private tour of the
exhibits for VIPs, including the Mayor of Mahajanga, in the morning.
This hall hosted 16 booths with exhibits from many Mission
elements: the Defense Attache's Office, USAID, the Regional
Security Office, the Commercial Section, the Consular Section, the
Public Affairs Section, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and
Peace Corps. Numerous USAID and MCC partners also had impressive
displays. Commercial enterprises, including Exxon Mobil and a
company that manufactures name-brand Polo clothing for export to the
U.S. under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA),also set
up booths to showcase U.S. commercial involvement in Madagascar.
During the afternoon session open to the public, the week's cultural
highlights kicked off with a performance by a local Muslim choir
singing American gospel and Muslim songs -- a tribute to religious
tolerance and diversity -- to a packed auditorium.


5. Wednesday, February 28: Exhibits continued to run on the 28th.
Post was encouraged that the majority of attendees were local
students who spent long periods of time at each booth taking notes
and listening to Mission personnel describe their roles. Post also
used the adjoining auditorium for films and cultural demonstrations,
including a live performance by American folk singer Lee-Alison
Sibley with the DCM on back-up vocals. Staff members of Population
Services International (PSI),a USAID partner, animated the audience
throughout all three days, making these educational opportunities
very popular with the crowds.


6. Wednesday was the highlight of the week, as over 2,000 citizens
of Mahajanga packed into the local gymnasium to watch the girls' and
boys' final games of the Basketball Tournament. The day ended with
a representational dinner co-hosted by Exxon Mobil. (Exxon Mobil
used the week to quietly educate the local population about their
business as they prepare to explore for oil off the coast of
Mahajanga.) The dinner featured classic American show tunes sung by
Lee-Alison Sibley that inspired several of the invitees to
spontaneously respond with a set of Malagasy songs. Guests included
the Mayor of Mahajanga, the French and Comoran Consuls, and other
dignitaries.


7. Thursday, March 1: About 3,500 people visited the exhibits on
the final day of American Week. The morning featured the closing
ceremony of the carved Indo-Arab doors exhibit with local cultural
entertainment and speeches by the Ambassador, Mayor, and other VIPs.
Our internet site, www.antananarivo.usembassy.gov, has posted
images of our booths as well as a photo of the closing ceremony of
the cultural exhibit. The afternoon ended with a very popular "Quiz
Show" testing the audience's knowledge of U.S. history, culture,
diversity and involvement in Madagascar and rewarding them with
t-shirts manufactured in-country by U.S. companies.

ANTANANARI 00000236 002 OF 002



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Impact
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8. Post is extremely pleased with the impact of American Week in
Mahajanga. Thousands of Malagasy far from the capital city, many of
them students, now have a much better understanding of the role the
U.S. Mission and our partners play in this country. As Mission
elements educated them about our consular services, opportunities to
study in the U.S., and the Ambassador's Self-Help Fund, they also
have a better understanding of how the Mission can help them as
individuals. The Mission was particularly pleased to develop its
relationship with one of the most significant Muslim communities in
Madagascar.


9. Local media coverage of American Week and related events was
extensive, with reporting by eight local radio stations, four local
TV stations (including affiliates of national TV and radio
stations),and two local correspondents of Antananarivo-based daily
newspapers. Citing the number of visitors and the information
available on American activities, they called the week a "resounding
success." National newspaper "La Tribune" featured a full-page
report including color photographs of the many events. Highlighting
the strong participation of the Islamic Bohra community, the article
concluded that, "the American Week ends but its activities and
impact will continue and will remain engraved in the hearts of the
people in Mahajanga."


10. Post also believes this event helped the Mission community
itself come together by working across agencies and across offices
to achieve a common goal. We understand now more than ever the
different role each section plays and how our efforts are
interdependent. We will take this spirit of cooperation forward in
our future endeavors.

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Future
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11. Post thanks the Department for its support of this event. Our
connections to this coastal city were greatly enhanced by American
Week. We hope to repeat this success in another regional city next
year.

MCGEE