PAYNE MOTIVATES TURKMENISTAN'S CIVIL SOCIETY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000425 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) INFO SCA/PPD (VAN DE VATE),IIP/G/NEA-SA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO PREL TX SUBJECT: PAYNE MOTIVATES TURKMENISTAN'S CIVIL SOCIETY REFERENCE: ASHGABAT 345 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Health and political communication specialist Dr. Gregory James Payne breathed new life into the value of public speaking skills by showing how effective communication is essential to leadership. Post was pleased to host Payne as part of its U.S. Speaker program from March 3-12; his visit coincided with and worked well in tandem with that of Dr. Elbert Ransom [reftel]. In addition to reviewing the basics of good public speaking with a range of audiences, Payne broached the topic of free speech and state propaganda powerfully but indirectly by discussing the mechanics of public marketing. His humorous, interactive teaching style surprised teachers and students in Ashgabat, Turkmenbashy and Dashoguz, who rose to his challenge: "be a leader." END SUMMARY. DR. PAYNE, THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR -------------- ¶2. (U) Dr. Payne's audiences ranged from students at Turkmen State University, Turkmen-Turkish University and the Azadi World Languages Institute, alumni of U.S. Government programs and civil society and members of the Ministry of Health, the Parliament of Turkmenistan, and state media. He met with groups of over two dozen young teenagers each at an after-hours school in Anau supported through a Democracy Commission grant, and at bustling community NGO Keik Okara in Ashgabat. By popular demand, the Public Affairs Section organized two last-minute public speechwriting seminars featuring Payne, and each of his audiences demanded CD copies of Payne's presentations from post to share with others. Each audience reacted, some with outright joy and some with trepidation, to the edgy message that individuals have the power to persuade others through language and symbol. In a state still under the influence of turgid, authoritarian, nationalistic propaganda, Dr. Payne encouraged local audiences to analyze how public messages influenced their behavior. Simultaneously, he walked students through a structured process of self-expression and leadership. ¶3. (U) The size of Payne's student audiences at the higher educational institutes in Ashgabat ranged from 45 to over 100, as organized by those institutes. Starting timidly, the crowds soon loosened up with Dr. Payne's humorous examples of cross-cultural communication "signals" -- such as differing ideas of adequate personal space, eye contact, and hand-shaking. Thereafter, the personality of the students shone as students introduced themselves, with the occasional student admitting that he or she wished to be President or Prime Minister of Turkmenistan someday. Dr. Payne coached the students to think of themselves as leaders, and demonstrated through examples in current international affairs and politics how credibility, accountability, and one's ability to identify with one's audience are critical components to effective public communication. Payne made frequent references to the Internet, showing students where they could find funny and thought provoking public service announcements, songs and other materials he used in his communication classes in the United States. STATE INSTITUTES LISTEN WITH INTEREST -------------- ¶4. (U) In a meeting with 60 state journalists -- most in their 50s -- at the House of Free Creativity (the headquarters of state media, separate from the publishing house) Payne "pushed the envelope" in a presentation emphasizing the value of a free media, among those schooled in Soviet methodology, and whose recent careers have been working for the state in one of the world's most closed media environments. Despite PAS staff's curiosity about whether he may have gone too far, too fast for his audience, the next day's major daily newspapers contained a positive and accurate, if not detailed readout of the event, indicating at least an acceptance of post's outreach effort on this subject (septel). ¶5. (U) In a talk with 15 members of Turkmenistan's Parliament, Dr. Payne discussed international political communication, campaign advertising, and credibility. He fielded questions on negative campaign advertisements and America's credibility with the world due to the Iraq war, and how a politician could lose political -- and personal -- credibility. (Comment: Members of the Parliament are all elected from one party and generally serve as a rubber stamp for executive decisions. End Comment.) ASHGABAT 00000425 002 OF 002 ¶6. (U) A presentation for and discussion with 20-25 academics and government professionals of the Institute of Democracy and Human Rights in the Office of the President focused more on the value of intercultural exchange and role of stereotyping in political communication. He also responded to a wide range of questions on U.S. politics and elections for this very interested audience. Some were hopeful to have continued contact with Dr. Payne -- and as with all his audiences in Turkmenistan, Payne offered to initiate regular webchats with his students in the United States, or perhaps to initiate an exchange program to take groups of students or professionals from the United States to Turkmenistan, and vice versa. The openness of these discussions at state institutions would have been unthinkable prior to the death of President Saparmurat Niyazov in December 2006. ¶7. (U) Dr. Payne was the guest of honor at a lunch on health communication on March 8, 2007 -- auspiciously scheduled on the day the Ministry of Health signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding with USAID partner Capacity to promote efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. Two ministry representatives -- one of whom heads the Health Information department (public health programming) of the ministry -- joined six representatives of USG health programs implementers for a discussion of public health campaign methods and theory. Dr. Payne introduced a public service announcement for the National Cancer Society that successfully encouraged U.S. voters to vote for an increase in taxes on cigarettes. The ministry information representative frequently interjected with examples of ministry public health education initiatives such as advertisements and health discussion programs for state television. She seemed anxious to combat any suggestion, however nuanced, that the host government might needed any advice or assistance in such efforts, and she clearly tried to avoid interaction with the other lunch participants. Despite this unease, the fact that the ministry representatives attended the lunch at the A/DCM's residence and engaged in such discussion -- not to mention the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding -- represents a positive shift from Niyazovian times. OLD HABITS -------------- ¶8. (U) The one dark spot in Dr. Payne's program was the local government's obstruction of a seminar held in Turkmenbashy city -- where the American Corner has been closed for nearly a year. The presentation, scheduled to be held at the Turkmenbashy Hotel -- about which post had informed the host government because hotel space qualifies as state-controlled -- was delayed by local government officials who demanded to see Ministry of Foreign Affairs permission for the event. After the presentation, post received word that participants at the session had been called and harassed by local government agents. COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (U) As with all Embassy Ashgabat outreach efforts, steps forward always come with a step or two back. In the case of Dr. Payne's visit, post took many more steps forward than anticipated. The month of March yielded much more positive feeling from the host government than post has ever experienced. Dr. Payne arrived just at the right time, his program (blending seamlessly with that of Dr. Ransom's) brought many fresh and attainable ideas for further exchange with local audiences. End Comment. ¶10. Dushanbe Minimize Considered BRUSH