BRAZIL'S APRIL 2007 GLOBE LAUNCH ON TRACK

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000094 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR OES/SCT FECHAVARIA; WHA/BPOPP STATE PLEASE PASS TO GLOBE OFFICE FOR TKENNEDY STATE PLEASE PASS TO NASA FOR MMOORE AND MYING E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KGLB TBIO KSCA OSCI BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL'S APRIL 2007 GLOBE LAUNCH ON TRACK ¶1. (U) On January 11, 2007, SCI officer met with Rachel Trajber, Coordinator of Environmental Education for the Brazilian Ministry of Education. Trajber has been designated by the Government of Brazil (GOB) as GLOBE country coordinator. GLOBE is a USG sponsored interagency science and education program that unites students, teachers, and scientists from around the world in study and research of the dynamics of the Earth's environment. ¶2. (U) The original launch date for GLOBE in Brazil was October ¶2006. However, according to Trajber the GOB postponed that launch because it had not received the following items: 1) an official document from Embassy Brasilia for the GOB produced 'Diario Oficial' (public announcement) designating competency to the USG official who will sign the GLOBE accord on behalf of the USG (post understands that person will be Peter Ahlf, NASA Science Education Director), and; 2) formal approval by the USG of the translated version (in Portuguese) of the GLOBE contract for Brazil, which Trajber said was submitted to Department for approval last year. ¶3. (U) Trajber confirmed that the GOB has scheduled a new date to launch its nationwide GLOBE program in early April 2007. An official GLOBE implementation ceremony would complement a weeklong education seminar involving 20 local schools in the town of Nova Iquacu (just outside of Rio de Janeiro). By hosting the seminar and GLOBE launch in Nova Iquacu, Trajber said the GOB hopes to bring science/environmental education "back to the people." In addition to attendance by GLOBE coordinator, Teresa Kennedy, Trajber hoped that local USG representatives will participate in the opening. ¶4. (U) While the GOB fully supports GLOBE's implementation in Brazil, the GOB will not finalize its participation in GLOBE or begin formal planning of the GLOBE launch event until it has received the items listed in paragraph 2. In order to assure that GLOBE is launched as planned in April 2007 in Brazil, Post seeks OES/STC assistance in acquiring both of these items. SOBEL