WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON THE AMERICAS: FEEDBACK FROM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BUENOS AIRES 001667 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR WHA (TAMBURRI),WHA/BSC (FRIDMAN),AND WHA/PDA (BARNES),R E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO KSUM AR SUBJECT: WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON THE AMERICAS: FEEDBACK FROM ARGENTINE PARTICIPANTS AND POST FOLLOW-UP ¶1. SUMMARY: POST SENT 11 NGO LEADERS TO THE JULY 9 WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON THE AMERICAS. ON JULY 20, THE AMBASSADOR HOSTED A ROUNDTABLE WITH NINE OF THE 11 PARTICIPANTS TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK AND DISCUSS FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES. THEY APPRECIATED THE CONFERENCE BUT SUGGESTED THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE NETWORKING ACTIVITIES AND ASKED FOR EMBASSY SUPPORT IN REACHING OUT TO POTENTIAL DONORS AND PARTNERS. POST IS CONSIDERING AN "NGO FAIR" TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NGOS TO GARNER MORE SUPPORT LOCALLY. TO EXPLORE THIS AND OTHER IDEAS, AMBASSADOR HOSTED AN INITIAL MEETING AUGUST 22 WITH OTHER DONOR EMBASSIES. END SUMMARY. ¶2. POST SENT 11 NGO LEADERS TO THE WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON THE AMERICAS CONVENED BY PRESIDENT BUSH ON JULY 9. UPON THEIR RETURN, THE AMBASSADOR INVITED THE PARTICIPANTS TO THE EMBASSY TO GET THEIR VIEWS ON THE CONFERENCE AND TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE FOLLOW-ON ACTIVITIES. NINE OF THE ELEVEN PARTICIPANTS WERE ABLE TO ATTEND. ¶3. THE MAJORITY OF THE CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND. THEY SAID THAT THE EXTENSION OF THE INVITATION ITSELF, AND THE FACT THAT SO MANY SENIOR USG FIGURES WERE PRESENT, SENT A STRONG SIGNAL ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ROLE NGOS PLAY IN THE REGION AND OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S INTEREST IN WORKING TOGETHER WITH THEM TO STRENGTHEN SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. THE GROUP SINGLED OUT FOR PRAISE THE OPPORTUNITY THEY WERE GIVEN TO EXCHANGE VIEWS DIRECTLY WITH CABINET-LEVEL OFFICIALS, ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED MORE TIME. THEY ALSO FELT THE TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION WERE APPROPRIATE. ¶4. ONE COMPLAINT THAT THE GROUP SHARED, HOWEVER, WAS THAT THERE WERE FEWER OPPORTUNITIES THAN EXPECTED TO MEET WITH THEIR FELLOW ATTENDEES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION. THEY COMMENTED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANISM BUILT INTO THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS THAT OFFERED THEM A CHANCE TO MEET AND NETWORK WITH THEIR PEERS. THEY NOTED THAT SUCH MEETINGS TOOK PLACE ON THE MARGINS OF THE CONFERENCE - IN THE HALLWAYS, OVER MEALS, IN TAXIS -- BUT NOT AT THE CONFERENCE ITSELF, E.G., AT DESIGNATED TIMES FOR NETWORKING. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED PROVIDING DIFFERENT COLORED NAME TAGS WHICH WOULD IDENTIFY PEOPLE BY FIELD SUCH AS HEALTH, EDUCATION, ARTS, ETC., SO THAT ONE COULD MORE EASILY FIND HIS/HER COUNTERPART. ¶5. THE PARTICIPANTS UNDERSTOOD THAT DUE TO SECURITY REASONS, LITTLE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED TO THEM PRIOR TO THE CONFERENCE. THEY FELT, HOWEVER, THAT THE LACK OF INFORMATION ON THE AGENDA AND ON THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS PREVENTED THEM FROM PREPARING AS THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED. ¶6. THE PARTICIPANTS ALSO AGREED THAT THE CONFERENCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN ONE DAY. IF A SECOND "OFFICIAL" DAY WAS NOT POSSIBLE, THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED FOR THERE TO HAVE BEEN AN "UNOFFICIAL" NEXT DAY DEDICATED TO INTERACTION WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS. ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION WAS TO HAVE A DIGITAL VIDEO CONFERENCE FOR THE INVITEES WHO COULD NOT ATTEND SO THAT MORE NGOS COULD PARTICIPATE. ¶7. THE PARTICIPANTS ASKED THE EMBASSY TO EXPLORE WAYS TO HELP THEM CONNECT WITH POTENTIAL DONORS AND PARTNERS WHO COULD HELP THEM. ONE IDEA RAISED WAS FOR THE EMBASSY TO HOST AN "NGO FAIR" WHERE NGOS COULD PRESENT THEMSELVES TO OTHER EMBASSIES AND BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT OFFER SUPPORT. ¶8. ON AUGUST 22, AMBASSADOR WAYNE HOSTED 22 AMBASSADORS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM FOREIGN EMBASSIES AT THE RESIDENCE TO INTRODUCE THE IDEA OF AN NGO FAIR TO STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL NGO SECTOR IN ARGENTINA AND TO SEEK OTHER IDEAS AND BEST PRACTICES. PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THIS FIRST-TIME ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION OF WAYS TO STRENGTHEN CIVIL SOCIETY THROUGH SUPPORT OF NGOS. THE DISCUSSION FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN WORKING WITH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NGOS. MOST PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT THE KEY TO THE EFFORT IS IDENTIFYING EFFECTIVE LOCAL NGOS, HELPING THEM ESTABLISH GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH INTERNATIONAL NGOS, AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES. THE GROU ALSO DISCUSSED WAYS TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE SECTOR SUPPORT OF NGOS, AND THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT AN NGO FAIR, SPONSORED BY DONOR EMBASSIES, COULD GIVE ARGENTINE NGOS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES IN THEIR PROJECTS. SEVERAL NOTED THE NEED TO ENSURE NGO BUY-IN TO THE IDEA OF A FAIR AND TO BE SURE THE TIMING DID NOT LOOK TOO POLITICAL, I.E., IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE HELD AFTER THE OCTOBER 28 NATIONAL ELECTIONS. THE MEETING CONCLUDED WITH PARTICIPANTS AGREEING TO SHARE CONTACTS AND CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FAIR VIA A NETWORK OF WORKING LEVEL EMBASSY CONTACTS. ¶9. COMMENT: ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE AUGUST 22 MEETING EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE EMBASSY IN ORDER TO FOLLOW UP ON THE CONFERENCE'S GOALS. POST WILL WORK TO DEVELOP AN NGO FAIR OR OTHER EVENT WHICH COULD OFFER NGOS WAYS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR SUPPORT BASE. THIS COULD INCLUDE BRINGING TOGETHER NGOS FROM THE UNITED STATES, THE REGION AND BEYOND, AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES PRESENT IN ARGENTINA, TO FIND PARTNERS, NETWORK, AND COLLABORATE ON COMMON INITIATIVES. END COMMENT. BUENOS AIR 00001667 002 OF 002 ¶9. TO SEE MORE BUENOS AIRES REPORTING, VISIT OUR CLASSIFIED WEBSITE AT: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SQOV.GOV/P/WHA/BUENOSAIRES WAYNE