SPEAKER PROGRAM ON POLITICAL MARKETING RESONATES

UNCLAS KIGALI 000883 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD PETER COZZENS; AF/C MADELINE SEIDENSTRICKER; DRL BRUCE CONNUCK AND STUART CRAMPTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM KPAO PHUM RW SUBJECT: SPEAKER PROGRAM ON POLITICAL MARKETING RESONATES WITH POLITICAL PARTIES AND PUBLIC REF: 07 KIGALI 00366 ¶1. Summary. University of Vermont Professor Edward McMahon completed on Saturday, September 29 a highly successful IIP speaker program on the role of political parties in a democratic society. McMahon's program included individual calls on each of the nine political parties represented in Rwanda's parliament, a lecture to 300 students and faculty at the Free University of Kigali (ULK),a one-day workshop on political party debate, and a two-day workshop on political marketing. McMahon's visit, which came exactly one year in advance of the country's next parliamentary elections, generated strong interest from program participants and the media. The program served to highlight the USG's continued interest in and support for Rwanda's democratic transition while imparting practical skills that can be used to strengthen the role political parties play in Rwandan society. End Summary. ¶2. Name of Speaker/Date of Program: Edward McMahon, September 22-29, 2007 ¶3. Summary of topics addressed/audiences reached: McMahon spoke on three topics: the upcoming U.S. presidential election; political party debate; and political marketing (i.e., soliciting public opinion, establishing party platforms, communicating with the public). His audience included university students, academics, political party representatives, and civil society leaders. ¶4. Audience size: McMahon engaged approximately 450 Rwandans during the course of his program. ¶5. Speaker effectiveness: McMahon was able to communicate clearly and effectively and had a knack for adjusting the sophistication of his presentations to the knowledge level of particular audiences. Participants at both the political debate workshop and the political marketing workshop complimented McMahon for his ability to utilize simple language to explain complex ideas. McMahon's ability to conduct programs in English and French with equal ability was extremely helpful in tri-lingual Rwanda. McMahon, a seasoned traveler to the region, also exercised great patience, flexibility and good humor when his luggage failed to arrive until four days into his program. ¶6. Support quality: Support from IIP was outstanding. Administrative aspects of McMahon's program were handled seamlessly by IIP program officer Mona Esquita. ¶7. Immediate results: McMahon's speaker program emphasized to both the Government of Rwanda and to the Rwandan public that the USG is interested the country's upcoming parliamentary elections and willing to work in partnership with the GOR and Rwandan society to help ensure the elections are free, fair, and meaningful. The Ambassador's remarks at the opening of the political party debate workshop, which emphasized both progress thus far in the reintroduction of multiparty politics in Rwanda and the need for further steps to make the multiparty system meaningful, were widely covered by the Rwandan media, including TV and radio. McMahon's subsequent political marketing workshop provided the political parties with some of the basic tools they will need to conduct serious campaigns. All nine political parties participated in the workshops, and the debate among them was vigorous and sustained. ¶8. Press placement: TV Rwanda, Radio Rwanda, and two private radio stations covered the opening of the political debate workshop. State-run Radio Rwanda interviewed McMahon and PAO concerning the workshop and the overall purpose of his visit to Rwanda. Members of the written press also took part in the political debate workshop. ¶9. Long-term results: Post organized McMahon's program with the assistance of Rwanda's Consultative Forum of Political Parties. The Forum has already expressed its interest in collaborating on further training programs in advance of next year's elections. ARIETTI