CARE-Jordan Hits Temporary Snag in PRM Project Proposal

UNCLAS AMMAN 002974 SIPDIS Department for NEA/ELA and PRM/ANE E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A TAGS: PREF EAID JO SUBJECT: CARE-Jordan Hits Temporary Snag in PRM Project Proposal ¶1. (SBU) Summary: At CareQs Request, RefCoord intervened with the GOJ to appeal the GOJ rejection of the USG-funded psychosocial project. The GOJ agreed to review the decision after discussing the journalism component of the project with CARE-Jordan. The GOJ continues to be leery of any project designed to publicize the conditions of Iraqi refugees in Jordan. End summary. GOJ to CARE--A Refusal Without Explanation -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On October 23, 2008, CARE International-Jordan Director Harriet Dodd called RefCoord and explained that the GOJ had rejected the PRM-Funded psychosocial program, "Dignity," which was part of a larger CARE project with multiple donor support. All of the other aspects of the program passed the GOJ screening process. Word of the refusal had reached CARE by back channels from the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC). The refusal followed written approval for the project from the Ministry for Social Affairs, the government office responsible for NGO activity in Jordan. CAREQs attorney investigated and discovered that MOPIC had instructed Social Affairs to rescind its letter of approval, without providing a reason. GOJ To USG--We will Take Another Look -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The afternoon of October 23, RefCoord met to discuss the refusal with the Secretary General of the Ministry, Nasser Shraideh, who served as the chair of the inter-ministerial committee that approved assistance projects for Iraqis, and Feda Gharaibeh, responsible officer for Iraqi reconstruction. Initially, Shraideh said the CARE proposal duplicated other ongoing projects in the psychosocial sector. RefCoord explained that the CARE proposal was designed to compliment projects already underway and to take advantage of the experience and expertise that CARE offered in Jordan. Shraideh then changed his objection, saying that the CARE proposal included a component in which journalism trainees interviewed Iraqis and published their stories. Feda Gharaibeh joined the SecGen in objecting to this aspect of the proposal, saying that journalism had no place in Iraqi assistance. ¶4. (SBU) Shraideh agreed to review the committee decision and discuss the proposal with CARE. He instructed Gharaibeh to meet with CARE and RefCoord later to discuss how the project might be resubmitted to the inter-ministerial committee. In a subsequent meeting, Dodd told RefCoord that CARE had already removed the journalism component of the original project at the insistence of PRM. The document CARE submitted to the GOJ did not represent the project in its most current form. She said that she would resubmit the proposal and report the outcome to RefCoord. Comment--Concerns About Publicity -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Refusals of USG projects here are rare, and we do not believe the rejection of CARE's proposal was a swipe at the USG. The committee has held up any program that hints of a refugee census or raises the public profile of refugee programming. In Jordan, NGO and IO projects were screened by an inter-ministerial committee chaired by MOPIC, and attended regularly by the ministries of social affairs, health, education, and interior. We will monitor the situation closely to ensure that the GOJ gives proper and fair consideration to the PRM-funded project. End comment. Visit AmmanQs Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman BEECROFT