THE SARG CAN'T KEEP US DOWN: PERSEVERING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 000829

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, AND NEA/PPD PAGNEW, INFO ECA AND IIP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018
TAGS: PREL KPAO SCUL SY
SUBJECT: THE SARG CAN'T KEEP US DOWN: PERSEVERING WITH
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN SYRIA

REF: DAMASCUS 803

Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4 b and d


1. (C) SUMMARY: The SARG requested the closure of the
American Cultural Center (ACC) and American Language Center
(ALC) in Damascus on October 28. While these closures have
led to a significant reduction in public programming, public
diplomacy (PD) activity continues here on many levels. We
are still engaging with a wide range of Syrian individuals
and institutions and carrying out numerous PD activities
behind the scenes. Our goal remains to provide Syrians an
alternative viewpoint to that conveyed by SARG propaganda.
In a hostile policy climate, it is more important than ever
to convey accurate information on U.S. foreign policy and
society, maintain people-to-people relationships, and
preserve our links to Syrian society and institutions. This
cable provides a snapshot of the robust PD programming still
underway at this Post. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Conveying Information
--------------


2. (SBU) The Syrian public and media are subject to a steady
diet of tightly-controlled propaganda on both domestic and
international issues. The Press Section of the U.S. Embassy
in Damascus provides an alternative source of information and
a counterpoint to the overactive rumor mill by backgrounding
journalists, responding to press inquiries, and maintaining
our newly-overhauled website. A daily press briefing and
regular media reaction reports give officers at Post and in
Washington a window on the Syrian press -- print, broadcast,
and web-based.


3. (SBU) Post's Information Resource Center (IRC) is now
closed to the public, but the IRC has undertaken an
aggressive program of outreach by phone, e-mail, and the
Internet, including a presence on the social networking site
Facebook. The virtual "American Cultural Center" is open for
business and accessible to the thousands of Syrians who use
Facebook. PD Damascus is using the closure as an opportunity
to overhaul and renovate the IRC to attract larger numbers of
Syrian students and function as a resource center for Syrian
English teachers once we reopen.


4. (SBU) Post has reached out to local and international
institutions interested in hosting an American Corner and has
received positive responses to follow up on. The three
collections of books and DVDs on American history, society,
values, and literature now in storage will soon be made
available to the Syrian public via Syrian institutions.

--------------
Building a Successor Generation
--------------


5. (C) Cultural and educational exchange programs have long
been Post's principal tool for engaging with young Syrians
and identifying future leaders from academia, business, and
civil society. Around 100 Syrians participate in such
programs annually. Our exchange programs continue
uninterrupted by recent events. The head of Syria's National
HIV/AIDS Program departed to the States on an International
Visitor Program (IVP) on November 11. Another 25 Syrians are
scheduled to participate in International Visitor Programs on
issues as diverse as English teaching, cultural preservation,
journalism, youth, women's economic leadership, Qivil
society development during FY2009. Our nominees assure us
that they remain committed to traveling.


6. (C) Fulbright is the Department's and Post's flagship
educational exchange program. Post is currently accepting
applications for multiple Fulbright programs and continues to
record a high level of interest from Syrian students and
academics. The competition for the 2010-2011 Fulbright
Masters degree scholarship will open in January as planned.
A Syrian professor will spend six weeks in February-March
2009 at a university in Oklahoma under the Fulbright Visiting
Specialist Program. Ten American students are in Syria on
Fulbright grants for the 2008-2009 academic year; none
experienced problems with Syrian immigration either before or
after the events at the end of October.


7. (C) The next generation of Syrian leadership will speak
English, helping them to receive information from and
communicate with the world at large. Even with the ALC
closed, PD Damascus continues to play a significant role in
improving English language teaching in Syria. Post's English

DAMASCUS 00000829 002 OF 002


Language Fellow (ELF) for 2008-2009 remains in country and is
using her numerous contacts among Syrian English teachers to
conduct training in Damascus and country-wide. She has
forged alliances with the Aga Khan Development Network and
the United Nations that will hopefully enable her to continue
working absent an ACC or ALC affiliation. Another English
Language Specialist will visit Post for four days in February
to assist the ELF with curriculum development.


8. (C) The academic year 2007-2008 saw an 11.9 percent
increase in the number of Syrian students studying in the
United States. This figure is in no small part due to the
efforts of Post's Educational Advising and Testing Office --
two Amideast employees who work out of an office in the ACC.
This office continues to advise students on study in the U.S.
via the Internet, e-mail, phone and fax. It also oversees
the provision of required tests such as the SAT, TOEFL, and
GRE. While we cannot now use the ALC (our usual testing
site) for large groups of test takers, we will continue to
use it as a venue for some of the smaller tests. Until an
alternate Damascus test center can be identified, the testing
center at the ICARDA International School of Aleppo will take
in test takers from all over Syria.


9. (C) PD Damascus pursues a strong program of follow-up
with all USG alumni. We regularly hold small
representational events and other programs for alumni; none
have been canceled. The nine Syrian students who
participated in the MEPI Summer Institutes during summer 2008
will have dinner with the PAO and CAO on November 20; a
Humphrey alumni event is planned for early December, and IVP
alumni are scheduled to speak publicly about their U.S.
experience. CAO and A/IO made a trip to Aleppo November
16-17 to meet with alumni, and PD Damascus plans to intensify
travel around the country in the coming months. A
comprehensive alumni database is under construction. When
completed in mid-2009, it will contain up-to-date contact and
bio data on the 1000-plus Syrian alumni of USG exchanges over
the last 20 years.

--------------
Supporting Institutions
--------------


10. (SBU) PD Damascus oversees a number of ongoing grant
projects, including five grants under the Ambassadors Fund
for Cultural Preservation in partnership with the Syrian
Directorate of Antiquities, and two separate grants to
American archaeological dig teams to conduct public education
and outreach programs that publicize the key role American
scholars play in helping Syria study and make use of its rich
archaeological history. Other grants to a local publisher
are supporting projects to promote reading, freedom of
expression, and other components of civil society.


11. (SBU) The Syrian cultural and performing arts community
remains engaged with the U.S. Embassy and interested in
support from American programs. Ten Syrian dancers and
actors have applied to Kennedy Center programs for the coming
year; two dancers are already accepted to a February 2009
program. The same holds true for the business community;
Post plans to bring an expert in developing economies and
stock markets to Syria in February 2009 to speak with Syrian
businesspeople engaged in the launch of their own stock
market. Additional speaker programs for FY2009 may support
Syrian civil society; e.g., organizations to help the
disabled and environmental associations.


12. (SBU) A large number of American and international
organizations are interested in cooperation and partnership
with their Syrian counterparts. Post supports such
initiatives either financially, logistically, or simply with
advice. These include a creative writing workshop between
the University of Iowa and the Syrian Ministry of Education
planned for December 2008, an interfaith women's conference
planned for early 2009, a scholarship program for Iraqi
refugee students, and private visits by American students,
academics, and NGOs.


13. (C) COMMENT: From the closed, unmarked door of the ACC
it may appear to the SARG that it has succeeded in stopping
all American cultural or educational programs in Syria;
however, within its four walls the ACC remains a hub of
activity. Post appreciates the Department's support in
maintaining and developing these critical programs. END
COMMENT.
CONNELLY