FOURTH QUARTER PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PROGRAMS SHINE A SPOTLIGHT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KOLONIA 000163 SIPDIS STATE DEPARTMENT FORR EAP/PD AND EAP/ANP; SUVA FOR RPAO-JEFF ROBERTSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OEXC OIIP FM SUBJECT: FOURTH QUARTER PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PROGRAMS SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THE FIRST VISIT OF A U.S. NAVAL HOSPITAL SHIP, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, AND GRANT AID SUMMARY ¶1. Fourth quarter public diplomacy programs exemplified America's concerns for regional partnership, good governance, and assistance. The USNS Mercy made the last stop on Pacific Partnership 2008 in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), anchoring in the lagoon of Chuuk. This U.S. Naval hospital ship, based in the FSM's largest state, delivered medical services to some 17,000 Micronesians. Positive print and radio media coverage on this and other U.S. activities in the FSM, along with timely Embassy media releases, increased significantly. End summary. EMBASSY COORDINATES FIRST PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP VISIT TO MICRONESIA ¶2. The USNS Mercy stopped in Chuuk during the last leg of Pacific Partnership 2008. A flyaway team from the ship treated 3,567 patients in Pohnpei (over 10% of the population) and 2,288 patients in Yap (over 20% of the population) in community based medical, ophthalmology and dental clinics, with pharmacological support. ¶3. The first ever visit by a U.S. military hospital ship (the world's largest) to the FSM's most populous state of Chuuk brought unprecedented direct engagement between Americans and Micronesians at the local level. Medical services via mobile health care teams reached 10,832 patients on thirteen islands in Chuuk Lagoon. Over 200 patients received eye, ear, nose, throat, gastrointestinal, endoscopic, urological, gynecological, pediatric, orthodontic, plastic or general surgery on board the ship. ¶4. Environmental health officials provided mosquito control, food sanitation inspection, and waste treatment plant inspection for Chuuk State. Embarked medical doctors consulted on ongoing cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis at the Chuuk Hospital. Veterinarians conducted roving clinics in the lagoon islands, performing veterinary surgery and animal de-worming. In less than four weeks, U.S. Navy Seabees completed extensive construction work at three major engineering project sites. They renovated the Chuuk State Hospital as well as public school buildings on two Chuuk Lagoon islands. ¶5. The historic visit of the Mercy to the FSM's largest state sparked unprecedented media attention. Coverage included a special 'Mercy Edition' of the FSM's sole newspaper, with a total of 394 column inches of Mercy-related coverage in six issues. FSM President Mori participated actively in three days of Mercy mission activities in his home state of Chuuk. He personally welcomed Commodore Kearns and other Mercy dignitaries pier-side upon arrival at Weno Harbor. He led local officials on a VIP tour of the ship and its extensive facilities. Along with members of his Cabinet and FSM Congressmen, he visited Mercy medical sites and engineering projects on several Chuuk Lagoon islands. In a final expression of heartfelt gratitude, the FSM Congress, Chuuk Legislature, Pohnpei Legislature, and Yap Legislature each passed resolutions expressing deep appreciation for Pacific Partnership activities with the United States in their islands. EMBASSY BRINGS ACADEMIC EXPERTISE ON RULE OF LAW ¶6. University of California-Berkley Political Science and Law Associate Professor Dr. Gordon Silverstein spent a week in two FSM states, sharing considerable expertise on the rule of law. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sponsored this regional trip to Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. He participated actively in anniversary activities during the 26th FSM Law Week hosted by the national Supreme Court in Kosrae State. Dr. Silverstein delivered a public presentation on the rule of law attended by over 150 government staff, local business persons, NGO representatives and community leaders. He also conducted an interview on the state radio station and discussed constitutional law issues with local legislators, jurists, and attorneys. In Pohnpei State, Dr. Silverstein delivered another public presentation and participated in a panel discussion on rule of law. He also conducted two radio interviews and a print interview with the FSM's national newspaper. OTHER EMBASSY OUTREACH EVENTS INFORM THE COMMUNITY ¶7. Ambassador hosted the Mission's U.S. Independence Day celebration, attended by FSM President Emanuel Mori, other government officials, the diplomatic corps, media, NGOs, and KOLONIA 00000163 002 OF 004 private citizens. Keynote remarks toasted America's founding values of freedom, democracy and equality of opportunity as principles that are just as fundamental, useful and compelling today as they were 232 years ago. The event underscored a renewed U.S. commitment across the board to generous and transparent partnership with the Federated States of Micronesia. The FSM's sole newspaper carried key excerpts of the Ambassador's speech. ¶8. Ambassador also orchestrated an alternative aid delivery mechanism that resulted in an innovative $3 million Compact infrastructure grant, which was apportioned equally among the FSM's four states. The dedicated funding can be used only for local maintenance repairs related to education, health, potable water and public safety facilities. A joint U.S.-FSM press event and media statements promoted this effort to direct aid flexibly and responsibly at the grass roots level. In a rare public demonstration of solidarity, the FSM Department of Foreign Affairs toasted the media event with champagne. PRESS COVERAGE BUILDS BETTER APPRECIATION FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE ¶9. Newspaper articles on U.S. programs in the FSM totaled 958 column inches in "The Kaselehlie Press," the FSM's biweekly national newspaper. This coverage represents more than a 100% increase over last quarter. Articles included: --FBI Seminar Held in Pohnpei on White Collar Crime/Human Trafficking; --Twenty-Nine FSM Citizens Join United States Army; --Pohnpei and Neosho, Missouri, Become Sister Cities; --U.S. Independence Day Celebrated in Pohnpei; --U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM for June 2008; --World's Largest Hospital Ship, USNS Mercy, to Visit FSM; --U.S. Secretary of State Visits Asia Pacific Region; --FSM President Goes to Guam Naval Hospital for Checkup; --U.S. Ambassador Awards Cultural Preservation Funds to Yap State; --Government Accountability Office Officials Visit Yap; --USNS Mercy Mobile Medical Team Coming to Pohnpei; --U.S. Department of Education Funding to FSM Tops $10,000,000 This Year; --U.S. Congress Warns FSM on Compact Implementation; --DOI OIA Cuts Funding for Chuuk State for Three Compact Sector Grants; --Three Pohnpei Schools "Bid-Ready" for FSM Compact Infrastructure Sector Grant Funded Construction; --DOI OIA Island Business Fellow Promotes Island Business Link in FSM; --Chuuk Mercy Mobile Medical Clinics Scheduled; --Chuuk Mercy Mobile Veterinary Clinics Scheduled; --Pohnpei's Joab Paul Graduates from Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu; --Yap Mercy Mobile Medical Clinics Scheduled; --U.S. Government Delivers $3 Million in Compact Infrastructure Grant; --Pacific Partnership 2008: A Voyage of Friendship; --USNS Mercy Ship Arrival Ceremony in Weno Harbor, Chuuk; --Project Handclasp Donates Food, School Supplies, and Toys in Chuuk; KOLONIA 00000163 003 OF 004 --USNS Mercy Doctors Deliver Critical Medical Services to Chuuk Lagoon Islanders; --USNS Mercy Community Relations Events in Chuuk; --USNS Mercy Mobil Medical Teams Serve Chuuk Lagoon Islands; --USNS Mercy Navy Seabee Engineering Projects Ongoing in Chuuk; --USNS Mercy Medical and Dental Clinic Results from Pohnpei; --USNS Mercy Medical and Dental Clinic Results from Yap; --USNS Mercy Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Clinic Results from and Navy Seabee Engineering Projects completed in Chuuk; --JEMCO Meeting Held in Washington, D.C.; --Pacific Diabetes Summit Held in Saipan; --World Teach Meets Educational Needs in Pohnpei; --U.S. Department of the Interior Island Business Fellows Come to FSM; --Kaselehlie Press Interview with Retired Pohnpeian U.S. Army Veteran; and --U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM for August 2008; RADIO INTERVIEWS REACH BROADER AUDIENCE ¶10. Radio remains the main source of news and public information for most Micronesians. The Embassy scheduled seven broadcast interviews as follows: --Ms. Kelly Miksa, Columbia University Graduate Student and 2008 Island Business Fellow of the Department of the Interior, presented a new Island Business Link internet commercial networking tool during a broadcast on public radio in the state of Kosrae. --Dr. Gordon Silverstein, visiting Professor of Political Science from the University of California at Berkley, discussed the rule of law during three interviews on public and private radio stations in Pohnpei and Kosrae states. --Ensign Jennifer Franco, USNR, Seventh Fleet Public Affairs Office, briefed the public on upcoming visits by the Mercy hospital ship and its mobile units and Navy Seabees to Pohnpei, Yap, and Chuuk States in three interviews on public and private radio stations. EMBASSY MEDIA RELEASES KEEP LOCAL RESIDENTS INFORMED ¶11. U.S. Embassy Kolonia issued fourteen media releases during this period (nearly a 50% increase over the previous quarter), covering topics such as: --U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM (June 2008); --U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM (July 2008); --U.S. Compact Sector Grants to FSM (August 2008); --Ambassador's Independence Day Address Stresses Defense of Core Values, Encourages Dialogue on Compact Implementation; --U.S. Navy Hospital Ship Mercy to Visit Micronesia; --U.S. Funding to College of Micronesia-FSM Tops $10 Million this Year; --U.S. Navy Medical Personnel Coming to Pohnpei; --U.S. Delivers $3 Million Infrastructure Maintenance Grant to the FSM; --Free U.S. Navy Health Care in Chuuk this Month; --Free U.S. Navy Animal Clinics in Chuuk this Month; --Free U.S. Navy Health Care in Yap this Month; KOLONIA 00000163 004 OF 004 --U.S. Navy Medical Personnel Treat Over 3,500 in Pohnpei; --U.S. Navy Medical Personnel Treat Over 2,000 in Yap; and --U.S. Navy Medical Personnel Treat Over 10,000 in Chuuk. HUGHES