EMBASSY LONDON'S OUTREACH TO DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 001287 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/SEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL IR BM UK SUBJECT: EMBASSY LONDON'S OUTREACH TO DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS REF: A) STATE 44903 B) 07 LONDON 03983 C) LONDON 1163 D) E-MAILS 4/25 AND 4/29/08 LONDON (GAYLE)- NEA/IR STANDAERT/COBERLY E) 2007 STATE 108924 (F) 2007 STATE 88465 ¶1. Summary. In response to the President's democracy outreach initiative, the Ambassador has led an active Embassy effort, sustained throughout 2007 and 2008 and primarily with an Iranian focus, to demonstrate support and build bridges to democratic activists, including a personal meeting by the Ambassador with UK-based Iranian activists. End summary. Iran Focus -------------- ¶2. In response to Department guidance on the President's outreach initiative (refs e and f),Post chose to take advantage of the Iranian diaspora presence in London, as well as the expertise on the community provided by the Post's Iran Watcher, to target its initial efforts on outreach to Iranian activists and dissidents. The Ambassador began this effort by meeting with two prominent Iranian expatriate journalists whose families had suffered at the hands of the regime in Tehran, and who have since devoted their professional lives to writing on the themes of democracy, human rights and freedom in Iran (ref b). Each of these activists has a wide readership and electronic-listening audience inside Iran. Building on the Ambassador's personal engagement, the Embassy now stays in close contact with these journalists/activists and frequently consults them on their views. Iranian Community Outreach -------------- ¶3. Embassy London has also moved forward outreach efforts in support of Iranian NGOs, both expatriate and within Iran, who are focused on developing civil society and democratic networks within Iran. Under the Department's Small Grants Program, Embassy London submitted a package of NGO- and university-based proposals (ref c) to promote U.S.-Iran outreach and proposals for training in several professional and policy sectors, including journalism and women's rights. The goal of all the Embassy's proposals is support to elements and activists promoting freedom and political transparency in Iran. Embassy London is also working with nascent international student organizers to develop programs focused on building democratic understanding in Iran that also be appropriate under the Small Grants program. ¶4. Our dialogue with Iranian activists has been two-way: one Embassy Iran expatriate contact submitted written proposals on ways in which the Department might further expand its U.S.-Iran outreach programs, which Embassy has forwarded to Washington for consideration (ref d). The Embassy also facilitated the direct submission to Department of at least one major proposal to promote similar private sector, freedom-oriented Iran outreach, involving the UK and Iranian academic sectors, upon which the Embassy will soon comment in greater detail to the Department. ¶5. Embassy London has strong working relationships with human rights organizations and NGOs headquartered in London and has followed up in particular with these NGOs on how to support human rights and democracy in Iran. The Iran officer for one of the UK's largest human rights organizations now routinely shares information with the Embassy on developments inside Iran, including information on human rights activists who are facing deportation or other harassment. Iran-Focused IVLPs -------------- ¶6. The Ambassador hosted the five Iranian participants in the 2006 Embassy-generated Iran IVLP for a lunch at the Embassy to hear their impressions of the program in the United States, thoughts on U.S.-Iran policy and suggestions on how to better reach out to democratically-minded people inside Iran. Embassy continues to work with all of these young activists. ¶7. Following up on the success of London's 2006 Iran International Visitor Leadership Program group visit to the United States, Embassy was prepared to nominate a similar group of young Iranians to travel under the 2008 IVLP program. As Department has allotted no funds for dedicated, Iran-focused IVLP's in 2008, however, the travel of these UK-based Iran nominees, who are all young democracy activists, is now on hold pending possible future cancellations by other London-originated nominees using the LONDON 00001287 002 OF 002 Embassy's 2008 IVLP budget. Pending Outreach to Burmese Dissidents -------------- ¶8. Embassy is working to arrange a similar meeting for the Ambassador or DCM with UK-based Burmese democratic activists sometime this summer and will coordinate with Department as plans progress. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom LeBaron