LESOTHO: "CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY" UNITES DIVERSE

UNCLAS MASERU 000328


DEPARTMENT FOR AF/S, DEPARTMENT FOR VAL REYNOLDS, DEPARTMENT FOR
AF/EX

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: LT PGOV OIIP ZU
SUBJECT: LESOTHO: "CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY" UNITES DIVERSE
CROWD


1. Summary: On November 4, 2008, Mission Maseru hosted an
election-night reception at the Chief of Mission residence
(CMR). The evening's theme was "A Celebration of American
Democracy". All Mission staff members worked at the event,
which was attended by over 300 guests. There was a diverse
group of invitees, from high-level government officials to local
university students and Peace Corps volunteers. Local press
attended, including representatives from the country's only
television network. End Summary.

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Mission Maseru celebrates American Democracy
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2. In keeping with the theme "A Celebration of American
Democracy", the CMR was decorated with red, white and blue, and
a lot of Americana. Two poster shows from IIP framed the podium
and the entrance to the festivities: "The Road to Equality:
How American Women Won the Vote" and "Principles of Democracy".
Embassy personnel gave away red, white, and blue necklaces as
well as Lesotho / USA flag pins. Both giveaways were extremely
popular. Ejournals, publications, and one-pagers from IIP were
placed at tables around the CMR. By the end of the night, none
of this material was left. That includes 40 copies of each one
pager, 60 copies of "The Candidates" and "The Electoral College"
Ejournals, and about 50 copies of "Elections in Brief" and
"Democracy in Brief", as well as bookmarks highlighting the
America.gov website.

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Ambassador Hosts Record Crowd
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3. In typical Lesotho fashion, Mission Maseru received only
twenty responses before the big event. However, when the
evening was over, more than 300 people had attended. Among the
attendees were the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and
International Relations; Health and Social Welfare; Finance and
Development Planning; Labour and Employment; and the Minister to
the Prime Minister's Office; as well as the Speaker of the
National Assembly and representatives from all diplomatic
missions, including the Libyan Embassy. The Minister of Finance
commented on the variety of attendees. He stated that he was
very happy to see so many young faces at the reception. Mission
Maseru made an effort with this reception to reach out to young,
mid- and entry-level government officials. To this end, thirty
students from the National University were invited along with
their teachers in the fields of law, political science / public
administration, and development studies.

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Democratic values praised, biographies enjoyed
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4. The program for the event included remarks by the Ambassador
and three video presentations. The video presentations were
shown on a massive screen in the back corner of the Ambassador's
property. As guests were arriving, they had the opportunity to
view the america.gov video: "Elections 2008: volume three",
provided by IIP. Next, the Ambassador delivered remarks which
focused on the unique and historic nature of this election; the
importance of democratic values in American society and how they
have helped build good relations with other nations of the
world, including Lesotho; and the enduring legacy of
humanitarian and economic aid for which President Bush will be
remembered in Africa.


5. After the Ambassador's speech, biographies of the candidates,
produced by "The Biography Channel" and provided to post by
Video Acquisitions, were screened. The event's MC flipped a
coin to choose which candidate's biography would be broadcast
first. The very pro-Obama Basotho crowd displayed slight
displeasure when McCain's biography won the coin toss, but this
encouraged them to stay through for both videos. A very large
group of people, both sitting and standing, watched the videos
in their entirety. Many attendees commented on the festive feel
of this "under the stars" screening. When the videos ended, the
crowd went home, hopefully to log on to the america.gov web
chat, or the Voice of America website, both of which were
publicized during the MC's remarks.

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Celebrating with a diverse audience a success
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6. Comment: This reception was extremely well-received by the
diverse crowd. Many guests commented on the unusual mix of
guests. With the Department's focus on getting the message out
to younger, broader, and deeper audiences, this kind of event
with a guest list that includes University students and
Government Ministers, can reach new contacts and have a great
impact in this small country. The festive atmosphere, despite
the seriousness of the content, was a welcome change from the
typical speeches and lectures. Mission Maseru feels that this
kind of event can serve an extremely vital Public Diplomacy
function here in Maseru. We plan to hold such events again, and
anticipate continued high attendance. End comment.


NOLAN