"BEST KEPT SECRET?" CULTURAL PROGRAMMING WITH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000117

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/PDA CHAD WEST, WHA/CAR FOR JROSHOLT, ECA FOR
WHA/CAR POC, POSTS FOR PAOS/CAOS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC OEXC NS
SUBJECT: "BEST KEPT SECRET?" CULTURAL PROGRAMMING WITH
ALMOST NO MONEY


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1. (U) Summary: With PD resources already nearly
exhausted, Post has sought to maintain cultural and outreach
programming through the use of "window of opportunity"
speakers. Taking advantage of the presence of U.S.
university professor of ethnomusicology Jonathan C. Kramer,
on March 5 Post organized a lecture/discussion at local
restaurant/cafe "Tori Oso" on the topic "Suriname Music: An
Outsider's Perspective." Kramer effectively related his own
personal musical "journey" to the Surinamese musical cultures
and established a bond with the audience by sharing
revelations about music he had learned from Surinamers in the
few days he had spent in Suriname The event drew 40 people,
resulted in a newspaper article which used Kramer's phrase
for Surinamese music, "best kept secret," as its title,
further expanded Post's growing list of cultural contacts and
intellectuals, and continued to demonstrate the U.S.
Embassy's commitment to strengthen cultural ties and promote
mutual understanding, thus reinforcing the public diplomacy
goals established in Post's Mission Strategic Plan (MSP).
END SUMMARY


2. (U) Type of Program: Post-organized "Window of
Opportunity" Speaker. MSP goal addressed: Goal No. 1:
"Mutual U.S./Suriname appreciation and respect contributing
to a more effective partnership."


3. (U) Background: During an early February discussion of
Maroon culture in Suriname by Cyriel Eersteling as part of
the Post Language Program, the DCM learned that Eersteling
was helping to coordinate the visit of U.S. ethnomusicologist
Jonathan C. Kramer, Ph.D., to Suriname. At the DCM's
suggestion Eersteling agreed to approach Kramer about doing a
public lecture under the auspices of the Embassy. Kramer
enthusiastically agreed. When Post learned that our
traditional conference site at the Cultural Center of
Suriname was still undergoing renovations, the DCM, PolOff,
and Eersteling approached Mr. Osje Braumuller, owner of the
'Tori Oso," a restaurant/cafe well known a venue for cultural
activities, jazz, and as a meeting place for intellectuals of
Surinamese politics, government, media, and literary figures.


4. (U) Evaluation of the Speaker: Dr. Kramer was a
spellbinding speaker. Weaving his own personal journey
through music into the fabric of Surinamese musical
traditions, Kramer related how one night 20 years ago he had
had a vivid dream about a multi-ethnic, musically diverse
place like Suriname. So his first visit to Suriname in early
March 2008 was actually the realization of that dream 20
years ago. In the few days Dr. Kramer had been in Suriname
prior to his public lecture at Tori Oso, Cyriel Eersteling, a
local tour operator and historian of the Maroons (descendants
of escaped slaves) - and himself a Maroon - already had shown
Kramer much of the Surinamese culture and had introduced him
to intellectuals, historians, and musicians from across the
ethnic and cultural spectrum of Surinamese society. Kramer
effectively wove stories of those Surinamers he had met into
his talk, further captivating his listeners. Several audience
members made a point of approaching the DCM following the
talk to praise Kramer for his presentation, his knowledge,
and his understanding of Surinamers. (Note: Kramer is a
former Peace Corps Volunteers and former Fulbright Senior
Fellow in India and South Korea.) Post enthusiastically
recommends Kramer for the U.S. Speaker Program and future
Fulbright opportunities for posts seeking a speaker or
specialist on music.


5. (U) Program Coordination: Cyriel Eersteling was the
lynchpin that made this program possible. He was the initial
point of contact with Dr. Kramer, proposed and helped secure
the venue "Tori Oso," and informed cultural contacts about
this event, which drew 40 interested audience members, most
of whom stayed on after a short break to engage in further
discussion of music. Eersteling also arranged for a
research/scholar from the Ministry of Education and Community
Development to act as emcee and brought in a local women's a
cappella singing group whose performances before and after
Kramer spoke provided the perfect "bookends" to the lecture.


6. (U) Program Costs: Dr. Kramer eagerly accepted the
speaking engagement, aware that Post had no funding for
honorarium expenses. Kramer had recently been awarded an
advance from a publisher to write a college textbook about
music, and he used those funds to pay for this trip.
Eersteling handled all arrangements for the a cappella
singing group. Post's only cost was a relatively small
amount of representational funds spent on Kramer, Eersteling,
the singers, the moderator, and several others involved with
the program.

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7. (U) Impact of the Program: Kramer's lecture provided
the opportunity to further demonstrate the Embassy's ongoing
commitment to promoting mutual understanding through cultural
dialogue. The Embassy's list of cultural contacts and
intellectuals within Surinamese society continues to grow,
providing additional opportunities to promote
people-to-people diplomacy. The public-private partnership
exhibited on this program - and the willingness of Kramer and
co-sponsors to waive any honorarium or charges - enabled Post
to continue its outreach without expending any program funds.
A journalist invited by the Embassy to cover and participate
on the event published an excellent article with photo.
SCHREIBER HUGHES