Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AMMAN2345
2009-10-22 06:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

JORDAN: Embassy Amman Hosts Community Service Charity

Tags:  TAGS 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #2345 2950634
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220634Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6169
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS AMMAN 002345 

SIPDIS

FOR IIP/NEA-SCA HIGGINS; NEA/PPD AGNEW; NEA/ELA GREGONIS

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: TAGS
SUBJECT: JORDAN: Embassy Amman Hosts Community Service Charity
Events

REF: A) 09 STATE 92631, B)09 STATE 89406, C) 09 STATE 77580

UNCLAS AMMAN 002345

SIPDIS

FOR IIP/NEA-SCA HIGGINS; NEA/PPD AGNEW; NEA/ELA GREGONIS

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: TAGS
SUBJECT: JORDAN: Embassy Amman Hosts Community Service Charity
Events

REF: A) 09 STATE 92631, B)09 STATE 89406, C) 09 STATE 77580


1. SUMMARY. In cooperation with the Greater Amman Municipality, the
Embassy organized a Day of Community Service October 15, in which
Embassy volunteers planted trees, painted benches, and cleaned up
debris at a park in an underprivileged neighborhood in East Amman.
The event commemorated the anniversary of September 11, 2001, in the
United States and the Amman hotel bombings of November 9, 2005, and
sent a message of goodwill, cooperation, and shared interest to the
host community. In addition, Embassy personnel have underscored this
spirit of volunteerism in other recent charity events - including a
walk-a-thon to support sports and health programs for children, the
Annual International Bazaar to raise money for orphans, and the
Amman marathon to support the King Hussein Cancer Center. END
SUMMARY.


--------------
Day of Community Service
--------------


2. About 30 Embassy volunteers rolled up their sleeves to plant 40
trees, paint benches, and clean up debris at Al-Hashemiyeh Traffic
Park on October 15. The park is located in an underserved area in
East Amman and was identified by the Municipality as in need of
rehabilitation. Launching the event, Ambassador Beecroft highlighted
the shared desires of Jordanians and Americans to improve the
everyday lives of their fellow citizens. "This is a very special day
for us, as we work with our Jordanian friends in the spirit of
volunteerism and unity," he said. He also noted that the staff of
the Jordanian Embassy in Washington D.C. organized a similar event
at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School in August.


3. The event commemorated the anniversary of September 11 in the
United States and the 2005 Amman hotel bombings. It also dove-tailed
with the President's call to community service and Secretary
Clinton's commitment to local partnerships exemplified by the United
We Serve campaign. Speaking at the event, Tagreed Fakhoury, Greater
Amman Municipality Executive Director for Social Affairs and
Sustainability, welcomed the joint initiative of "working hand in
hand to upgrade services provided to the Jordanian community at
large."


4. The Day of Community Service received wide coverage in the media.
Three dailies -- Al-Rai, Ad-Dustour Arabic and the Jordan Times
English -- carried reports with some photos in their local news
insides pages, focusing primarily on the press release that was
issued by Public Affairs. The Embassy also posted information and
photos on its website and Facebook page.

--------------
Plans for Park Rehabilitation
--------------


5. The Day of Community Service represented the first phase of a
two-part project to rehabilitate Al-Hashemiyeh Traffic Park. The
second phase, planned for later this year, will be a donation
ceremony in which the Embassy will unveil new park equipment and
carry out additional community service activities with
schoolchildren and Municipality officials. That event will cap a
year-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic and
development relations between the United States and Jordan.

--------------
Other Charity Events
--------------


6. In addition to the Day of Community Service/Park Rehabilitation
project, Embassy personnel have underscored a spirit of volunteerism
in other recent charity events. About 30 members of the mission
community pledged money and/or participated in a walk-a-thon October
2 organized by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Alumni
Network Association and the organization Right to Play to support
sports and health programs for children. More than 60 members
contributed their time and efforts at the Annual International
Bazaar October 10 to raise money for orphans of Mabarrat Um
Al-Hussein and help unfortunate families in Jordan. And more than 50
participated in the Amman International Marathon October 17 to raise
money and awareness for the King Hussein Cancer Center.

BEECROFT