Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BAMAKO234
2009-04-17 09:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bamako
Cable title:  

Eager Malian Audiences Learn about U.S. Civil Rights from

Tags:  KDEM PGOV PHUM KPAO ML 
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R 170916Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAMAKO
TO AMEMBASSY PARIS 
INFO SECSTATE WASHDC 0242
ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BAMAKO 000234 


PARIS FOR ARS (DWINTON, LCOWHER)
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (TITUS, LISENBY),AF/W (NARKIS),IIP/G/AF
(MURPHY)
POSTS FOR PAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM KPAO ML
SUBJECT: Eager Malian Audiences Learn about U.S. Civil Rights from
ARS/IIP Speaker Austin

UNCLAS BAMAKO 000234


PARIS FOR ARS (DWINTON, LCOWHER)
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (TITUS, LISENBY),AF/W (NARKIS),IIP/G/AF
(MURPHY)
POSTS FOR PAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM KPAO ML
SUBJECT: Eager Malian Audiences Learn about U.S. Civil Rights from
ARS/IIP Speaker Austin


1. Summary. From March 22 - 27, ARS/IIP Speaker Sheldon Austin
delighted Malian audiences with lectures on the American Civil
Rights movement from the early days of slavery through the
inauguration of President Obama. Whether part of an audience of 600
students or at a roundtable of journalists, interlocutors were
fascinated by this aspect of U.S. society and eager to apply the
American experience to Malian reality. This speaker's program
successfully encouraged open and honest debate on issues such as
rule of law, modern day slavery in Mali, and the importance of
non-violence. Such a review of American history gave the positive
message that change was possible and reinforced the hopeful feeling
engendered in Malian minds by the election of President Obama,
ensuring a positive atmosphere throughout the program. Austin's
excellent grasp of the subject, his fluent French, and his down to
earth and open nature further amplified the messages of hope and
tolerance that pervaded all of his programs. End Summary.


2. Venues: On March 23, Austin lectured over 600 university
students on the topic of African American History and Achievements
of the Black Community. American Fulbright professor Rosemary
Traore, who teaches at the university, praised the effectiveness of
the program, noting that it was rare for so many students to sit
through a 2 hour program without people getting up and leaving for
other classes. The students were clearly taken with Austin's broad,
but informative, overview of U.S. civil rights history. Those
English students who had a strong background in American history
asked pointed questions about the role of militant groups such as
the Black Panthers in this process. Austin used this opportunity to
highlight the success of non-violence in the civil rights movement,
an important message on a university campus that recently witnessed
violence in connection with student government elections. Austin
repeated these same themes at the higher faculty later that day to
an audience of over 100 Malian professors and masters students.
While the first lecture was in French, the second one was in
English.

On March 24, Austin addressed a crowd of 100 Malian intellectuals
and elites, many of them alumni of USG exchange programs, on the

Civil Rights movement in the United States. The audience was
equally enthusiastic in their response and raised issues such as
slavery in Mali and the importance of the rule of law in creating an
environment suitable for positive societal change. Coverage of this
debate was aired on Malian national television that reaches close to
2 million Malians.

On March 25, Austin participated in a round table discussion with
nine Malian radio journalists on President Obama's book Dreams From
My Father. As all of the participants had received copies of the
book prior to the program, they were able to participate in an
animated discussion of the messages and themes of the book. The
program was so successful that two of the journalists subsequently
invited Austin to appear as guests on their shows. Later that
afternoon, Austin repeated his lecture on African American history
to a group of 100 students at a local study center.

On March 27, Austin participated in a television interview on
regional satellite channel AFRICABLE (which reaches 300 million
viewers throughout francophone Africa) on President Obama's book
Dreams From My Father. He later hosted an intimate discussion with
LES colleagues at the U.S. Embassy on the topic of the civil rights
movement in America.


4. Effectiveness of the Speaker: Sheldon Austin is an engaging and
polished speaker. He knows his subject and is talented in his
ability to speak fluent French. Perhaps most importantly, he is
extremely flexible and gracious - characteristics that are
particularly valued in West Africa. While he had originally
prepared to do his first lecture in English, he was sensitive to the
fact that non-English speakers had crowded into the room to listen
and, without missing a beat, moved to the French version of his
presentation. Whether accepting late-breaking changes in his
interview time with AFRICABLE or readily accepting new invitations
on Malian radio stations, Austin was a professional in every sense
of the word.


5. Quality of ARS/IIP Support: IIP was generous in its response to
this program request, and ARS provided its usual outstanding level
of support. In addition to facilitating communications and planning
prior to the speaker's departure, ARS laid a great foundation for
the program by regularly sending materials in support of programming
related to President Obama.


6. Immediate Results/Impact: This program received very positive
reviews from participants in all of the events. In addition to
further reinforcing positive Malian impressions of American society,
this program served an important opening in engaging Malian
university students on key issues of civic education and tolerance.
We hope to build on the program with more targeted outreach on youth
participation in the democratic process.


7. Media attention: As noted, Malian national television covered
Austin's lecture on March 24, and he participated in an interview on
AFRICABLE on March 27. Austin also participated in two interviews
on Malian radio stations, including one on an important Islamic
radio in Bamako.


Leonard