AMERICA WEEK - TAKING THE USG ON THE ROAD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000189 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS PEACE CORPS NEW DELHI FOR FAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID KPAO SCUL EAGR SENV BEXP BG SUBJECT: AMERICA WEEK - TAKING THE USG ON THE ROAD SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Sesame Street, a floating health clinic, jazz concerts, a cricket tournament and a biopic of President Obama were only a few of the highlights of America Week, a Mission-wide effort to showcase USG activities outside Dhaka. America Week 2009 found us in Barisal in southern Bangladesh, which weathered Cyclone Sidr in November 2007. Using the Barisal Club and Community Center as a venue with booths representing more than 40 U.S.-affiliated businesses and NGOs, more than 30 members of Mission Dhaka, led by Ambassador Moriarty and USAID Mission Director Rollins, spread throughout greater Barisal demonstrating how the U.S. Government works in one of Bangladesh's more impoverished regions. We reached out to more than 10,000 Barisal residents during America Week and reached millions of readers and viewers around Bangladesh with America Week media coverage. Mission Dhaka's America Week has proven to be a successful way to promote strong U.S.-Bangladesh relations at the grassroots level in this Muslim majority country. AMERICA WEEK HEADQUARTERED IN BARISAL... -------------- ¶2. The week of January 26 saw Mission Dhaka on the road in Barisal with America Week, showcasing the many ways the United States continues to build relations with the people of Bangladesh in trade, education, health, the environment, and democracy. This year's America Week focused on the democratic and economic transitions that both the United States and Bangladesh are currently undergoing. (NOTE: In previous years, Embassy Dhaka hosted America Week in larger Bangladeshi cities including Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet. END NOTE.) ¶3. The Barisal Club and Community Center in downtown Barisal City served as the focal point of America Week. At this venue, we hosted more than 40 information booths and presentations from partners of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID),American businesses currently working in Bangladesh and Mission offices and agencies. More than 10,000 people from Barisal - including children, families, university students, religious and community leaders visited the booths and attended educational presentations. They learned how to apply to study at a U.S. university, apply for a U.S. visa, or participate in a U.S. Government-funded development project. Children shook hands with characters from the USAID-sponsored TV show, Sisimpur, inspired by Sesame Street. The Embassy sponsored a jazz concert and hosted screenings of critically-acclaimed American films, including a Biography Channel documentary on President Obama. ¶4. Students were among the most enthusiastic participants in America Week. Public Affairs and Consular Affairs teamed up to do two presentations on studying in the United States and applying for a student visa; each session attracted over one hundred students. Presenters focused on the importance of good grades to help students gain admission to U.S. universities, obtain financial assistance and qualify for a U.S. visa. The message got through. On the final day, a USAID partner related a story of a student he met at a tea stall. Encouraged by the student advisors and consular staff he met during America Week, the student said he had learned he should stop worrying about just getting a visa and instead focus on his studies. He told the USAID partner he was going to work hard in school in Bangladesh so he could qualify for a scholarship to go and study in the United States. ON THE ROAD AROUND BARISAL DIVISION: FIGHTING TB -------------- ¶5. The Ambassador and USAID Mission Director also highlighted USG activities in the region by visiting a broad range of USG-sponsored projects focusing on health, education and livelihoods. They inaugurated the USG-funded Social Marketing Company's (SMC) floating Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Center for Tuberculosis Awareness Program supported by USAID, otherwise known as TB Ahoy. The boat will provide services to 1,000 people each day and benefit more than 200,000 in its first year of service. WORKING WITH IMAMS -------------- ¶6. The Ambassador also visited several USG-supported education projects. He met with a group of religious leaders participating in the USG-funded Leaders of Influence (LOI) Program through USAID at the Barisal Imam Training Academy. The Ambassador and religious leaders discussed the role of religious leaders in promoting good governance, advancing human rights and maintaining Bangladesh's tradition of religious tolerance and harmony, particularly in the DHAKA 00000189 002 OF 002 context of the recent transition of power. ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION -------------- ¶7. At Brojomohun (BM) College in Barisal, the Ambassador met with students and spoke about U.S. higher education and the value of cross-cultural education. Ambassador Moriarty and USAID Mission Director Rollins also visited with Bangladesh's youngest students at a USG-funded SUCCEED pre-school in Bakerganj. The USAID-sponsored SUCCEED program provides pre-primary education to children to build a strong foundation for life-long learning and increase the likelihood that children remain in school. ¶8. In addition to providing direct funding for education, the USG, through U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to the World Food Program (WFP),will provide U.S. $1.6 million in 2009 for school feeding activities in the Cyclone Sidr-affected region of Bangladesh. With these funds, WFP will each day provide 133,200 primary school children in the Barisal region with fortified biscuits. The program encourages school attendance of schoolchildren affected by Sidr and helps to prevent a recurrence of the surge in malnutrition caused by the cyclone. The Ambassador and USAID Mission director visited a school in Bakerganj receiving this assistance made possible by U.S. Department of Agriculture funds. CRICKET DIPLOMACY -------------- ¶9. National cricket stars joined the Ambassador for a cricket exhibition sponsored by the local police and the U.S. Embassy. The event helped build bonds between law enforcement officials and average citizens. The Ambassador gave USG-donated cricket equipment to 15 local schools, watched a cricket exhibition featuring local police and former National Cricket Team members, and swung a bat himself. In addition to the participating students and cricket stars, more than 1,000 eager spectators lined the cricket pitch to watch the exhibition. ¶10. The Ambassador and USAID Mission Director also visited several USG-funded employment and energy projects in Barisal District. At a USAID supported aquaculture project designed to help fish and shrimp farmers affected by Cyclone Sidr, the Embassy team met with representatives of the 200,000 farmers who had received training on fish and shrimp farming techniques, as well as fish and shrimp stock and feed. We also visited a home with a Grameen Shakti solar power system, improved cooking stove and a bio-gas cooking system that makes gas from manure. The USG funds the Grameen Shakti program with USAID, which provides solar electricity to more than 200,000 households across Bangladesh. THOUSANDS OF VISITORS, MILLIONS OF READERS -------------- ¶11. America Week received excellent media coverage by both Dhaka and Barisal-based news outlets. As a result, while more than 10,000 people visited America Week events, America Week highlights reached millions of readers throughout Bangladesh. Nationally, news agencies published the Ambassador's comments at an opening press conference within three hours. Various key national dailies across the political spectrum published America Week-themed articles. Locally, America Week dominated headlines in each of Barisal's eight newspapers. Positive coverage was not limited to newspapers. Television stations, all based in Dhaka with Barisal correspondents, covered America Week's opening as well as highlights from the Ambassador's site visits during evening news bulletins. COMMENT -------------- ¶12. Everyone who participated in America Week - from the Mayor of Barisal to the street children who wandered wide-eyed around our booths - welcomed the opportunity to meet Embassy staff and learn more about the ways in which the United States works with Bangladesh. Many Barisal residents voiced appreciation for America Week and USG activities from which they benefit directly. America Week, in Barisal and other cities, allows us to "get beyond the Beltway" and reach average Bangladeshis. We appreciate the support we received from the Department and other USG agencies that made America Week possible. Given the success of this and previous America Weeks, Mission Dhaka plans to continue keep this initiative in our diplomatic toolkit and looks forward to taking the Embassy on the road again to another remote Bangladesh destination. Moriarty