PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH FOSTERS DISCUSSION OF LESOTHO'S

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MASERU 000237 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/S AND AF/PD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KDEM KPAO LT SUBJECT: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH FOSTERS DISCUSSION OF LESOTHO'S CHALLENGES REF: Maseru 231 MASERU 00000237 001.2 OF 002 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. On Monday, July 13, CDA welcomed into her home about 20 members of Lesotho's civil society groups, media, government, and academics to watch President Obama's July 11th speech in Accra, Ghana. Attendees included representatives of the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC),the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National University of Lesotho, various NGOs, the local media houses, and the Libyan embassy. Overall the program was a success in that it engaged a diverse audience, who expressed a positive view of US efforts to reach out to the world and specifically Africa. -------------- Obama's speech -------------- ¶2. The program started with a brief introduction from the CDA, who served as the moderator for the event. The audience viewed a DVD of the President's speech, which had been recorded live from the VOA website on Saturday, July 11. Participants were given a transcript of the speech which they used to follow as they watched the video. The audience was then invited to share their views of the speech. ¶3. Most of the participants said Obama's speech was relevant and topical for the current economic and social conditions in Africa. There were varied views as to whom Obama's message was directed. Some participants said the speech was directed specifically to African leaders, while others stated the speech was directed to people across the world, the United States included. -------------- Speech draws comparisons to Lesotho -------------- ¶4. Among the group there was consensus that Obama's statement, "Africa's future is up to Africans," was the only method in which African countries would prosper in the 21st century. All of the audience members agreed that nationals would have an instrumental role in the development of their respective countries. The executive of the LNDC said that it is important for the people of Lesotho, "to improve their own lot" and to "seize opportunities for the development of the country." ¶5. Discussion surrounding the leadership of the country elicited varied responses. One participant characterized the leaders of Lesotho as "charismatic" in advancing the consolidation of democracy however, he pointed to the transfer of power between administrations as the "test of democracy." To demonstrate this point, he cited Obama's continued support to provide aid for the HIV/AIDS pandemic, although the program was developed by his predecessor, President Bush. In comparison, the participant stated that often programs in Lesotho are "terminated because they were developed by previous politicians." ¶6. Additionally, as it relates to leadership, one participant said Lesotho political leaders "did not believe in a bottom-up approach" and that "plans are made without consulting the average Basotho." He attributed Obama's bottom-up strategy to the President's work as a community organizer and questioned the feasibility of this approach within government. Another member of the audience stated it is important for leaders, "to be honest and to lead by example," and "to espouse the principals they put forth." ¶7. One audience member stated there were "challenges" within the judicial and financial systems in Lesotho which contributed to the corruption by heads of state. -------------- Audience members discuss donor funding -------------- ¶8. There was much discussion regarding donor funds and the allocation of funds for programmatic efforts. Several participants stated that the design and the length of projects did not provide adequate time for the projects to mature. Another participant stated that because donor funding was often allocated at headquarters, in essence, the funding was spent prior to arriving in country. As a result, funding may not be appropriated in such a way that meets the needs of the organization and thus, Basotho society. Additionally, one participant questioned the strategy put forth by MCC to designate the private sector as an economic project. In his opinion, the private sector would thrive only if the market were allowed to determine itself. Some participants commented that MASERU 00000237 002.2 OF 002 external financial and political sources hindered the progress and success of projects. -------------- Lesotho and democracy -------------- ¶9. Regarding the President's reference to supporting democratic governments, many of the participants agreed that countries that demonstrated effort should be rewarded with aid accordingly. However, one participant said "we cannot think about democracy by importing it from the West or elsewhere," and the group agreed that Lesotho needed to determine for itself what shape its own democracy would take. Many participants applauded Obama's efforts to engage the African community in dialogue and to position the United States as an ally in the continued development of the continent. -------------- Media Reaction -------------- ¶10. Lesotho's print media is weekly and newspapers are published on Thursday and Friday; therefore post will forward published reactions to AF/PD as they become available. Although the local radio programs have been primarily focused on the issue of a SADC dialogue effort relating to the contentious 2007 parliamentary elections (reftel),one radio call-in show did feature reactions to the speech, which focused primarily on the importance of rooting out corruption. POWER