UNDER SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MARTHA

UNCLAS RABAT 000928 SIPDIS TOPEC STATE NEA/PI AND NEA/MAG STATE PLS PASS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - U/S MKANTER, DAS ALEWIS AND CHIEF OF STAFF ACEJA USAID/W FOR ME/MEA - GLAUDATO AND SDAVIS-CLEMONS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID SOCI MO SUBJECT: UNDER SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MARTHA KANTER'S VISIT TO MOROCCO ¶1. Summary: From November 1 through 4, 2009, Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International and Foreign Language Education Andre Lewis, and the Under Secretary's Chief of Staff, Alejandra Ceja, represented the U.S. Department of Education at a series of visits with Moroccan students, Moroccan government representatives and members of civil society, as well as at the Forum for the Future (FfF) held in Marrakesh, Morocco. The Forum is an annual gathering of G8, European and BMENA Foreign Ministers with civil society to discuss and advance reforms. End Summary. ¶2. Forum for the Future: Under Secretary Kanter attended the opening session of the Forum on November 2 and the principal event on November 3, at which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke. When the Secretary was in other meetings, Under Secretary Kanter chaired the Economic Reform Thematic Group for the USG and represented the USG in the Political Reform Thematic Group. ¶3. Meetings during Forum for the Future: Under Secretary Kanter actively engaged in side meetings and informal discussions with representatives from Yemen, Jordan, Canada, the UK and other delegations throughout her time at the Forum. After the Forum, Under Secretary Kanter participated in an interview for posting on the embassy's YouTube site. ¶4. Site Visits to USAID and Peace Corps activities: Genuinely interested in the Moroccan educational system and the views and needs of Moroccan youth, Under Secretary Kanter actively participated in a series of visits on November 2 and 3 to several sites: a. Marrakesh Girl's Dormitory: The dormitory visited is run by a local NGO that has allowed rural girls to attend university. U/S Kanter met with the president and members of NGOs, women caretakers, and 26 students. The students are young women from simple backgrounds and limited means who have demonstrated strong academic ability and determination. These young women are among the 11 percent of students across Morocco who complete their baccalaureate degrees and enter some form of tertiary education. This visit highlighted a true development success as the originally USG financed activities are now being supported, financed and expanded under the leadership of Moroccan ministries and local NGOs. During this visit, U/S Kanter was accompanied by her DAS for International Education, her Chief of Staff, a State Department DAS for European Affairs, the USAID Morocco Mission Director and the USAID/Washington Chief Operating Office representative. U/S Kanter was impressed with the level of academic determination of the girls and engaged them in a lively discussion. b. Peace Corps Volunteer Sites: U/S Kanter visited two sites in Ait Ourir, a small town located 37 kms (22 miles) from Marrakesh. During these visits she was accompanied by the Ambassador and Mrs. Kaplan, the DAS for International Education, the Chief of Staff, the State DAS for European Affairs, the USAID Morocco Mission Director, the representative from USAID/Washington's Chief Operating Office and the Peace Corps Morocco's Director. The Youth Center is a Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports facility that is supported by Peace Corps Volunteer Kate Tsunoda. Kate teaches English at the center and helps engage the youth in after-school developmental activities, such as leading drama and music clubs. The regional delegate from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Director of the Youth Center, and students greeted the party with traditional Moroccan drumming, tea and sweets. The delegation was treated to a welcome rap song and then engaged in a question and answer session focused on what Moroccan youth are hoping to see from the Obama administration. c. U/S Kanter, the Ambassador and their delegation also visited a Women's Association called Tadamon- Tifaout ("shining dawn" in the local Berber dialect),supported by Peace Corps Volunteer Barbara Eberhardt. Barbara helps the group of 32 women with product development, sales techniques, business development and has recently helped them display their crafts at an exhibit in Fez. The association has on display in its "two-room" workshop all of the stitched items the women make, including hand- stitched purses to fill an order of 1,000 from Abercrombie and Fitch. Sitting down to Moroccan tea and sweets, U/S Kanter, the Ambassador and the delegation engaged in a discussion with the women about their experiences and aspirations. ¶5. Comment: During her three days in Morocco, Under Secretary Kanter and her team were able to participate in the Forum for the Future, engage with leaders from the G8 and BMENA countries and view first hand the educational realities of Morocco's youth at both the middle school and university levels. Her genuine interest in Morocco's future and her heartfelt message of support from President Obama made a substantial impact on those with whom she met. Under Secretary Kanter was an engaged and engaging representative of the USG. End Comment. KAPLAN