US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT5370

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 005370 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA DAS LIZ CHENEY AND NEA/PI DIRECTOR ALINA 
ROMANOWSKI 
STATE FOR R-UNDERSECRETARY TUTWILER, ECA FOR A/S HARRISON 
STATE FOR NEA/PPD-TROBERTS, NEA/ARP-CKANESHIRO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, KMPI, KDEM, KU 
SUBJECT: MEPI FUNDING REQUEST--JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT AND WORK 
SHADOW PROGRAM IN KUWAIT (ACTION REQUEST FOR MEPI AND ECA) 
 
1. Summary: Post requests MEPI funding for the establishment 
of a Junior Achievement program in Kuwait, and MEPI funding 
and ECA support in arranging a 4-6 week US work shadow 
program for non-elite Kuwaiti youth in the 16-23 age range 
during the summer of 2004.  End summary. 
 
Junior Achievement Program 
 
2.  PAS recently met with the managing director of a new 
Kuwaiti NGO focused on improving job skills, work ethics and 
civic awareness among male and female Kuwaiti youth ages 16- 
23. Although less than a year old, the Lothan Youth 
Achievement Center (LOYAC) has already completed several 
internship programs and civic society projects for young 
Kuwaitis that emphasize acquisition of real world job skills 
and exercising civic consciousness and activism.  Youth 
participating in the LOYAC program do an internship in areas 
of the economy that have traditionally been the province of 
third country nationals, such as restaurant kitchen work, 
press operator and other non-management slots, and lead 
action committees that undertake various civic-oriented 
projects. 
 
3.  The philosophy behind this program is to inculcate a 
sense of work ethics and job skills among young Kuwaitis 
through a process of civic awareness training and on-the-job 
experience.  Created as an alternative to Islamist- 
oriented organizations that offer guidance and financial 
assistance to non-elite Kuwaitis, LOYAC has distinguished 
itself as a progressive and active organization with a 
proven track record of fostering values of civil society and 
hard work among that segment of the rapidly growing youth 
population that comes from more conservative and less 
affluent strata of society. 
 
4. Junior Achievement International: We have noticed that 
LOYAC's program is very similar in philosophy and approach 
to that of Junior Achievement, the US-based international 
NGO that fosters youth-oriented entrepreneurial and civic 
society activities.  LOYAC has expressed interest in using 
the Junior Achievement program and taking the lead in 
opening a Kuwait chapter of the organization.  This would 
have a number of advantages.  It would provide an 
established US model for youth-oriented civic activism for 
an important local NGO and allow us to influence a key youth 
demographic in Kuwait.  It would also serve as a natural 
vehicle for US private sector cooperation in Kuwait, 
particularly companies in the energy and defense sectors, 
which would have much to gain through high-profile 
association with such a program here. 
 
5.  Post has been in contact with Junior Achievement 
International, which has proposed sending one of its 
representatives to Kuwait for a two-week period in February 
to consult with LOYAC and other NGOs, government officials 
and the business community to assess the viability of a JA 
chapter.  On completion of the visit, the JA rep would 
produce a business plan, a three year budget, proposed staff 
structure, necessary training of employees, and 
recommendations for a board structure.  Junior Achievement 
International has provided us with the following budget for 
this initial program: 
 
     ESTIMATED COSTS 
 
     Roundtrip airfare, Colorado Springs to Kuwait (Coach 
     COS to Chicago      to JFK to Kuwait City - $2,306. 
     Business Class COS to Chicago to London to Kuwait City 
     $ 6,209)                                    $6,209.00 
     US Government Per Diem for 14 days in Kuwait City @ 
$339/day 
$4,746.00 
     Stipend @ $2000 per week, 2 weeks in country and 1 week 
pre and 
     1 week Post follow up work.                 $8,000.00 
                Materials (includes shipping DHL/FedEx) 
$3,200.00 
     Miscellaneous (Taxi/cab, parking, insurance, FedEx, 
     secretarial help etc.)                        $800.00 
                               Sub Total - Direct Costs 
$22,955.00 
     JAI Indirect Costs                          $4,591.00 
     TOTAL                                      $27,546.00 
 
 Work Shadow Program 
 
6.   Post  also requests ECA and MEPI support for  a  LOYAC- 
sponsored work shadow program for 8-10 Kuwaiti men and women 
in the 16-23 age range with US media institutions (including 
smaller,  local newspapers) and in the US Congress or  state 
legislatures.  The British embassy in Kuwait has  agreed  to 
undertake a similar program for LOYAC in the UK, placing  8- 
10  young Kuwaitis in the House of Commons and with  British 
media  institutions  such as the BBC.  The  purpose  of  the 
program  is  to  introduce  young Kuwaitis  from  non-elite, 
conservative  districts  of the country  to  how  media  and 
political  institutions  operate in  a  democratic  society, 
while  giving  them a sense of the skills,  hard  work,  and 
civic  responsibility democratic institutions  foster  among 
their  citizens.  Such a program would allow young  Kuwaitis 
to  see themselves in such institutions and energize them to 
pursue  similar goals in their own society, and  would  also 
serve  to  counter extremist propaganda that  US  media  and 
political  institutions  seek US domination  of  the  Muslim 
world. 
 
7.   Post believes that programs focusing on non-elite  Arab 
youth  in Kuwait are crucial, and hopes that the initiatives 
described above will be supported.  Thanks and regards.