US embassy cable - 03AMMAN8254

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 008254 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PD:MQUINN, NEA/PD:DBENZE, 
IIP/SC:WPARKER, IIP/SC:MNEELY, PRM/ANE 
USAID FOR ANE/MEA:RSTEELMAN, ANE/MEA: JLINDSEY, 
DAA/LPA: JGIORDANO 
STATE PASS TO AID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: OPRC, KPAO, OIIP, ECPS, OEXC, JO, KMDR, EAID, PREF 
SUBJECT: OUTCOME OF SUCCESS STORIES INITIATIVE IN JORDAN 
 
REF: SECSTATE 047093 
 
1.  SUMMARY: LAST SEPTEMBER (FY03), THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION 
OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN AMMAN PARTICIPATED IN A STATE 
DEPARTMENT PROJECT DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACT OF U.S. 
ASSISTANCE AROUND THE WORLD. IN COOPERATION WITH THE JORDANIAN 
MEDIA (TELEVISION, RADIO, PRINT, AND INTERNET), 10 U.S.-FUNDED 
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS/PROJECTS RECEIVED POSITIVE REPORTS AND 
PROMINENT PLACEMENT IN LEADING NEWSPAPERS AND CONSIDERABLE AIR 
TIME ON JORDAN RADIO AND TELEVISION AND ON THE INTERNET. THE 
MEDIA FEATURES FOCUSED ON SUCCESS STORIES THAT DEALT WITH 
INDIVIDUAL LIVES AND COMMUNITIES TOUCHED OVER THE LONG TERM BY 
USAID-FUNDED DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND PRM-SUPPORTED UNRWA 
PROGRAMS. THE PLACEMENT OF THOSE HOST COUNTRY MEDIA SUCCESS 
STORIES HELPED RAISE AWARENESS AMONG JORDANIANS OF THE VARIETY 
OF U.S.-FUNDED PROGRAMS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF THE 
AVERAGE CITIZEN. THEY ALSO HELPED DISPEL TWO PRINCIPAL 
MISCONCEPTIONS:  THAT U.S. DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS DO 
NOT IMPACT INDIVIDUAL LIVES; AND THAT U.S. ASSISTANCE SERVES 
SHORT-TERM POLITICAL GOALS. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. JORDAN TV HIGHLIGHTS UNRWA AND USAID: 
 
I) UNRWA'S WOMEN'S PROGRAM CENTERS AT REFUGEE CAMPS WERE 
COVERED IN A 25-MINUTE SEGMENT IN JORDAN TV'S DAILY LIVE 
MORNING SHOW "A NEW DAY" ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9. THE PRESENTER 
HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT "THE UNITED STATES IS UNRWA'S SINGLE 
LARGEST DONOR" AND THAT "THIS YEAR (2003), THE UNITED STATES 
CONTRIBUTED $129 MILLION TO UNRWA IN ADDITION TO THE 
ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS IT PROVIDES TO SUPPORT WOMEN'S PROGRAMS 
AT REFUGEE CAMPS IN JORDAN." A 12-MINUTE REPORT WAS ALSO AIRED 
WITHIN THAT SEGMENT, PROFILING TWO WOMEN WHO SET UP      MICRO- 
ENTERPRISES: A HOME HANDICRAFTS BUSINESS AND A HOME FOOD 
BUSINESS, EACH FINANCED BY A LOAN FROM UNRWA. 
 
II) WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES AND A WATER REUSE PROGRAM 
WILL BE FEATURED ON TWO OTHER SEGMENTS WITHIN THE SAME JORDAN 
TV LIVE MORNING SHOW SOME TIME WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. THE 
FOCUS WILL BE ON HOW THE LIVES AND BUSINESSES OF THE LOCAL 
COMMUNITY IN PETRA AND WADI MOUSA IN SOUTHERN JORDAN HAVE 
DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED. 
 
III) WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, JORDAN TV WILL PRODUCE AND 
BROADCAST ONE MORE SEGMENT WITHIN "A NEW DAY" SHOW, FOCUSING 
ON UNRWA'S VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM IN 
JORDAN, WHICH OFFERS PRACTICAL TRAINING TO PALESTINIAN REFUGEE 
YOUTH. 
 
 
3. SUCCESS STORIES ON RADIO JORDAN: 
 
I) ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 19, RADIO JORDAN'S ARABIC SERVICE 
DEDICATED ITS DAILY LIVE MORNING RADIO SHOW "THE FAMILY WORLD" 
TO SUCCESS STORIES ABOUT WOMEN IN SOUTHERN JORDAN, WHO HAVE 
BENEFITTED FROM A USAID-FUNDED MICROFINANCE PROJECT. THE 
PROGRAM AIRED INTERVIEWS WITH FIVE BENEFICIARIES, WHO STARTED 
UP THEIR OWN BUSINESSES AFTER RECEIVING MICRO LOANS. 
 
II) ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30, THE SAME RADIO SHOW HIGHLIGHTED THE 
SUCCESS STORIES OF TWO WOMEN IN AZRAQ IN EAST JORDAN, WHO ARE 
CURRENTLY WORKING AT A HANDICRAFTS WORKSHOP RUN BY THE ROYAL 
SOCIETY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE - A LOCAL NGO SUPPORTED 
BY USAID. 
 
4. PRINT MEDIA: OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, A TOTAL OF SEVEN 
SUCCESS STORIES ON FOUR USAID-FUNDED PROJECTS WERE PUBLISHED 
IN THE THREE JORDANIAN ARABIC DAILIES. 
 
I) IN A SPECIAL PAGE CALLED "THE JORDANIAN WOMAN," WHICH IS 
PUBLISHED EVERY OTHER TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, THE ARABIC DAILY 
AL-RAI FEATURED THREE SUCCESS STORIES, WITH PHOTOS, ABOUT 
THREE WOMEN IN AJLOUN GOVERNORATE (NORTHERN JORDAN) WHO 
PARTICIPATED IN A USAID-FUNDED "START AND IMPROVE YOUR 
BUSINESS" (SIYB) PROGRAM. THEY LAUNCHED A HOME SEWING AND 
TAILORING BUSINESS, A KINDERGARDEN, AND A GROCERY STORE. 
 
II) ON OCTOBER 1, THE ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM FEATURED A 
FULL PAGE SPREAD, WITH COLOR PHOTOS, ABOUT "BRIDGING THE 
DIGITAL DIVIDE," A USAID-FUNDED INITIATIVE, WHICH IS 
IMPLEMENTED BY A LOCAL NGO TO RECRUIT, TRAIN AND DISPERSE 
YOUNG JORDANIANS AS VOLUNTEER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRAINERS 
IN CENTERS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM. 
 
III) ON OCTOBER 8, THE ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI PUBLISHED A SUCCESS 
STORY ABOUT THE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE INITIATIVES (PHCI) 
PROJECT, A FIVE-YEAR USAID-FUNDED, $40 MILLION PROJECT - 
INITIATED IN 1999 - THAT IS RENOVATING 380 PRIMARY HEALTH CARE 
CENTERS THROUGOUT JORDAN AND PROVIDING TRAINING TO THEIR 
STAFF. 
 
IV) ON OCTOBER 3, THE ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR PUBLISHED A 
SUCCESS STORY ABOUT LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE JORDAN VALLEY 
AREA THAT BENEFITTED FROM A USAID PROJECT AIMED AT 
REHABILITATING CONTAMINATED WELLS AND SPRINGS. IT QUOTES A 
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AS SAYING THAT "OVER 35,000 CITIZENS AS 
WELL AS THREE HOTELS ON THE EASTERN COASTLINE OF THE DEAD SEA 
BENEFIT FROM THE WATER COMING OUT OF THE FOUR REHABILIATED 
WELLS. 
 
5. INTERNET RADIO: WWW.AMMANNET.NET PUBLISHED A SUCCESS STORY, 
WITH COLOR PHOTOS, ABOUT THE JORDANIAN ASSOCIATION FOR FAMILY 
PLANNING AND PROTECTION (JAFPP), WHICH USAID HAS BEEN 
SUPPORTING FOR MANY YEARS. THE REPORT CARRIED SOUND BITES FROM 
INTERVIEWS WITH TEN WOMEN WHO PRAISED JAFPP'S SERVICES. 
 
6.  RESULTS / IMPACT:  THE SUCCESS STORIES CLARIFIED TO THE 
PUBLIC HOW MUCH U.S. ASSISTANCE JORDAN IS RECEIVING AND HOW 
INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES HAVE GREATLY BENEFITTED. THE 
OUTSTANDING NUMBER AND PLACEMENT OF THOSE SUCCESS STORIES WAS 
AN EXCELLENT REMINDER OF U.S. ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THE      HIGH- 
PROFILE AND CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES SUCH AS THE WAR ON TERRORISM 
OR THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT THAT USUALLY GRAB LOCAL 
MEDIA ATTENTION. 
 
THE POST IS VERY GRATEFUL TO IIP AND PA FOR FUNDING THE TRAVEL 
AND OTHER EXPENSES OF THE JOURNALISTS WHO COVERED THESE 
STORIES. THE RELATIVELY MODEST AMOUNT HAD A BIG IMPACT IN 
SPREADING AWARENESS OF THE BENEFIT TO ORDINARY JORDANIANS OF 
THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP. GNEHM