US embassy cable - 02ROME2197

UNCLAS ROME 002197 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR IIP/G/EUR CSIEMONH; IIP/G RCROSS-NAJAFI; IIP/T/SV- 
AHIRSHORN; EUR/PPD/RHILTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP PRC 
SUBJECT:   PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR U.S. SPEAKER  MICHAEL 
BARONE, SENIOR WRITER, "U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT;" ROME, 
MARCH 18-19, 2002 
 
 
1. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY:   PA ROME ORGANIZED A TWO DAY 
SPEAKER PROGRAM FOR U.S. SPEAKER MICHAEL BARONE, AUTHOR, 
SENIOR WRITER, U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, AND CO-AUTHOR OF 
THE "ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS", MARCH 18-19, 2002 IN 
ROME.  ON TUESDAY, MARCH 18, BARONE SPOKE ABOUT HIS BOOK, 
"THE NEW AMERICANS:  HOW THE MELTING POT CAN WORK AGAIN" AT 
A CONFERENCE ON "MULTICULTURALISM IN THE U.S. AND EUROPE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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AFTER SEPTEMBER 11" AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROME "LA SAPIENZA." 
ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, HE SPOKE ON THE "U.S. CONGRESS" AT A 
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH ITALIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS AND 
STAFF AND JOURNALISTS AT THE AMERICAN STUDIES CENTER IN 
ROME.  PA ROME ALSO FACILITATED A NUMBER OF APPOINTMENTS FOR 
BARONE WITH ITALIAN MINISTERS AND AMBASSADOR SEMBLER. 
BARONE WAS INTERVIEWED BY SEVERAL MEDIA OUTLETS, INCLUDING 
RADIO RAI (NATIONAL ITALIAN RADIO AND TELEVISION NETWORK) 
AND ADN KRONOS (NEWS AGENCY). 
 
2.   DATES:  APRIL 18-19;   3RD QUARTER;  FISCAL YEAR: 
FY2002. 
 
3. JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVE:  AS A FOLLOW-UP TO PA ITALY'S 
IMMIGRATION CONFERENCE IN MAY 2001, THE UNIVERSITY OF ROME 
ORGANIZED A MAJOR TWO-DAY EVENT INVOLVING OVER 25 SPEAKERS, 
ON IMMIGRATION IN ITALY.  TO CONTRIBUTE AN AMERICAN VOICE, 
POST SUGGESTED AUTHOR MICHAEL BARONE, AS HIS NEW BOOK TAKES 
A NOVEL APPROACH TO THE AMERICAN "MELTING POT" AND 
MULTICULTURALISM.  BECAUSE INTEGRATION IS AN HIGHLY DEBATED 
ISSUE HERE IN ITALY, POST WANTED TO PRESENT BARONE'S STRESS 
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WEAVING NEW IMMIGRANTS INTO "THE FABRIC 
OF AMERICAN LIFE". 
 
WE ALSO WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BARONE'S EXPERTISE ON 
AMERICAN POLITICS TO ENGAGE KEY ITALIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS 
AND STAFF IN A DISCUSSION ON CURRENT ISSUES IN THE U.S. 
CONGRESS. 
 
4. MPP UMBRELLA THEMES:  COOPERATION ON GLOBAL ISSUES, 
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  02197  061623Z 
 
5. AUDIENCE REACHED:  ITALIAN ACADEMICS, SOCIOLOGISTS, 
PARLIAMENT MEMBERS AND STAFFERS, GOI OFFICIALS, JOURNALISTS. 
 
6. RESULT/IMPACT:   BARONE'S PROGRAMS IN ROME PROVIDED AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH KEY ITALIAN AUDIENCES ON A 
VARIETY OF TIMELY SUBJECTS. IN PARTICULAR, ON IMMIGRATION 
ISSUES WHICH ARE OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE FOR OUR COUNTRIES 
ESPECIALLY AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, WHEN, DUE TO GROWING SECURITY 
CONCERNS, THERE HAS BEEN A MORE RESTRICTIVE IMMIGRATION 
POLICY.   ITALIAN SOCIOLOGISTS, JOURNALISTS WERE ALL EAGER 
TO HEAR ABOUT BARONE'S NEW LOOK AT WHAT THE RICH AND VARIED 
HISTORY OF IMMIGRANT GROUPS IN AMERICA CAN TEACH US ABOUT 
THE FUTURE.  BARONE ENCOURAGED ITALY TO A MAJOR OPENNESS 
TOWARD IMMIGRATION: AMERICA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A NATION OF 
IMMIGRANTS WHO BRING WITH THEM DIFFERENT GROUPS OF THINKING 
AND VALUES, AND IT HAS ALWAYS SUCCEEDED IN BRINGING THEM 
TOGETHER IN A COMMON CIVIC CULTURE.  BARONE'S CHALLENGING 
MESSAGE WAS THAT:  THE MELTING POT STILL HOLDS ITS POWER: 
THE PROMISE THAT ALL IMMIGRANTS CAN BE TRANSFORMED INTO "ONE 
AMERICA" WHERE ALL CITIZENS ARE UNITED IN DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM 
AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY. 
 
BARONE WAS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE AND ENGAGING IN HIS 
PRESENTATION ON CURRENT ISSUES IN THE U.S. CONGRESS, 
ADDRESSED TO ITALIAN PARLIAMENT OFFICIALS AND JOURNALISTS. 
(IN A FOLLOW UP ARTICLE FOR THE "U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT" 
ENTITLED "EUROPEANS FOR THE U.S.," BARONE REITERATES THAT 
ITALY, AN IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, REMAINS A 
STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE UNITED STATES AND GEORGE BUSH ON 
SEVERAL FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES.) 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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BARONE'S PRESENTATIONS WERE WIDELY COVERED BY ADN KRONOS 
(NEWS AGENCY). 
 
7.  NON USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN-KIND SUPPORT: 
NONE 
 
8.  QUALITY OF U.S. OFFICE SUPPORT: GOOD.   SEMBLER. 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2002ROME02197 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED