US embassy cable - 05MANAMA491

UNCLAS MANAMA 000491 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/R/N CFLEMING/EDIGGINS; ECA/PE/V/G/N; 
NEA/PPD; NEA/PI CBOURGEOIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, KMPI, BA 
SUBJECT: PARTICIPANT EVALUATION FOR RP "CURRICULUM 
DEVELOPMENT AND CIVIC EDUCATION," FEBRUARY 7 - 25, 2005. 
 
1. On March 26, 2005 APAO and Cultural Assistant met with 
Khalid Al Khaja, the Senior Specialist in Social Studies at 
the Ministry of Education and the point of contact for the 
implementation of MEPI-funded civic education programs in 
public Bahraini schools. Mr. Al Khaja emphasized the 
Minister of Education's strong interest in the IV program. 
The Minister personally encouraged Al Khaja to participate 
in the program to "benefit the Ministry in advancing its 
civic education and curriculum department." 
 
2. Mr. Al Khaja admitted to being reluctant to travel to the 
U.S. because of stereotypes about Americans. "Hollywood 
films and U.S. media project violent images of America," 
said Mr. Al Khaja.  While on the program he discovered that 
the American people are friendly and welcoming, which made 
him feel he was "not a stranger from another country".  He 
was also exposed to the diverse communities living in the 
U.S. He excitedly cited the example of the cooperation 
between the Mayor of Louisville who is Jewish and his 
deputy, a Palestinian. He was encouraged that they are 
working together for the interest of the American public, 
regardless of their origins, and was hopeful for similar 
attitudes in the Middle East. 
 
3. Al Khaja is currently working to introduce coursework on 
civic education, specifically the constitution, separation 
of powers, women and children's rights, role of civil 
society, and human rights, in primary and secondary Bahraini 
public schools. Al Khaja is hopeful that civic education 
will be implemented in Bahraini classrooms in January 2006. 
He is working with Arab Civitas, a MEPI education pillar 
implementer, to secure and translate books on civic 
education that will be used in the public school curriculum. 
In addition he is organizing train-the-trainers programs for 
teachers that will teach civic responsibility.  He hopes 
that the qualities that he witnessed during his IV program 
such as community service, peaceful dissent by citizens, and 
political participation at a young age will become future 
topics of discussion in Bahraini classrooms. 
 
MONROE