US embassy cable - 05LILONGWE308

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000308 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR IIP/G/AF - EBONI YORK AND AF/PAPD - ANDREE JOHNSON AND 
IIP/T/EM 
AF/S - GALANEK 
AF/PD - DALTON 
 
E.O.  12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OIIP, SCUL, MI 
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR U.S. SPEAKER ON OUTREACH TO MUSLIM 
YOUTH 
 
A.  Program description: Public Affairs Section Lilongwe 
requests a speaker to participate in a program of outreach 
focused areas of concern for Malawi's Muslim youth.  These 
include HIV/AIDS, education and forming effective Muslim 
youth organizations to encourage positive behaviors and goal 
orientation.  Muslim youth here would also be interested in 
hearing about Muslim life and culture in America.  Muslim 
communities in Malawi are traditionally less well-educated 
than their Christian counterparts, because western education 
initially was established by Christian missionaries.  Many 
in the Muslim leadership in Malawi have commented that their 
highest priority is overcoming that education deficit, and 
fighting the disproportionately high rate of HIV/AIDS among 
the predominantly Muslim YAO ethnic group.  Post received 
high praise for Hibba Abugideiri's program on Muslim Life in 
America, and we see this program building on that one from 
the slightly different optic of focusing on a younger 
audience.  This will be retail public diplomacy: the speaker 
would address students in Islamic secondary schools and 
Mosques across Malawi, and would ideally be a Muslim- 
American adept at connecting with a younger audience.  An 
ideal length for the program would be 8 days of programming. 
With rest and travel, that would require nearly a two week 
stay in Malawi. 
 
B.  Timeframe:  The timing for this program is flexible, but 
should occur sometime from mid-August to the end of FY 05. 
The speaker would ideally be in Malawi for 
 
C.  Purpose of the Program:  Build goodwill and mutual 
understanding with the Muslim successor generation; 
positively reinforce themes of HIV/AIDS prevention, the 
importance of education (especially for girls) and 
 
D.  Audience: The audience will primarily by secondary 
school students, as well as their parents and Malawi's 
Muslim leadership. 
 
E.  Proposed topics and nature of events: the importance of 
education for strengthening and lifting the Muslim community 
out of poverty; HIV/AIDS prevention; building effective peer 
reinforcement structures to encourage positive behaviors; 
Muslim life in America. 
 
F.  Type or Name of Specialist required: Post has not made 
contact with any specific speaker.  We are looking for 
someone with great public speaking skills and experience in 
connecting with a younger audience. 
 
G.  Language Requirements:  English 
 
H.  Request for Supporting Bibliographic Materials:  Once a 
speaker is selected, Post will request relevant materials 
that cannot be obtained locally. 
 
I.  Post Contact Information: 
Mitchell Moss 
Public Affairs Officer 
Tel:  Office  (265) 1 772 222, Home (265) 1 770 831,  Mobile 
(265) 9 960 172 
Email: MossMR@state.gov 
 
Alison Liwanda 
Information Assistant 
Tel: Office (265) 1 772 222, Mobile (265) 8 897 083 
Email: LiwandaAE@state.gov 
 
Ulemu Malindi 
Cultural Affairs Specialist 
Tel:  Office  (265) 1 772 222, Home (265) 1 762 715,  Mobile 
(265) 960 180 
Email: MalindiUC@state.gov 
 
GILMOUR