US embassy cable - 05AMMAN6748

UNCLAS AMMAN 006748 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ECA/PE/V/M (MBENSON, AMOYLAN, AZAKI); NEA/PPD (DBENZE); 
NEA/ELA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, JO 
SUBJECT: FY 05 MRP:"PERFORMING ARTS IN U.S. SOCIETY," MARCH 
10-31, 2005 - program evaluation 
 
 
1. FOLLOWING IS THE EVDB EVALUATION OF SUBJECT PROGRAM: 
 
START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT): 
: THE FOLLOWING DATA IS IN A FIXED FORMAT WHICH ENABLES 
: AUTOMATED PROCESSING IN WASHINGTON AND SHOULD NOT BE 
: EDITED EXCEPT BY MEANS OF THE POST-EVDB SOFTWARE. 
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.7 
POST-EMAIL: ALDADAWM@STATE.GOV 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS AMMAN 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2887 
EXPORT-TYPE: PROJECT EVALUATION 
START PROJECT-EVAL-REC: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 189 
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VM -2005-0016 
PROJ-NAME: PERFORMING ARTS IN U.S. SOCIETY 
CPTHEME: MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING 
START MEMO IMPACT: 
MOST OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS WERE WELL ORGANIZED. 
LOGISTICS WERE WELL PLANNED AND STRUCTURED. HOTEL 
RESERVATIONS AND PLANE TICKETS WERE ALL HANDLED WELL. 
MS. RANDA ABDIN'S FAVORITE MEETINGS WERE IN CLEVELAND & 
SEATTLE. IN CLEVELAND, SHE APPRECIATED THE COORDINATOR OF 
THEIR PROGRAM WHO WAS "VERY SINCERE AND TRUE TOWARDS HER 
FEELINGS AND IDEAS."  SHE WAS VERY HOSPITABLE AND KEEN TO 
KNOW EACH ONE IN THE GROUP PERSONALLY AND TO FIND OUT ABOUT 
THE COUNTRY OF EACH PARTICIPANT. THE SELECTION OF ACTIVITIES 
AND THEIR PACE WERE "BRILLIANT." 
IN SEATTLE, THE HOME HOSPITALITY WAS "AMAZING" AND "ONE OF 
THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP."  THE HOST ROBIN WAS GREAT AND 
VERY CULTURALLY SENSITIVE. ALL THE INVITEES WERE AMERICANS 
FROM DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS, EDUCATED, AND INTERESTING 
PEOPLE WHO WERE OPEN MINDED AND APPRECIATED AND UNDERSTOOD 
DIFFERENT CULTURES. 
FOR MS. ABDIN, THE TRIP WAS VERY INTERESTING AND 
EDUCATIONAL, AND ALLOWED HER TO SEE HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS IN 
THE U.S. AND COMPARE IT WITH THE JORDANIAN APPROACH ON 
ADVOCATING FOR ARTS. 
MS. ABDIN HAD STUDIED IN THE U.S. AS A TEENAGER BUT SAID IT 
WAS GOOD FOR HER TO HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE NOW WHEN SHE COULD 
PERCEIVE THINGS IN MORE MATURE WAY.  SHE HIGHLY ENJOYED THE 
DIVERSITY OF THE TRIP, BOTH IN TERMS OF PEOPLE SHE MET AND 
TOPICS THAT WERE COVERED IN THEIR SESSIONS, CULTURAL EVENTS, 
AND INFORMAL INTERACTIONS WITH AMERICANS. 
END MEMO IMPACT: 
START MEMO AUDIENCE-REACHED: 
MS. RANDA ABDIN IS A CONTEMPORARY DANCE INSTRUCTOR AT THE 
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IN AMMAN AND AN EVENTS MANAGEMENT 
COORDINATOR AT THE JORDAN RIVER FOUNDATION. SHE IS DEEPLY 
INVOLVED IN JORDAN'S ARTS SECTOR. 
END MEMO AUDIENCE-REACHED: 
ECA-PROGRAM-OFFICE-RATING: 4 
START MEMO ECA-PROG-OFFICE-COMMENT: 
PEOPLE AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT WERE VERY FRIENDLY. 
END MEMO ECA-PROG-OFFICE-COMMENT: 
PROGRAM-AGENCY-RATING: 5 
START MEMO PROG-AGENCY-COMMENT: 
MS. ABDIN PARTICULARLY LIKED THE PROGRAM COMPONENTS AND 
PROGRAM OFFICER IN CLEVELAND. 
END MEMO PROG-AGENCY-COMMENT: 
START ESCORT-INTERPRETER-EVALUATION: 
ESCORT-INTERPRETER: J. BARRY LEWIS 
RATING: 5 
START MEMO COMMENT: 
VERY INFORMATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL AND "HAS HIS HEART IN IT." 
END MEMO COMMENT: 
END ESCORT-INTERPRETER-EVALUATION: 
START ESCORT-INTERPRETER-EVALUATION: 
ESCORT-INTERPRETER: EMILY KALOGEROPOULOS 
RATING: 3 
START MEMO COMMENT: 
 
END MEMO COMMENT: 
END ESCORT-INTERPRETER-EVALUATION: 
END PROJECT-EVAL-REC: 
 
HENZEL