US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1817

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001817 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR ECA, IIP, SA/INS (CAMP, GOWER) 
SA/PD (SCENSNY, ROGERS, PALLADINO); 
 
UNCLASSIFIED 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KPAO, OIIP, OEXC, OPRC, PREL, SCUL, Maldives 
SUBJECT: Public Diplomacy Programs Enrich First U.S. - Maldives 
Friendship Week 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1706 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY:  Post's public diplomacy programs formed a large 
part of the first annual U.S.- Maldives Friendship Week September 
25 through September 28.  In addition to a  trade show organized 
by the Economic/Commercial Section, PD organized the signing of 
the first Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation grant to 
the Maldives; a speaker program to benefit the Maldivian Human 
Rights Commission; book donations to a center for neglected teens 
and to a grade school on a tsunami-affected island; EducationUSA 
seminars; a film festival of great American movies; a children's 
book donation to the National Library; and an Ambassadorial press 
conference with local press. The active PD schedule of events 
established strong contact with new audiences and made Maldivians 
aware of the many programs we have to offer. END SUMMARY 
 
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Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation 
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2. (U) The Friendship Week started with the signing of the first 
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation grant to the 
Maldives.  Arranged by post's PD section, the grant to the 
National Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research (NCLHR) 
for $22,000 will help restore the Eid Mosque, a  19th century 
coral stone mosque on Mal. Ambassador Lunstead toured the mosque 
with Abbas Ibrahim, the head of the NCLHR, before signing the 
grant. The tour was covered by Television Maldives, which 
broadcast news of the event the same evening, and local papers 
ran the Ambassador's photo with an article on the signing on the 
front pages the next day (reftel). 
 
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Book Donation to Education Training Center 
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4. (U) On Monday, September 26, the Ambassador boated to the 
island of Maafushi for a book donation to the Education Training 
Center (ETC).  Arranged by PD and the Maldivian Ministry of 
Education, the Ambassador donated 100 young adult books to the 
students at the Center.  The ETC is a government residential 
institution for 70 children aged 10 - 18 who have troubled 
backgrounds.  The December 2005 tsunami washed away virtually 
all equipment, machinery, furniture, computer labs and library 
resources.  The Ambassador also visited the Maafushi primary 
school, equally damaged by the tsunami, and donated teaching 
materials and library books to the principal of the school.  TV 
Maldives covered the visit and related donations on the evening 
news. The book donation to the ETC and the Maafushi primary 
school demonstrated the U.S. commitment to helping areas outside 
the capital of Mal. 
 
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EducationUSA Seminars 
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6. (U) Cultural Affairs Officer presented two seminars on 
studying in the United States at the site of the trade fair.  The 
seminars were attended by young professionals and senior 
secondary students.  The Maldives has no university and students 
must go abroad to pursue higher education.  The usual 
destinations for Maldivian students are the U.K., Australia, 
Malaysia, India, and Lebanon.  Post prepared a 24-page booklet 
"Study in the USA: A Guide for the Maldives" and distributed more 
than 250 copies during the course of the week.  The second 
seminar was covered by Television Maldives. 
 
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Speaker for Maldives Human Rights Commission 
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(U)  Simultaneous to its other activities, PD programmed an 
expert speaker on forensics to work with the Maldivian Human 
Rights Commission and the Maldivian police.  In three days of 
lectures and meetings, Dr. Ronald Singer, the Crime Laboratory 
Director of the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office (Fort 
Worth), emphasized forensic investigations into human rights 
abuse cases and domestic violence cases, as well as drug abuse 
cases.  Singer's program allowed Maldivian investigators to 
better identify specific instances of abuse, and could result 
in the Maldives starting up its first forensic laboratory with 
assistance from Singer's office in Texas. 
 
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Film Festival 
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7. (U) Alongside the trade fair, PD organized a series of public 
film screenings that offered great American cinema for the first 
time to young Maldivian audiences.  The festival also permitted 
the mission to strengthen ties with the new Minister of State for 
Arts and the police department, which donated the A/V equipment. 
 
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Children's Book Donation to National Library 
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8. (U) On September 27, the Ambassador donated 162 children's 
books to the National Library.  The new Minister of Information 
and Arts told the Ambassador that the donation "will comprise an 
important component of the planned new National Children's 
Library" that is proposed to open in 2006.  The National Library 
is home to the Embassy's first American Corner and the donation 
solidified that already good working relationship between the 
Embassy and the library. 
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Press Briefing 
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9. (U)  Following the book donation at the National Library, the 
Ambassador gave a press conference with all Maldivian media 
present in which he laid out the current state of U.S.-Maldivian 
relations and stressed the U.S. desire to see even further 
progress on democratic reforms in the country.  While the 
Maldives had taken important steps down that road, the Ambassador 
noted, the U.S. hoped the Maldivian government would permit full 
freedom of expression and non-violent assembly.  The press 
conference appeared on TV Maldives news programs and was widely 
covered in the newspapers. 
 
10. (U) Comment:  PD's extensive contributions to the first U.S.- 
Maldives Friendship Week enriched the overall schedule and made a 
positive impact on diverse audiences.  This impact was then 
magnified by the broad media coverage of all the events.  As a 
result, many key Maldivians not only better understand our 
policies on democratization and other issues, but also appreciate 
the importance we attach to this relationship with a moderate 
Muslim country.  We will continue to report on results of the 
week as we engage with Maldivians over the coming year.  End 
Comment. 
 
Lunstead