US embassy cable - 02AMMAN6710

UNCLAS AMMAN 006710 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE NEA/PD (CBOURGEOIS, DMACINNES, JGAFFNEY); IIP/G/NEA 
(TSCOTT); NEA/ARN; ECA/R 
USAID FOR GARY HANSEN AND JOHN SWALLOW 
 
TAGS: OIIP, OEXC, SCUL, JO, AID 
SUBJECT: ARAB CIVITAS NETWORK ANNOUNCED IN AMMAN 
 
 
1. SUMMARY:  25 REPRESENTATIVES FROM 8 ARAB COUNTRIES 
GATHERED AT JORDAN'S DEAD SEA MOVENPICK, NOVEMBER 1-4, 2002 
TO ANNOUNCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIONAL ARAB CIVITAS 
NETWORK TO BE BASED IN AMMAN.  THE WORKSHOP, MADE POSSIBLE 
THROUGH AN AID WASHINGTON GRANT TO THE CENTER FOR CIVIC 
EDUCATION AND WITH PA AMMAN'S TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE 
SUPPORT, SIGNALED THE PARTICIPANTS' BELIEF IN THE IMPORTANCE 
OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES IN BUILDING SOCIETIES AND THE NEED FOR 
CREATING RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS EDUCATED IN THE FIELDS OF 
HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIC EDUCATION AND CIVIL SOCIETY.  WITH 
FURTHER FUNDING FROM USAID, ARAB CIVITAS AIMS TO LEAD CIVIC 
EDUCATION INITIATIVES IN THE ARAB WORLD.  QUEEN RANIA 
EXTENDED HER PATRONAGE TO THE CONFERENCE AND WAS REPRESENTED 
BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, DR. KHALED TOUQAN.  AMBASSADOR 
GNEHM GAVE WELCOMING REMARKS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. OVER A PERIOD OF THREE DAYS, NOVEMBER 1-4, 2002, 
REPRESENTATIVES DRAWN FROM GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL 
ORGANIZATIONS IN JORDAN, EGYPT, MOROCCO, TUNISIA, BAHRAIN, 
YEMEN, LEBANON, THE WEST BANK AND EGYPT (GOVERNMENT AND 
NGO'S) WORKING WITH 6 AMERICAN EXPERTS FROM THE CENTER FOR 
CIVIC EDUCATION, DELIBERATED ON THE OBJECTIVES AND CRITERIA 
FOR AN ARAB CIVITAS NETWORK.  DISCUSSIONS CENTERED ON FUTURE 
PROJECTS, TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND LINKAGES 
WITH EXISTING CIVIC EDUCATION ENTITIES IN EACH COUNTRY. 
PARTICIPANTS CONCLUDED THAT ARAB CIVITAS WILL BE BASED IN 
AMMAN AND WILL HAVE A BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND AN 
ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD.  ITS MEMBERSHIP WILL BE OPEN TO ALL 
ARAB COUNTRIES.  MS. MUNA DARWISH SHAMI OF JORDAN AND DR. 
KAMAL MUGEETH OF EGYPT WERE ASSIGNED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY 
OF PUTTING TOGETHER THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 
WORKSHOP AND DRAFTING THE FINAL BY-LAWS AND OBJECTIVES OF 
ARAB CIVITAS IN A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED 30 DAYS. 
 
3. PA SEES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ARAB CIVITAS AS A CONDUIT 
TO INCREASED PROGRAMMING IN THE FIELDS OF CIVIC EDUCATION 
AND CIVIL SOCIETY.  THE CENTER FOR CIVIC EDUCATION, WHICH 
PLAYED AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN STARTING THIS PROJECT, HAS 
EXPRESSED KEEN INTEREST IN SUPPORTING ARAB CIVITAS IN THE 
FUTURE AND PLANS TO SUBMIT A FIVE YEAR FUNDING PROPOSAL TO 
USAID WASHINGTON FOR THIS PURPOSE.  PA AND EMBASSY HIGHLY 
SUPPORT THIS REQUEST AND UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE AND 
TIMELINESS OF THIS INITIATIVE IN PROMOTING U.S. GOVERNMENT 
INITIATIVES ON CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE ARAB WORLD. 
 
4. IN A RELATED DEVELOPMENT, REPRESENTATIVES OF CHILDREN'S 
RESOURCE INTERNATIONAL, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION 
ESTABLISHED TO PROMOTE QUALITY EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES IN THE 
U.S AND ABROAD, PRESENTED A PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT A NEW 
ACTIVE TEACHING METHOD SUPPORTING FAMILY AND COMMUNITY 
INVOLVEMENT IN PRESCHOOL (KG) AND LATER IN PRIMARY GRADES. 
JORDAN IS JUST CONSIDERING INTRODUCING KG AS PART OF ITS 
"MANDATORY" EDUCIONAL SYSTEM AND AS OF NEXT YEAR IT IS HOPED 
THAT IT WILL BE APPLIED IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.  OTHER 
COUNTRIES IN THE REGION ARE LOOKING IN THIS DIRECTION AS 
WELL. 
 
5. PA BELIEVES THAT THIS INITIATIVE COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AS 
PART OF THE ARAB CIVITAS NETWORK ACTIVITIES THROUGH SPECIAL 
FUNDING.  PA WILL REVIEW MATERIALS REPRESENTED BY CHILDREN'S 
RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL AND WILL CONFER WITH JORDANIAN 
MINISTER OF EDUCATION DR. KHALED TOUQAN, WHO HAS GIVEN HIS 
SUPPORT TO ARAB CIVITAS BY ATTENDING THE OPENING SESSION 
WITH THE AMBASSADOR, GIVING A PRESENTATION AND BY ATTENDING 
MOST OF THE DELIBERATIONS ON THE FIRST DAY.  DR. TOUQAN IS 
KEEN TO PROMOTE EDUCATION REFORM EFFORTS INCLUDING THIS 
INITIATIVE. 
 
6. PA WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SUPPORTING 
AND PROMOTING CIVIC EDUCATION IN JORDAN THROUGH ARAB CIVITAS 
AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT WILL EMERGE AS A RESULT OF THIS 
MILESTONE ACCOMPLISHMENT.  GNEHM