US embassy cable - 05SANAA3392

UNCLAS SANAA 003392 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
MEPI PLEASE PASS TO LAURA SCHULZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, KMPI, YM, DEMOCRATIC REFORM 
SUBJECT: TAIZ NGOS SEEK INCREASED COOPERATION WITH USG 
 
1. (U) Summary.  On November 16, emboffs visited the city of 
Taiz to meet with local NGOs to discuss the Democracy 
Assistance Dialogue (DAD) and Middle East Partnership 
Initiative (MEPI) programs.  During the two-hour meeting, 
emboffs and visiting MEPIoff fielded questions and comments 
on MEPI and heard opinions on how MEPI and post could better 
aid Yemeni NGOs.  End Summary. 
 
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A Call For More Cooperation 
--------------------------- 
 
2. (U) On November 16, emboffs and MEPI program officer met 
with NGO representatives in Taiz to discuss the DAD and MEPI 
programs.  The meeting, sponsored by the Taiz-based Human 
Rights and Information Training Center (HRITC), attracted 
over 70 participants from area NGOs, political parties, 
newspapers, professional societies, and universities.  After 
a brief report on the DAD, discussion turned to MEPI and to 
USG relations with Yemeni civil society. 
 
3. (U) Many participants asked detailed questions about 
MEPI's grant-making process.  Others consistently called on 
post to increase its cooperation with and attention to 
Taiz-based NGOs.  Rahma Saleh, a teacher at the National 
Institute and a party activist with the ruling General 
People's Congress (GPC), urged post to expand its efforts 
beyond the capital, noting that NGOs in Taiz are also active 
and need assistance.  Abd al-Hamid Sultan, from the Yemeni 
Studies Center, added that until the USG runs MEPI in an 
"organized and balanced manner" it will not enjoy true 
partnership with Yemeni civil society.  Many participants 
suggested that cooperation could increase if post and MEPI 
increased communication with them.  PolChief responded by 
promising to disseminate information on post activities and 
MEPI programming more widely. 
 
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More Than Political Reform 
-------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Participants also urged MEPI to expand its 
programming, which they felt has been limited to democratic 
development.  Abdul-Aziz Sultan, a consultant with the 
Ministry of Education and head of the Taiz Teachers' 
Syndicate, noted that education is a primary local concern. 
"We need help assessing and identifying our weak educational 
methods," he said, "but so far we have been unable to 
identify partners or programs to help us."  Mohammed 
al-Ariqi, Director of Youth Activities at Taiz University, 
added that Taiz needs help with wastewater management. 
MEPIoff replied by describing MEPI's educational and economic 
reform pillars and inviting NGOs with relevant programs to 
apply for small grants and, through Standing Program 
Announcements, for funding to support larger projects. 
Econ/Comoff added that the USG, in cooperation with the World 
Bank, recently funded a Taiz Water Authority assessment 
project to expand Taiz's wastewater management network. 
 
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Other Highlights 
---------------- 
 
5. (U) Other highlights of the two-hour meeting included an 
appeal by Dr. Abdul-Jalil al-Zuraiqi, Secretary General of 
the Taiz Medical Doctors' Syndicate (known for its opposition 
to the ROYG), to help protect NGOs that accept USG grants, 
since the ROYG and government-controlled media commonly 
portray them as "foreign agents."  Another participant with 
the Yemeni Socialist Party, in the one instance of political 
grandstanding, warned the panel that no matter what they do, 
USG policy in Palestine and Iraq will overshadow any progress 
with civil society. 
 
6. (SBU) Comment.  Although the DAD was on the agenda, it was 
clear that the participants  were more interested in MEPI 
grants.  Notable was how every participant's comments were 
accompanied by a call to increase contacts with his or her 
NGO.  In Taiz, emboffs found a sophisticated and eager NGO 
community.  In fact, many Yemenis claim that Taiz, the 
intellectual capital of Yemen, has a more developed NGO 
community than Sanaa.  It is evident that increased MEPI and 
post efforts to reach out to Taiz NGOs would advance Yemeni 
political and economic reform.  As a result of this meeting's 
success, post plans to increase its outreach efforts to other 
cities in the near future.  End Comment. 
Krajeski