US embassy cable - 03AMMAN741

UNCLAS AMMAN 000741 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/IPP; RBO CAIRO 
CAIRO PLEASE PASS TO ALEXANDRIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, JO, IIP 
SUBJECT: FOUR NEW TITLES FROM THE AMMAN ARABIC BOOK PROGRAM 
 
 
1. THE AMMAN BOOK PROGRAM IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE FOUR NEW 
TITLES: "WATER FOR THE FUTURE: THE WEST BANK AND GAZA STRIP, 
ISRAEL AND JORDAN" BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, 
"ISLAM, GENDER AND SOCIAL CHANGE" BY YVONNE YAZBEK HADDAD 
AND JOHN ESPOSITO (EDS), "CORRUPTION AND GOVERNMENT: CAUSES, 
CONSEQUENCES AND REFORM" BY SUSAN ROSE-ACKERMAN, 
"BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF CITIZENS: CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE 
21ST. CENTURY" BY DON EBERLY. 
2. "WATER FOR THE FUTURE " IS A REPORT PREPARED JOINTLY BY 
THE ROYAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY IN JORDAN, THE PALESTINIAN 
ACADEMY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF 
SCIENCES IN USA AND THE ISRAELI ACADEMY FOR SCIENCE AND 
HUMANITIES. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FOUR INSTITUTES MET AND 
DECIDED THAT THE MOST SERIOUS ISSUE FACING THE PEOLPLES OF 
THE MIDDLE EAST IN GENERAL AND THE STUDY AREA IN PARTICULAR, 
IS WATER SHORTAGE. THIS REPORT 
IS THE CULMINATION OF THIS JOINT EFFORT, AND PROVIDES 
INSIGHT INTO THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE 
PROBLEM. 
3. "BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF CITIZENS" IS A CALL FOR CULTURAL 
AND CIVIC RENAISSANCE IN AMERICA. A CALL TO REINVENTING 
CITIZENSHIP: NOT A SENTIMENTALIZED VERSION, BUT A SOCIAL 
COVENANT INVOLVING HARD WORK AND SACRIFICE. IT ADDRESSES 
ISSUES LIKE HOW CAN WE REBUILD CONFIDENCE IN 
SCHOOLS, RESTORE NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRITY AND MOBILIZE 
CITIZENS TO RESTORE LOST COMMUNITY? WHAT IS NEEDED TO 
REBUILD CIVIL SOCIETY, DIMINISH INDIVIDUALISM AND RESTORE 
SELF RESTRAINT AND CIVILITY? 
4. CORRUPTION AND GOVERNEMNT" ADDRESSES A WORLDWIDE 
PHENOMENON, WITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND THOSE MAKING THE 
TRANSITION FROM SOCIALISM PARTICULARLY AT RISK. CORRUPTION 
IS NOT JUST AN ECONOMIC PROBLEM, IT IS INTERTWINED WITH 
POLITICS. EFFECTIVE REFORM CANNOT OCCUR UNLESS BOTH THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL LEADERS 
SUPPORT CHANGE. 
5. "ISLAM, GENDER AND SOCIAL CHANGE" BY YVONNE YAZBECK 
HADDAD AND JOHN ESPOSITO (EDS) IS A COMPENDIUM OF ARTICLES 
ADDRESSING THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL AND EMOTIONALLY CHARGED 
ASPECT OF ISLAM; ITS EFFECT ON WOMEN IN MUSLIM SOCIETIES. 
THE ARTICLES ADDRESS GENDER ISSUES IN COUNTRIES LIKE 
JORDAN, BAHRAIN, OMAN, IRAN, EGYPT, KUWAIT AND THE 
PHILIPPINES. THEY ADDRESS INITIATIVES TAKEN BY WOMEN IN 
THESE COUNTRIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO EFFECT SOCIAL CHANGE, AND 
THE OBSTACLES FACING THEM IN THE PROCESS. 
6. TWO COPIES OF EACH OF THE ABOVE TITLES WILL BE SENT TO 
EACH POST FOR EVALUATION. 
7. POSTS ARE REQUESTED TO PLACE THEIR ORDERS FOR COPIES 
NEEDED IN PUBLIC DIPLOMACY EFFORTS. COPIES, AND SHIPPING ARE 
FREE TO POSTS.