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FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5222
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5381
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3964
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6199
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 5457
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 1951
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 4666
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 6827

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000814 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR U/S Karen Hughes, WHA A/S Tom Shannon, WHA PDAS Charles 
Shapiro, WHA DAS Patrick Duddy, WHA/BSC, WHA/PDA Director Mary Deane 
Conners 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC KPAO SCUL BR
SUBJECT: BSC Chiefs of Mission Propose BSC Youth Ambassadors Program 
for FY'2007 
 
 
Message from BSC Chiefs of Mission - Ambassador James Cason, 
Ambassador Lino Gutierrez, Ambassador Craig Kelly, Charge Phil 
Chicola, Charge James Nealon 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Recently the Counselors for Public Affairs from our five 
BSC embassies met for consultations in Santiago, Chile, to discuss 
common issues and to exchange best practices.  All of us were 
impressed by reports on the success of Brazil's Youth Ambassador 
Program -- a one-country youth exchange that targets talented youth 
from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Recognizing the importance of youth 
exchange in all BSC countries, we would like to propose that R and 
WHA work together to launch a BSC Youth Ambassadors Program, based 
on the successful Brazilian model, for youth from Chile, Argentina, 
Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil. 
 
¶2. JUSTIFICATION: The level of anti-Americanism in the Brazil & 
Southern Cone region is the highest in all of Latin America. In many 
cases, the negative image of the US stems from the perception that 
America is a self-interested superpower that acts unilaterally and 
with a heavy hand on the world stage. To ameliorate this image, we 
need to show the US in a different light - as interested, engaged, 
and dedicated to proposing policies and finding solutions that help 
average citizens improve the quality of their lives.  There is no 
better way to do this than to demonstrate our investment in youth, 
the next generation of regional leaders.  We anticipate that this 
program will generate excellent coverage by major media in all 
participating countries, as it has every year in Brazil, and will 
produce public affairs benefits for a long time to come. 
 
¶3. SCALE OF THE PROGRAM: The program would involve an equal number 
of participants from each of the five participating countries, 5 
students each, for a total of 25 students plus one adult escort from 
each of the countries, preferably a Foreign Service national 
employee, for a total of 30 participants.  The participants will go 
to the United States for a two week program.  The entire group will 
begin the program with a week in Washington and then break up into 
five smaller groups -- five students, one from each of the 
participating countries, and one adult escort -- that will go to 
another state where the students would do home stays and school 
visits.  Based on the Brazilian model the cost per participant for 
the two week program is approximately USD5000.  Total amount 
requested for this program, therefore, is 150K.  It is expected that 
funds for the program will come from a mix of post PD program funds, 
WHA/PD funds and private sector support. 
 
¶4. SELECTION: The language of the program is to be English, so there 
will be no language gap among the participants who will be native 
speakers of either Spanish or Portuguese.  Students selected must be 
highly motivated and accomplished secondary students between the 
ages of 15-18 who have excellent English and come from disadvantaged 
backgrounds.  Service to the community would also be a strong 
qualifying factor.  Posts will work with a variety of partner 
organizations such as Bi-National Centers, Ministries of Education, 
English Teacher Associations, English language schools, Fulbright 
Advising Centers, etc. to select the finalists for the five 
positions.  It is recognized that the selection process may differ 
among the five countries, but the standards for selection in each 
must be comparable to ensure that all 25 students are of equal 
caliber.  It is especially important that the level of English for 
all participants be up to the program standard.  Following the 
Brazilian model the process is to be highly competitive and involve 
a written exam, oral exam / interview and home visit leading up to 
the final selection.  Final selection of each country's list of five 
candidates will be made by the PAO and the Public Affairs Section of 
that country's embassy. 
 
¶5. PARTNERSHIPS: Essential to the success of the program will be the 
cooperation and assistance of appropriate partner organizations and 
sponsoring corporations.  The Brazil program partnered with the NGO 
Partners of the Americas and several private sector corporations 
including FEDEX and Continental Airlines.  A successful BSC Youth 
Ambassadors Program will likely follow that same model. 
 
¶6. TIMETABLE: Posts would have to begin the candidate selection 
process during the northern hemisphere summer months, and finalize 
selection by mid- to late-fall in order to send the group to the 
U.S. in early 2007. 
 
¶7.  The BSC Embassies -- Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and 
Uruguay -- look forward to continued discussion in order to realize 
this new regional venture in Youth Exchange in cooperation with R, 
 
BRASILIA 00000814  002 OF 002 
 
 
WHA/BSC and WHA/PDA.  On behalf of the five BSC COMs, thanks and 
regards. 
 
Chicola