VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKU #2824/01 1941434
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131434Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5756
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 1490
INFO RUEHMEP/THE MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE

UNCLAS KUWAIT 002824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PI, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, ECA/A/E/USS (AVANLOON), ECA/A/L 
(JCONNERLEY) 
ABU DHABI FOR MEPI (HWECHSEL, MHOPKINS) 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL KMPI KPAO PGOV KU KDEM MEPI FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEPIC 5:  MEPI MEETS CHANGE, CHALLENGES AND SUCCESS 
IN KUWAIT (MEPI Quarterly Report) 
 
Ref: A)  Kuwait 2445 - MEPI-Making a Real Difference in Women's 
Political Participation 
B)  Kuwait 1986 - Freedom Agenda:  MEPI, BMENA and Exchanges Basis 
of Heavy USG Support for Kuwaiti Women as Election Nears 
C)  Kuwait 1889 - Freedom Agenda:  Refining Strategies to Promote 
Democratic Reform 
      D)  Kuwait 1224 - MEPIC 4 
      E)  Kuwait 605 - MEPIC 3 
F)  Kuwait 540 - Freedom Agenda:  Post Funded MEPI Projects Promote 
Equality for Kuwaiti Women 
      G)  05 Kuwait 4144 - MEPIC 2 
      H)  05 Kuwait 2732 - MEPIC 1 
I)  05 Kuwait 2091 - Democratic Reform Strategies to Support the 
Freedom Agenda 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for internet distribution. 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary: This quarterly report covers key MEPI 
developments in Kuwait during FY06Q3.  The Amir's dissolution of the 
National Assembly on May 21 and the ensuing elections held on June 
29 compelled a change in the scope of the Mission's MEPI programming 
for the quarter as well as for the coming year.  MEPI projects 
responded to the rapidly changing political environment by providing 
training to journalists covering the elections and logistical and 
strategic support to female voters and candidates.  Ongoing 
MEPI-funded student programs, i.e., the Access English 
Microscholarship and INJAZ/Junior Achievement Programs concluded 
with outstanding results.  As for Small Grants, four FY06 grants 
were tentatively-approved (totaling $100,203) and all FY05 Small 
Grants projects are expected to be fulfilled during FY06Q4.  MEPI 
opportunities continue to grow in Kuwait, with an active promotion 
of My Arabic Library, Arab Civitas programs and university 
partnerships.  Given the new political landscape in Kuwait, MEPI 
objectives for the next year will have to be adapted in pursuit of 
Freedom Agenda goals.  End Summary. 
 
Spontaneous Political Events Evoke Solid Response 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  On May 21, 2006, Kuwait's Amir exercised his 
constitutional right to dissolve the National Assembly and scheduled 
parliamentary elections for June 29, 2006.  The snap election was 
the first in Kuwait's history in which women could vote and compete 
for seats in the National Assembly.  The Assembly's dissolution and 
early elections disrupted the trajectory of in-country MEPI 
democracy support initiatives and required the Embassy to reschedule 
and hold within a 30-day period election and campaign-training 
efforts for women, journalists and youth that had been planned to 
take place well into 2007.  While no women were elected, female 
Kuwaitis went to the polls in significant numbers and were 
noticeably active in various campaigns supporting both liberal and 
conservative candidates.  Moreover, contestants from all parts of 
Kuwait's political spectrum actively pursued support from women 
voters in recognition of influence women now wield on Kuwait's 
political process. 
 
 
MEPI Visitor Advances MEPI Projects 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Towards the end of the quarter, the Embassy hosted the 
visit of MEPI Regional Office Director from Abu Dhabi Hans Wechsel 
on June 13 and 14.  Mr. Wechsel discussed the progress of MEPI in 
Kuwait with the Embassy's working group and held consultations with 
the following potential and current MEPI grantees: 
 
--Dr. Mishaal Al-Mishaan, Chairman of Kuwait Environmental 
Protection Society (KEPS), to review the organization's Standing 
Program Announcement project implementation, 
--Mr. Faisal Al-Qanai, Secretary General of the Kuwait Journalists 
Association, to coordinate MEPI small grant-funded journalist 
training workshop (details below), and 
--Ms. Kenza Aqertit, NDI representative implementing an election 
support project during the campaign period. 
 
FY05 Small Grants Projects Nearing Completion 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  During the third quarter of FY06, members of the 
Embassy's MEPI team worked closely with one small grant project, 
implemented by CineMagic, to encourage forward movement on the 
project as well as with the organizers of the pending LoYAC 
project: 
 
a) CineMagic's Civic-Minded Film Project continued its activities 
throughout the third quarter of FY06.  The key element of the 
 
project was the production process that highlighted teamwork, men 
and women working together, and democratic dialogue--which amounted 
to a unique experience for the project participants.  While the 
final four of 10 students were to complete their projects by 
mid-June, the deadline was renegotiated to July due to difficulties 
coordinating with the students' university schedules.  This 
Cinemagic project is expected to end in the fourth quarter of FY06. 
 
b) The Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LoYAC) project on summer 
entrepreneurship training for youth began implementation in late 
June and early July 2006.  LoYAC included the MEPI logo in its 
advertising in Kuwait's Arabic and English newspapers and in its 
summer program brochure.  The project is to be completed before the 
end of August 2006. 
 
FY06 Small Grants - Immediate Successes, Some on Hold 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Throughout FY06, the Embassy actively scouted prospective 
applicants for the MEPI Small Grants program, through personal 
contact and placement of MEPI announcements on the Embassy's web 
site and in the Arabic press.  Consequently, the MEPI working group 
reviewed, approved, and forwarded five small grant proposals to the 
Abu Dhabi Office.  Of the five projects, four were tentatively 
approved for a total of $100,203.  The status of each application 
follows: 
 
a) Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) "Workshop for Journalists 
Covering Elections" - Approved and finalized.  At the height of 
campaign fever in Kuwait, the University of Missouri, under a 
Post-approved MEPI small grant, concluded a timely, two-day seminar 
on June 20 to improve the skills of Kuwaiti journalists covering 
elections.  KJA with support from Embassy Public Affairs coordinated 
the seminar.  Approximately 25 reporters representing all of the 
Arabic- and English-language dailies as well as the public news 
service KUNA attended the seminar conducted by a University of 
Missouri journalism professor.  Attendees praised the utility of the 
workshop, which identified challenges Kuwaiti journalists face in 
covering elections.  Other topics explored were techniques for 
interviewing candidates, managing rumors, and preparing for Election 
Day coverage.  Participants expressed enthusiasm throughout the 
program, by asking pertinent questions, volunteering to lead 
small-group discussions, and working on a code of election coverage 
ethics to present to the journalism association leadership.  The 
project achieved significant coverage in the Arabic-language press. 
Post appreciates the Regional Office's recommendation for Kuwait of 
this program that had been previously conducted in another country. 
Post welcomes other suggestions of activities that can be easily 
duplicated. 
 
b) The Women's Network "Voter Education Flyer" - Approved and 
finalized.  Originally designed as a political awareness campaign 
with a nine-month implementation period, this project featured 
development of voter education materials that explained the 
electoral process and encouraged women to vote.  In response to the 
announcement of the June 29 election, the concept was revised 
rapidly to produce 200,000 copies of a one-page leaflet for hand 
distribution to a target audience of female first-time voters. 
 
c) LoYAC "Student Entrepreneurship Training" - Approved pending 
revisions.  MEPI Regional Office suggested amendments to the 
applicant and awaits a response.  Post plans to follow up with the 
applicant. 
 
d) Society for Study and Leadership "Leadership Training for Women" 
- Approved pending revisions.  The MEPI Regional Office suggested 
amendments to the applicant and awaits a response.  Post has and 
will continue to follow up with the applicant. 
 
e) Dr. Suad Al-Tararwah "Family Law Project" - Application  tabled. 
The MEPI Regional Office assessed this proposal as duplicative of 
the Freedom House project that recently started activities in 
Kuwait.  Post has been in contact with Freedom House representatives 
and encouraged them to consult and work with Dr. Al-Tararwah as well 
as an FY05 MEPI grantee who also examined laws that discriminate 
against women.  Post is also working with Dr. Tararwah on a revised 
proposal to promote judicial reform. 
 
In-Country Program Successes 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Three large-scale MEPI-funded projects continued 
operations and two new projects initiated activities during FY06Q3: 
 
 
a) The MEPI-funded English Access Microscholarship Program began in 
November 2005 and concluded at the end of June 2006.  AMIDEAST 
 
implemented the program in Kuwait with 195 non-elite Kuwaiti ninth- 
and tenth-graders participating in the six-month-long English 
language program, in close collaboration with the Embassy.  Public 
Affairs staff fully integrated Access participants into a number of 
the Embassy's public diplomacy activities, including music concerts, 
movie nights, and speaker programs.  To  complement Access's 
success, 36 program participants will participate in an Access 
summer program in Kuwait, 20 top students will attend a four-week 
summer language camp in the U.S. funded by Chevron, and two will 
travel to the U.S. as part of a summer workshop program. 
 
b) During FY06Q2, INJAZ/Junior Achievement initiated its pilot 
"Company Program" in Kuwait.  Students in the program organized and 
operated a small business enterprise under the mentorship of male 
and female Kuwaiti business executives.  They learned the functions 
of a company and the operation and benefits of the free enterprise 
system.  Hailing from three public schools and five private schools, 
266 Kuwaiti students joined the pilot program.  From the private 
schools (American School of Kuwait, American Creative Academy and 
Bayan Bilingual School), 155 students participated.  The 
state-operated public schools, (including two girls' schools and 
three boys' schools), contributed 111 participants.  In June, INJAZ 
hosted a competition for the 165 student participants in the Company 
Program.  The students were organized into nine teams, each starting 
with initial capital of 75 KD ($257), a sum of 675 KD ($2,312). 
Following the competition, the students' companies had earned a 
reported 30,700 KD ($105,137).  This highly successful pilot program 
will resume in September. 
 
c) NDI continued its support for women's political participation in 
Kuwait by conducting extensive election training as prelude to the 
June 29 election.  Exhibiting vast flexibility in the compressed 
period available, NDI brought in campaign experts from the U.S., 
Europe, and the Middle East to work with women candidates.  NDI also 
coordinated with local organizations and the UNDP on voter awareness 
and youth groups to develop strategies to increase the participation 
of young people as voters and campaign volunteers.  Embassy 
personnel visiting election tents during the campaign period 
reported seeing more than 1,500 women in possession of 
well-designed, attractive, and informative handouts partially funded 
by NDI with MEPI funds.  Three clear best practices emerged.  First, 
having a native Arabic speaker conduct the training sessions was 
ideal.  Second, the immediacy of the election timeframe required a 
high degree of adaptability of NDI trainers who were extremely adept 
at adjusting priorities and making swift decisions with limited 
consultation with Washington headquarters.  Third, NDI engaged 
experts with concrete experience in campaign training from countries 
in the region or from Europe who successfully transferred their 
skills to the participants.  Kuwait's MEPI team applauds NDI's 
effective and appropriate strategies.  Multiple organizations 
converging on Kuwait during the campaign period would have been 
burdensome and counterproductive. 
 
d) "My Arabic Library" made its debut in Kuwait on May 23 and 24 
when Scholastic Vice President Carol Sakoian promoted the 
Arabic-language children's books in Kuwait.  The MEPI-funded 
translations to Arabic of this collection of children's books 
received an enthusiastic response.  Ms. Sakoian and Embassy Public 
Affairs staff met with officials at the Ministry of Education, 
Kuwait Teachers Society, and Kuwait University's College of 
Education, each of whom received sample sets.  Embassy will follow 
up with these Kuwaiti educational institutions regarding their 
decisions. 
 
e) In early May, Public Affairs forwarded the U.S.-Middle East 
University Partnerships Program announcement to Kuwait University, 
American University of Kuwait (AUK), Gulf University for Science and 
Technology (GUST), and Arab Open University.  As a result, two 
Kuwaiti institutions have been included in one single-country and 
one regional project in the program.  Southern Methodist University 
will collaborate with Kuwait University's College for Women to 
enhance the professional development of the faculty in the area of 
Information Technology, while MIT will team up with nine Arab 
universities, including GUST in Kuwait, to work with high school 
teachers to foster creative critical thinking in high school math 
classes.  There is keen interest by other universities in Kuwait to 
develop additional partnerships in the future. 
 
Exchanges and Conferences 
------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The Embassy's MEPI working group has continued to offer 
support to MEPI regional and global activities, exchanges and 
conferences by recruiting, selecting, and nominating appropriate 
Kuwaiti participants.  The following Kuwaitis were nominated for or 
took part in the listed MEPI exchange programs and/or regional 
 
conferences during FY06Q2: 
 
¶A.  Regional Conference Participants: 
 
1)  MEPI-supported Sana'a Conference on Democracy, Political Reforms 
and Freedom of Expression, Yemen (June 25-26, 2006): 
-Dr. Nada Al-Mutawa, Kuwait University 
 
2)  Several Kuwaitis reportedly participated in a MEPI Food Safety 
Forum in June in Bahrain.  Regrettably, Post played no role in 
extending the invitations and has not received confirmation of 
Kuwaiti participation. 
 
¶B.  New MEPI Exchange Program Alumni: 
 
1)  MEPI U.S. Business Internship Program for Young Middle Eastern 
Women (November 2005 - April 2006): 
-Ms. Alia Al-Mutawa, Assistant in Administration Marketing, 
Petrochemical Industries Company 
-Ms. Reem Al-Hajri, Senior Investment Officer, KIPCO Asset 
Management Company 
 
2)  Middle East Entrepreneur Training in the United States--MEET 
U.S. (March - April 2006): 
-Manal Al-Husaini, General Manager and owner of Comtec Trading 
Corporation 
-Wafa Al-Rasheed, Technical Director at the Kuwait Stock Exchange 
 
3)  MEPI-USPTO U.S. Study Tour for Middle East Region Public Law 
Librarians on Protecting Intellectual Property Rights (June 2006): 
-Ms. Bashayer Al-Randi, Kuwait University 
-Ms. May Al-Kulaib, Kuwait University 
 
¶C.  Nominated Participants: 
 
1)  Three Kuwaitis were nominated to participate in the Democracy 
and Election Management Institute scheduled for June 2006 but chose 
not to attend because of the elections: 
-Mr. Ali Murad, Director of the Elections Department at the Ministry 
of Interior 
-Dr. Jassem Karam, Kuwait University 
-Dr. Ali Al-Zuabi, Kuwait University 
 
2)  Following the Embassy's promotion of the MEPI Independent Media 
Project to all Kuwaiti media outlets, three Kuwaiti publications 
applied with the following results: 
-Mr. Ahmed Adly, Bazaar Magazine, application rejected (not 
short-listed) by MEPI 
-Mr. Ahmed Al-Ghanim, Thouq Magazine, application pending 
-Ms. Hadia Ghezali, Vogue Arabia, a new independent magazine that 
would focus on women's issues, application pending 
 
3)  Eight women candidates and their campaign managers were 
scheduled to participate in an International Republican Institute 
(IRI)- organized "Partners in Participation campaign academy in 
Dubai in early June.  Following the dissolution of Parliament and 
the scheduling of elections, all opted to remain in Kuwait and work 
on their campaigns.  The NDI project helped to fill the gap and 
several of the women, while not winning parliamentary seats, earned 
more votes than their male competitors in the same districts. 
 
¶D.  Conference Follow-up Activities: 
 
1)  Seized with the issue of Amiri succession, candidates for the 
February 4-5, 2006 Arab Civitas Conference in Jordan were difficult 
to identify.  However, using NEA/PPD funding Embassy Kuwait sent two 
participants.  In mid-April, Public Affairs staff presented the 
director general of the English Language Department of Kuwait's 
Ministry of Education with full documentation of the civic education 
conference.  The Ministry official indicated strong interest in 
learning more and agreed to review these materials to determine 
which elements, if any, to incorporate into the Kuwaiti public 
school curriculum.  Arab Civitas officials sought consultations in 
Kuwait at the end of June, but due to the pending elections and the 
unavailability of appropriate interlocutors, the visit was 
postponed. 
 
Next Year -- New Targets, New Focus 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  The sudden dissolution of the Kuwaiti Parliament has 
driven the Kuwait MEPI team to re-evaluate and revise the next year 
of MEPI program objectives.  The following six prime areas reflect 
the new focus under consideration: 
 
a) Advocacy programs to help women and youth effectively lobby 
 
elected and appointed governmental bodies 
b) Promotion of civic education in the state-operated public school 
system in partnership with the Ministry of Education 
c) Encouraging the establishment of university linkages between 
Kuwaiti and American educational institutions 
d) Supporting reform in the legal/judicial field and training 
opportunities for parliamentarians and their staffs 
e) Advancing youth engagement in politics and leadership skill 
development, by introducing a mock parliament project 
f) Continuing political participation training for women and youth, 
based on the election results and lessons learned from the recent 
electoral proceedings. 
 
Promoting Best Practices 
---------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  The Embassy's experience with the NDI and journalism 
projects demonstrated that effective MEPI projects in one country or 
region might be replicated successfully in others.  Increased 
dialogue and sharing of best practices and successful MEPI projects 
between posts and the Regional Office is beneficial and should be 
continued and encouraged. 
 
Improving Coordination 
---------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  Post stresses that MEPI regional conference invitations 
have worked best when distributed through the Embassy's MEPI team. 
The MEPI/USPTO tour for librarians worked well because Embassy 
officers personally identified and recruited the participants. 
Occasionally, the Embassy is unaware that Kuwaitis have been invited 
to MEPI programs, which leads to lack of coordination and 
misunderstandings between Embassy officers and close contacts.  This 
unfortunately hinders Post's hard work to maintain active 
communication with MEPI alumni. 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  Also, Post reiterates its view that MEPI should limit 
the recycling of MEPI program participants, which was noted in 
reftel D.  The trend has been to offer MEPI training and program 
opportunities to "the usual suspects."  This phenomenon limits the 
audience of new contacts and provides experienced participants 
little of value in follow-on workshops or seminars.  Post aims to 
diversify the base of participants in democracy-building efforts, 
and develop more advanced and focused training topics and methods 
for past participants in MEPI activities. 
 
Next Quarter News 
----------------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  The next quarter for MEPI in Kuwait will witness the 
completion of the FY05 Small Grants and active participation by four 
candidates in the MEPI Study of the U.S. Institutes.  FY06 Small 
Grant projects will move forward as will efforts to promote the 
freedom agenda and reform in multiple new directions. 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
 
TUELLER