VZCZCXRO2192
RR RUEHNZ
DE RUEHWL #0582/01 2072208
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 262208Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3083
INFO RUEHNZ/AMCONSUL AUCKLAND 0854
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 4493

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000582 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/EA - TVOSE & RFHOLDEN; EAP/PD - AGRIMES AND 
TSKIPPER; EAP/ANP - DRICCI; CANBERRA FOR PAO 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP NZ
SUBJECT: FY2006 US Speaker Request - Dr. Gerard Fenin 
 
 
¶1. Program Description: Post requests a U.S. speaker visit by Dr. 
Gerard Fenin, Deputy Director of the East-West Center's Pacific 
Island Development Program in support of MPP Goal 07-01 Active 
Anti-Terrorist Coalitions (Counter Terrorism) & Regional Stability 
and Goal 07-03 Mutual Understanding. Dr. Fenin would be asked to 
address Democracy, Security, Good Governance, and the Political 
Stability of the Southwest Pacific. 
 
Allowing for a rest day and Embassy briefings in Wellington, Post 
would like Fenin to arrive in Wellington no later than Sunday, 
September 24, and depart Auckland for Honolulu on Sunday, October 1. 
 This would allow for a maximum of five official program days and 
two rest days. 
 
¶2. Date, Fiscal Year, and Quarter: Dates: September 24 - October 1, 
¶2006. Fiscal Year 2006; Fourth Quarter. 
 
¶3. Justification and Objective: New Zealand plays a leading role in 
promoting political stability (the assistance recently given to the 
Solomons, Bougainville, and Fiji being cases in point), good 
governance, and economic growth among the countries in the Southwest 
Pacific. Dr. Fenin's specific expertise relating to New Zealand in 
the Asia-Pacific region at a time of increased terrorism and 
insecurity would be invaluable. A speaker of his caliber would 
attract a broad range of official, academic, and media interest 
throughout the country.  We would welcome the opportunity to discuss 
with our contacts such issues as foreign aid strategies; 
economic/development issues facing the Pacific Islands; good 
governance; the new Pacific era in which terrorism, money-laundering 
and people-smuggling are an issue; how New Zealand initiatives in 
the region relate to US interests; how they compare to and contrast 
with US Pacific Island programs; how New Zealand's interests in the 
region and its programs are beneficial to US interests; and how we 
can advance the demands of security in the region and help promote 
stability in small countries showing the potential to become failed 
states.  Dr. Fenin's knowledge of the Pacific and his popularity as 
a speaker would provide Post with an opportunity for discussion of 
these issues which are of serious concern to Post. 
 
¶4. Fenin's Pacific research and writings, which include: Small is 
Viable: The Global Ebbs and Flows of a Pacific Atoll Nation, 
East-West Center Working Papers, April 2002; Coups, Conflicts, and 
Crises: The New Pacific Way? East-West Center Working Papers, June 
2000; and his research on Islands of Globalization: policy analysis 
and sustainable development in the Pacific Islands and Reinventing 
Government in the Pacific Islands also reinforce the fact that he 
would be a US Speaker particularly well-suited to this program. 
 
¶5. Please note: Program contact Christine Vivian has already 
approached Dr. Fenin, who has confirmed his serious, enthusiastic 
interest in traveling to New Zealand.  He has indicated his 
availability to visit New Zealand on the given dates, subject to IIP 
approval. 
 
¶6. Audience: It is anticipated that this program will include 
members of parliament and their staffs, NZ AID, academics, Pacific 
Island representatives in NZ, the media, and local branches of the 
New Zealand Institute of International Affairs in at least three of 
the main NZ city centers.  It is expected also that Dr. Fenin will 
visit the Pacific Island Studies Departments at universities in at 
least three cities around the country. 
 
¶7. Topics and Types of Events:  Fenin will be asked to attend 
Embassy briefings in Wellington. Speech topics are to be decided in 
consultation with him and host institutions. It is envisaged that a 
presentation will be given to Embassy contacts in Wellington, and 
other events will include meetings with political leaders, the 
media, academia, and representational events at centers around New 
Zealand, as will as presentations to NZIIA (New Zealand Institute of 
International Affairs) members. 
 
¶8. Dr. Fenin's Contact Details: 
Email: feninj@EastWestCenter 
Telephone: 808 944-7751 Fax: 808 944-7670 
 
Address: 
Pacific Island Development Program 
East-West Center 
1601 East-West Road 
Honolulu, Hawaii 96848 
 
¶9. Post Project Officer/Control Officer: Christine Vivian.  Office 
Phone: 644-462-6112; Fax: 644-499-04890 
Email: cvivian@actrix.gen.nz or Vivianc@state.gov 
 
¶10. Funding Source: Ref: Email 6/1 from Victor Sidabras to Roy 
Glover re funding of the speaker's international and domestic 
travel, per diem, and honoraria.  This is the third of the three 
Special Speaker's requests which were offered to New Zealand. 
 
WELLINGTON 00000582  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶11. Please advise soonest. Many thanks. 
MCCORMICK