VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAMA #8573 3270920
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF7213 3270948
P 230920Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS AMMAN 008573 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV MEPI JO
SUBJECT: FORUM FOR THE FUTURE: PARALLEL CONFERENCES 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  IN ADDITION TO THE PARALLEL CIVIL SOCIETY 
CONFERENCE ENVISIONED AND SUPPORTED BY FORUM FOR THE FUTURE 
(FFF) PLANNERS, TWO OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY GATHERINGS WILL OCCUR 
IN JORDAN DURING THE SAME TIMEFRAME AS THE FORUM.  SOME 
PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCES NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FFF 
MAY GENERATE CRITICAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE FORUM.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
THE "AUTHORIZED" PARALLEL CONFERENCE 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  ( U ) AS REQUESTED AND ENCOURAGED BY THE HOSTS AND 
PLANNERS OF THE NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1 FORUM FOR THE FUTURE 
MEETINGS IN AMMAN,  A PARALLEL CONFERENCE OF CIVIL SOCIETY 
GROUPS WILL CONVENE.  THE PARALLEL CONFERENCE IS BEING STAGED 
IN COORDINATION WITH THE JORDANIAN PLANNING MINISTRY UNDER 
THE AUSPICES OF A JORDANIAN NGO, THE ADALEH CENTER FOR HUMAN 
RIGHTS, LED BY ASSAM RABABA.  PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE MANY 
WELL-ESTABLISHED CIVIL SOCIETY PLAYERS FROM THROUGHOUT THE 
REGION, INCLUDING DR. HANI HOURANI, HEAD OF THE EL URDUN EL 
JADEED CENTER, WHO IS PLAYING A PROMINENT ROLE ON THE 
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE.  THEY ELECTED SIX REPRESENTATIVES WHO 
WILL SPEAK AT THE MINISTERIAL MEETINGS OF THE FORUM.  THESE 
REPRESENTATIVES WILL JOIN OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPANTS IN 
THE FORUM. 
 
AMMAN CONFERENCE TO COMBAT HEGEMONY 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  ( U ) ANOTHER GROUP OF CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS, WHO ARE 
ALSO WELL-ESTABLISHED IN JORDAN BUT CRITICAL OF U.S. AND 
JORDANIAN FOREIGN POLICY, IS CONVENING NOVEMBER 30 TO 
DECEMBER 1.  CALLING ITSELF THE "AMMAN CONFERENCE TO COMBAT 
HEGEMONY", THE CONFERENCE IS LED BY HANI DAHLEH AND BADI 
RAFAYA OF THE ARAB ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, A JORDANIAN 
NGO.  LOCAL MEDIA REPORT THAT THE JORDANIAN UNION OF 
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, WHICH IS A CONSISTENT CRITIC OF 
U.S. POLICY, HAS GIVEN DAHLEH $15,000 TO FUND HIS CONFERENCE. 
 THIS ALTERNATIVE "PARALLEL CONFERENCE" WAS TO TAKE PLACE AT 
THE "AL QUDS" HOTEL IN AMMAN.  PRESS REPORTS INDICATE THE GOJ 
HAS DENIED A PERMIT FOR THIS MEETING TO TAKE PLACE. THE 
ORGANIZERS HAVE VOWED TO MEET ANYWAY IN THE PROFESSIONAL 
ASSOCIATIONS UNION HEADQUARTERS.  THE MOST LIKELY DAY FOR 
THIS EVENT IS NOVEMBER 30TH. 
 
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NGOS 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. ( SBU ) YET A THIRD CONFERENCE WILL CONVENE IN JORDAN AT 
THE SAME TIME AS THE FORUM.  THE WORLD ASSOCIATION OF 
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (WANGO) ANNOUNCED IT IS 
HOLDING A "WORLD CONGRESS OF NGOS" AT THE DEAD SEA MOEVENPICK 
HOTEL UNDER THE SLOGAN "FORCES FOR PEACE."  THE MOEVENPICK IS 
A FEW HUNDRED YARDS FROM THE KING HUSSEIN CONFERENCE CENTER 
WHERE THE FORUM MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE.  HOWEVER, GOJ 
SECURITY WILL TIGHTLY CONTROL ACCESS TO BOTH THE CONFERENCE 
CENTER AND THE MARRIOT, WHERE MOST OF THE U.S. DELEGATION 
WILL STAY.  THE WANGO'S EVENT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A 
COMPETING CONFERENCE, BUT MAY RECEIVE INCREASED RECOGNITION 
DUE TO PROXIMITY IN TIME AND LOCATION TO THE FORUM. 
ACCORDING TO SOME INTERNET SITES (E.G. WWW.ZOOMINFO.COM AND 
BLOG.WORLD-CITIZEN.ORG), WANGO IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE 
UNIFICATION CHURCH. 
 
¶5. ( SBU )THE JORDANIAN PLANNING MINISTRY IS AWARE OF THE TWO 
INDEPENDENT NGO CONFERENCES.  THE GOJ DOES NOT EXPECT 
PARTICIPANTS IN EITHER CONFERENCE TO ATTEMPT TO DISRUPT THE 
FORUM.  WE DO EXPECT THE INDEPENDENTS, HOWEVER, TO COMPETE 
WITH THE FORUM FOR THE FUTURE SPONSORED NGO EVENT FOR MEDIA 
ATTENTION. 
 
VISIT AMMAN'S CLASSIFIED WEB SITE AT 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/NEA/AMMAN/ 
HALE