VZCZCXRO0715
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0117/01 0801739
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201739Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0067
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO PRIORITY 1237

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000117 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PDA CHAD WEST, WHA/CAR FOR JROSHOLT, ECA FOR 
WHA/CAR POC, POSTS FOR PAOS/CAOS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC OEXC NS
SUBJECT: "BEST KEPT SECRET?" CULTURAL PROGRAMMING WITH 
ALMOST NO MONEY 
 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000117  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary:  With PD resources already nearly 
exhausted, Post has sought to maintain cultural and outreach 
programming through the use of "window of opportunity" 
speakers.  Taking advantage of the presence of U.S. 
university professor of ethnomusicology Jonathan C. Kramer, 
on March 5 Post organized a lecture/discussion at local 
restaurant/cafe "Tori Oso" on the topic "Suriname Music: An 
Outsider's Perspective."  Kramer effectively related his own 
personal musical "journey" to the Surinamese musical cultures 
and established a bond with the audience by sharing 
revelations about music he had learned from Surinamers in the 
few days he had spent in Suriname  The event drew 40 people, 
resulted in a newspaper article which used Kramer's phrase 
for Surinamese music, "best kept secret," as its title, 
further expanded Post's growing list of cultural contacts and 
intellectuals, and continued to demonstrate the U.S. 
Embassy's commitment to strengthen cultural ties and promote 
mutual understanding, thus reinforcing the public diplomacy 
goals established in Post's Mission Strategic Plan (MSP). 
END SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  (U)  Type of Program: Post-organized "Window of 
Opportunity" Speaker.  MSP goal addressed: Goal No. 1: 
"Mutual U.S./Suriname appreciation and respect contributing 
to a more effective partnership." 
 
¶3.  (U)  Background: During an early February discussion of 
Maroon culture in Suriname by Cyriel Eersteling as part of 
the Post Language Program, the DCM learned that Eersteling 
was helping to coordinate the visit of U.S. ethnomusicologist 
Jonathan C. Kramer, Ph.D., to Suriname.  At the DCM's 
suggestion Eersteling agreed to approach Kramer about doing a 
public lecture under the auspices of the Embassy.  Kramer 
enthusiastically agreed.  When Post learned that our 
traditional conference site at the Cultural Center of 
Suriname was still undergoing  renovations, the DCM, PolOff, 
and Eersteling approached Mr. Osje Braumuller, owner of the 
'Tori Oso," a restaurant/cafe well known a venue for cultural 
activities, jazz, and as a meeting place for intellectuals of 
Surinamese politics, government, media, and literary figures. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Evaluation of the Speaker: Dr. Kramer was a 
spellbinding speaker.  Weaving his own personal journey 
through music into the fabric of Surinamese musical 
traditions, Kramer related how one night 20 years ago he had 
had a vivid dream about a multi-ethnic, musically diverse 
place like Suriname.  So his first visit to Suriname in early 
March 2008 was actually the realization of that dream 20 
years ago.  In the few days Dr. Kramer had been in Suriname 
prior to his public lecture at Tori Oso, Cyriel Eersteling, a 
local tour operator and historian of the Maroons (descendants 
of escaped slaves) - and himself a Maroon - already had shown 
Kramer much of the Surinamese culture and had introduced him 
to intellectuals, historians, and musicians from across the 
ethnic and cultural spectrum of Surinamese society.  Kramer 
effectively wove stories of those Surinamers he had met into 
his talk, further captivating his listeners. Several audience 
members made a point of approaching the DCM following the 
talk to praise Kramer for his presentation, his knowledge, 
and his understanding of Surinamers.  (Note: Kramer is a 
former Peace Corps Volunteers and former Fulbright Senior 
Fellow in India and South Korea.)  Post enthusiastically 
recommends Kramer for the U.S. Speaker Program and future 
Fulbright opportunities for posts seeking a speaker or 
specialist on music. 
 
¶5.  (U)  Program Coordination:  Cyriel Eersteling was the 
lynchpin that made this program possible.  He was the initial 
point of contact with Dr. Kramer, proposed and helped secure 
the venue "Tori Oso," and informed cultural contacts about 
this event, which drew 40 interested audience members, most 
of whom stayed on after a short break to engage in further 
discussion of music.  Eersteling also arranged for a 
research/scholar from the Ministry of Education and Community 
Development to act as emcee and brought in a local women's a 
cappella singing group whose performances before and after 
Kramer spoke provided the perfect "bookends" to the lecture. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Program Costs:  Dr. Kramer eagerly accepted the 
speaking engagement, aware that Post had no funding for 
honorarium expenses.  Kramer had recently been awarded an 
advance from a publisher to write a college textbook about 
music, and he used those funds to pay for this trip. 
Eersteling handled all arrangements for the a cappella 
singing group.  Post's only cost was a relatively small 
amount of representational funds spent on Kramer, Eersteling, 
the singers, the moderator, and several others involved with 
the program. 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000117  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U)  Impact of the Program:  Kramer's lecture provided 
the opportunity to further demonstrate the Embassy's ongoing 
commitment to promoting mutual understanding through cultural 
dialogue.  The Embassy's list of cultural contacts and 
intellectuals within Surinamese society continues to grow, 
providing additional opportunities to promote 
people-to-people diplomacy.  The public-private partnership 
exhibited on this program - and the willingness of Kramer and 
co-sponsors to waive any honorarium or charges - enabled Post 
to continue its outreach without expending any program funds. 
 A journalist invited by the Embassy to cover and participate 
on the event published an excellent article with photo. 
SCHREIBER HUGHES