VZCZCXRO9141
PP RUEHAP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHFL RUEHGI RUEHGR RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHKUK
RUEHMA RUEHMJ RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHQU RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHMK #0472/01 1981305
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161305Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7992
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNSCO/UNESCO COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0244
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0920
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT  PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MANAMA 000472 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BAGHDAD FOR AMBASSADOR ERELI, PARIS FOR AMBASSADOR OLIVER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI KISL PHUM UNESCO BA
SUBJECT: UNESCO CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS PROACTIVE APPROACHES 
TO COUNTERING YOUTH RADICALIZATION 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (U) Bahrain hosted a U.S.-funded UNESCO conference under 
the title "Youth at the Crossroads:  A Future Without Violent 
Radicalization" June 15-17 in Manama.  The conference brought 
together over 100 representatives of community-based and 
national youth programs from around the world to focus on 
best practice approaches to countering the violent 
radicalization of youth, and to bring awareness to the 
exploitation of young people around the world by violent 
extremist groups.  The conference was launched at the 
initiative of State/IO.  Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh 
Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa supported the conference 
enthusiastically, and Bahrain's MFA expressed interest in 
hosting a possible follow-on conference.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------ 
Conference Agenda & Background 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) In addition to the FM, the conference benefited from 
the input of a number of distinguished participants, 
including: 
 
--Joseph G. Jabbra, President, Lebanese American University, 
--Marcio Barbosa, UNESCO Deputy Director-General, 
--Andres Pastrana Arango, former President of Colombia, and 
--Dr. Ira Dosovitz, development expert, Psychiatry & 
Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University School of 
Medicine. 
 
The U.S. Department of Education's Assistant Secretary for 
Elementary and Secondary Education Kerri L. Briggs led the 
American delegation. 
 
¶3. (U) UNESCO organized the conference around six broad 
themes designed to promote a dialogue on best practices in 
countering and preventing violent radicalization amongst 
young people: 
 
--building confidence and leadership skills, 
--curricular and extracurricular approaches, 
--employability and job skills, 
--technology and 'connectedness', 
--information and the media, and 
--the community impact of youth development. 
 
 
----------------------- 
Opening Plenary Session 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Over 200 people attended the Opening Plenary Session, 
including NGOs, foundations, community and national leaders, 
and high-level dignitaries from Bahraini ministries and the 
local diplomatic corps.  The conference opened with comments 
from Jabbra, Barbosa, Pastrana, Bahraini Foreign Minister 
Shaikh Khalid, Executive Director of the Bahraini General 
Organization for Youth and Sport Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al 
Khalifa, and Bahraini member of parliament Adel Al Ma'awda. 
Comment: Al Ma'awda was an unscheduled contributor to the 
morning's program, whose appearance was worked out directly 
between the GOB and UNESCO.  Ma'awda, a Salafi MP predictably 
spoke in defense of Islam, although no one had critcised it, 
and despite the symposium's emphasis on the global nature of 
violent extremism.  End comment. 
 
¶5. (U) As host, the Bahraini government was heavily involved 
in the planning and implementation of the conference.  The 
Crown Prince hosted a reception for all attendees on Sunday, 
June 15 at the National Museum.  The conference took place 
under the patronage of Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin 
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, and the MFA played an 
important role preparing for the event.  Bahrain's General 
Organization for Youth and Sports (GOYS) was also actively 
involved.  GOYS Executive Director Shaikh Fawaz told the 
plenary, "We are aware that we must give youth the skills 
they need to be tolerant of other cultures and values."  The 
Crown Prince's Court also arranged for a young Bahraini to 
record a testimonial (see below.) 
 
------------------ 
 
MANAMA 00000472  002 OF 004 
 
 
Youth Testimonials 
------------------ 
 
¶6. (U) The opening session included two youth testimonials -- 
one a video statement given by a former member of a 
Washington, DC gang who recounted his story of joining and 
ultimately escaping this violent group, and the strength he 
has gained through becoming an active participant in 
organized community service work.  The other was an audio 
statement by a Bahraini youth who grew up surrounded by those 
who he said, "used their fists instead of their minds", 
describing how he avoided this path by taking advantage of 
the critical thinking education and tangible skill programs 
offered in Bahrain.  As Chairman Jabbra commented following 
these testimonials: "Though they come from different parts of 
the world, they share similarities.  Both were at that stage 
in their adolescence in which young people instinctively 
search for a distinct identity...both were surrounded by 
violent extremist groups seeking to exploit this 
impressionable age group...ultimately, they each developed a 
strong sense of self-esteem, competence, and found 
constructive outlets for their self-expression." 
 
------------------- 
Conference Sessions 
------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) One morning panel session stressing partnerships 
highlighted the roles different actors can play - NGOs, 
private sector, local and national government, international 
organizations, and foundations - in providing positive 
alternatives for youth.  Youth who have positive alternatives 
are less likely to succumb to the recruitment tactics of 
extremist groups.  In the afternoon the symposium adjourned 
to a series of six themed breakout sessions. Each breakout 
included 4-6 presentations by individual NGO practitioners, 
covering a broad geographic spectrum, followed by 45-60 
minutes of discussion.  The breakout sessions were filled to 
capacity, and participants contributed throughout. The 
breakout sessions were as follows: 
 
-- Building Confidence, Competence and Leadership Skills 
through Community Action: Mentoring Counseling, Volunteering, 
and Outreach. Discussion led by Americorps*NCCC Director of 
Projects, Charles Davenport. 
 
-- Curricular and Extracurricular Educational Approaches. 
Discussion led by Khabir Shaik, Director for Education UN 
Relief & Works Agency. 
 
-- Employability and Job Skills.  Discussion led by Amal Al 
Dossari, head of the Bahrain General Organization of Youth & 
Sports. 
 
-- Technology and Connectedness - Promoting Life and Social 
Skills, Networking and Knowledge Sharing.  Discussion led by 
Anwarul Chowdhury, former UN Under Secretary-General; former 
Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN. 
 
-- Information and Media.  Gary Knell, President of the 
Sesame Workshop opened with a segment on the importance of 
providing young people with critical thinking skills, in 
stark contrast to the manipulative indoctrination of Al-Aqsa 
(Hamas) TV's "Farfour".  (Note: "Farfour" was the Mickey 
Mouse look-alike who appeared on the "Pioneers of Tomorrow" 
program encouraging Palestinian children to seek martyrdom in 
Hamas' ranks.  End note.) 
 
-- Youth Development Perspectives - Community Impact. 
Discussion led by Arief Rachman, of the Indonesian Ministry 
of Education. 
 
 
------------ 
Key Findings 
------------ 
 
¶8. (U) UNESCO Assistant Director for Strategic Planning Hans 
d'Orville summed up the key findings of the conference, 
including: 
 
-- Around the globe, unwanted and unemployed youth are 
increasingly vulnerable to organizations that manipulate them 
and drive them into  violent extremism. 
 
MANAMA 00000472  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
-- Hope, opportunity, and a sense of community help combat 
the allure of violent extremism. 
 
-- Sustainability must be built into youth program models. 
 
-- Programs that contribute to character formation and a 
sense of community are highly effective. 
 
-- Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are 
effective at linking global youth together to build common 
values.  They also provide youth a voice in speaking out 
against violence, and contribute to job creation. 
 
-- Youth participation in program development and 
implementation are seen in most successful program models. 
 
-- Youth programming should exist for both boys and girls. 
 
-- Public/Private partnerships can develop economic 
opportunities for youth that steer them away from violent 
organizations. 
 
-- Programming that provides 'Open Spaces' for youth to 
engage is effective. 
 
-- Education helps improve critical thinking skills and plays 
a crucial role in combating extremism. 
 
-- Youth programs should be culturally relevant to the 
populations they serve. 
 
-- The development of Bahrain's national youth strategy was a 
good model, as it included participation from all societal 
stakeholders including youth. 
 
-- The "Manama Findings" called upon UNESCO to disseminate 
information about best practices and induce the development 
of partnerships. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
A/S Briggs rolls out bilateral Access Plus internship program 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
¶9. (U) At a press conference on the final day of the 
meetings, A/S Briggs announced the launch of the Access Plus 
program in Bahrain. Access Plus will take young Bahraini 
graduates of post's English programs and fund their placement 
with local companies as summer interns.  It is an extension 
of the highly successful English Access Microscholarship 
program, providing internships, workplace preparedness 
support and seminars, and intensive English language 
training for Bahraini youth.  Up to fifty Bahraini youth will 
participate in the first year of the program.  A/S Briggs 
noted that "...education and youth engagement are our most 
powerful tools for overcoming fear and ignorance and 
promoting respect and mutual appreciation." A/S Briggs' 
remarks were carried by all major Bahraini English and Arabic 
dailies and on Bahrain TV. 
 
 
¶10. (U) Comment: In taking on violent radicalization, UNESCO 
broke new ground and showed it could deal pragmatically with 
a sensitive topic.  Thanks to the efforts of the U.S. 
Government and UNESCO itself, the conference identified and 
included an impressive list of NGOs from around the world who 
are working on this issue.  Many participants clearly 
welcomed the chance to get together, and there was genuine 
interest from the audience which, although international, was 
heavily drawn from Gulf countries.  Significantly, there was 
general agreement among audience members and participants 
that violent radicalization is a problem that genuinely 
affects them. 
 
¶11. (U) The conference achieved the State/IO objectives of 
taking advantage of our membership in UNESCO to draw 
attention to this issue, and to bring organizations and 
stakeholders together from around the world to focus on 
solutions.  The symposium was well-attended, participation 
was high, and the Government of Bahrain was an active 
supporter.  The U.S. made the only announcement of extending 
a current program or of future partnerships, but after-action 
includes encouraging UNESCO to leverage the Compendium of 
 
MANAMA 00000472  004 OF 004 
 
 
Projects posted on their website 
(www.unesco/en/youthcrossroads) to initiate new adaptations 
and partnerships.   End Comment. 
 
¶12. (U) IO/UNESCO and USUNESCO Paris have cleared this 
message. 
 
********************************************* ******** 
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ 
********************************************* ******** 
HENZEL