P R 071047Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3902
INFO AMEMBASSY MASERU

UNCLAS MASERU 000328 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/S, DEPARTMENT FOR VAL REYNOLDS, DEPARTMENT FOR 
AF/EX 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: LT PGOV OIIP ZU
SUBJECT: LESOTHO:  "CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY" UNITES DIVERSE 
CROWD 
 
¶1. Summary:  On November 4, 2008, Mission Maseru hosted an 
election-night reception at the Chief of Mission residence 
(CMR).  The evening's theme was "A Celebration of American 
Democracy".  All Mission staff members worked at the event, 
which was attended by over 300 guests.  There was a diverse 
group of invitees, from high-level government officials to local 
university students and Peace Corps volunteers.  Local press 
attended, including representatives from the country's only 
television network.  End Summary. 
 
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Mission Maseru celebrates American Democracy 
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¶2. In keeping with the theme "A Celebration of American 
Democracy", the CMR was decorated with red, white and blue, and 
a lot of Americana.  Two poster shows from IIP framed the podium 
and the entrance to the festivities:  "The Road to Equality: 
How American Women Won the Vote" and "Principles of Democracy". 
Embassy personnel gave away red, white, and blue necklaces as 
well as Lesotho / USA flag pins.  Both giveaways were extremely 
popular.  Ejournals, publications, and one-pagers from IIP were 
placed at tables around the CMR.  By the end of the night, none 
of this material was left.  That includes 40 copies of each one 
pager, 60 copies of "The Candidates" and "The Electoral College" 
Ejournals, and about 50 copies of "Elections in Brief" and 
"Democracy in Brief", as well as bookmarks highlighting the 
America.gov website. 
 
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Ambassador Hosts Record Crowd 
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¶3. In typical Lesotho fashion, Mission Maseru received only 
twenty responses before the big event.  However, when the 
evening was over, more than 300 people had attended.  Among the 
attendees were the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and 
International Relations; Health and Social Welfare; Finance and 
Development Planning; Labour and Employment; and the Minister to 
the Prime Minister's Office; as well as the Speaker of the 
National Assembly and representatives from all diplomatic 
missions, including the Libyan Embassy.  The Minister of Finance 
commented on the variety of attendees.  He stated that he was 
very happy to see so many young faces at the reception.  Mission 
Maseru made an effort with this reception to reach out to young, 
mid- and entry-level government officials.  To this end, thirty 
students from the National University were invited along with 
their teachers in the fields of law, political science / public 
administration, and development studies. 
 
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Democratic values praised, biographies enjoyed 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4. The program for the event included remarks by the Ambassador 
and three video presentations.  The video presentations were 
shown on a massive screen in the back corner of the Ambassador's 
property.  As guests were arriving, they had the opportunity to 
view the america.gov video:  "Elections 2008:  volume three", 
provided by IIP.  Next, the Ambassador delivered remarks which 
focused on the unique and historic nature of this election; the 
importance of democratic values in American society and how they 
have helped build good relations with other nations of the 
world, including Lesotho; and the enduring legacy of 
humanitarian and economic aid for which President Bush will be 
remembered in Africa. 
 
¶5. After the Ambassador's speech, biographies of the candidates, 
produced by "The Biography Channel" and provided to post by 
Video Acquisitions, were screened.  The event's MC flipped a 
coin to choose which candidate's biography would be broadcast 
first.  The very pro-Obama Basotho crowd displayed slight 
displeasure when McCain's biography won the coin toss, but this 
encouraged them to stay through for both videos.  A very large 
group of people, both sitting and standing, watched the videos 
in their entirety.  Many attendees commented on the festive feel 
of this "under the stars" screening.  When the videos ended, the 
crowd went home, hopefully to log on to the america.gov web 
chat, or the Voice of America website, both of which were 
publicized during the MC's remarks. 
 
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Celebrating with a diverse audience a success 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. Comment:  This reception was extremely well-received by the 
diverse crowd.  Many guests commented on the unusual mix of 
guests.  With the Department's focus on getting the message out 
to younger, broader, and deeper audiences, this kind of event 
with a guest list that includes University students and 
Government Ministers, can reach new contacts and have a great 
impact in this small country.  The festive atmosphere, despite 
the seriousness of the content, was a welcome change from the 
typical speeches and lectures.  Mission Maseru feels that this 
kind of event can serve an extremely vital Public Diplomacy 
function here in Maseru.  We plan to hold such events again, and 
anticipate continued high attendance.  End comment. 
 
 
NOLAN