VZCZCXRO3843
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0754/01 3371017
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021017Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0668
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1358
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COTONOU 000754 
 
PARIS FOR ARS (DWINTON) 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (ANYASO, TITUS, LISENBY), AF/W (ACOOK) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRC OIIP KDEM KPAO KISL PINR ML
SUBJECT: BENIN: GPRA REPORT INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK 
NOVEMBER 17-21, 2008 
 
REF: SECSTATE 117838 
 
SUMMARY: The Public Diplomacy Section of the American Embassy in 
Cotonou organized communications on the exchange programs and the 
showing of the films titled "If You Want to Study in the U.S.", "On 
Behalf of All Women", "Akeelah and the Bee", as the activities 
scheduled to mark the International Education Week. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. DATE OF ACTIVITY: November 17-21; First quarter, FY 09. 
 
¶3. PROGRAM JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVES: PAS Cotonou promotes 
International Education Week (IEW) on the Road by implementing a 
series of activities to highlight the impact of international 
exchange and the educational opportunities in the United States, the 
importance of education, and to encourage girls to go to school and 
teach them that where boys succeed, girls can do as well. 
 
¶4. MPP UMBRELLA THEMES AND AUDIENCE REACHED: Promoting Education, 
Basic Health and Human Rights.  At least 700 participants, including 
students from the International Christian School of Benin, the 
Nigeria International School, the University of Abomey-Calavi, the 
University of Parakou, the Teachers' Training Colleges in Porto-Novo 
and Natitingou, the Military High School for Young Girls in 
Natitingou, faculty members and other interested guests took part in 
these programs. The week-long programs held across the country were 
covered by all major media outlets including TV, radio and print 
media. Estimated audience reached: 3.5 million. 
 
¶5. ACTIVITIES/IMPACT/RESULT: To launch this important week, 
Ambassador Gayleatha Brown was the special guest on the 
government-owned TV station, with an audience estimated at 2.5 
million. The Ambassador seized this opportunity to reiterate the 
conviction that enduring friendships and partnerships created 
through international education and exchange are important for a 
secure future for all countries.  She underlined that the doors of 
U.S. educational institutions are open to all qualified students and 
professionals from around the world and encouraged Beninese students 
to prepare themselves for scientific fields of study, since science 
and technology constitute an important engine for Africa's economic 
growth and sustainable development, that can induce self reliance 
and facilitate the full integration of Africa into the global 
economy. 
 
To begin the week, Public Affairs Officer Rhonda Watson and her 
colleagues launched on November 17, 2008 the International Education 
Week and the Fulbright Program for the academic year 2010-2011, at 
the University of Abomey-Calavi, a pioneer institution that has an 
enrollment of over 50,000 students. An audience of 100 including 
university authorities, faculty members and students attended the 
launching ceremony. A book exhibition was also held at the American 
Corner of the University of Abomey-Calavi for 2 days, November 
17-18, to market our products, services and resources. Nouveaux 
Horizons Publications recently received were displayed and books 
were donated to the American Corner. This was also the opportunity 
for the renewing of the Memorandum of Understanding between PAS and 
University officials. 
 
In the morning of November 18, 2008, the PAS team showed the film on 
sexual harassment entitled "On Behalf of All Women", a film produced 
by Women Legal Rights and sponsored by USAID, to raise women 
students' awareness about this phenomenon against which a law was 
voted in Benin in 2007. Elvire Hounou Huenassou, former Coordinator 
of WLR served as moderator and answered questions posed by the 
audience of 50 persons comprising students and administrative staff. 
Then after showing the film "If You Want to Study in the U.S.," the 
Cultural Affairs Assistant gave a thorough and comprehensive 
overview of academic and professional exchange opportunities, 
followed by the experience sharing of the Fulbright Alumnus, Etienne 
Ewikotan, who came back home last June after spending two years 
studying Education Planning at the University of Loyola in Chicago. 
His communication mostly centered on the education system in the 
U.S, a system that fosters responsibility, life long learning and 
leadership. 
 
In the afternoon of November 18, the PAO and her colleagues traveled 
to Porto-Novo, the capital of Benin. At the Ecole Normale Superieure 
(Teachers' Training College), 80 students and faculty members 
attended the program, which consisted in showing the film "If you 
want to study in the U.S." and presenting the exchange programs. The 
Director of the Teachers' Training College, a Fulbright alumnus was 
given the opportunity to share his U.S. experience with the 
audience. 
 
On November 19, 2008, the PAS team, comprising the Cultural Affairs 
Assistant and the Information Resource Center Director, accompanied 
by the Fulbright Alumnus Innocent Datondji, Director of Porto-Novo 
Teachers' Training College, traveled to the University of Parakou, 
located in the Northern part of Benin, which has an enrollment of 
 
COTONOU 00000754  002 OF 003 
 
 
about 6,000 students. The IRC Director chaired a book donation 
ceremony to the American Corner in the presence of the Vice 
Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs. The Cultural Affairs 
Assistant presented the exchange programs and Innocent Datondji gave 
a communication on "Bridge-Building between Benin and the U.S." To 
start his presentation, Professor Datondji provided a definition of 
the concept which he calls bridge-building, which consists in making 
it possible for Beninese and Americans to have the opportunity to 
come together and meet for a better understanding of their 
respective cultures and civilisations. He developed this concept by 
stressing its importance due to the globalisation process according 
to which no people can, nowadays, remain enclosed within itself. 
 
He ended his presentation by illustrating it with his own experience 
in America. His four visits to that country (in 1981, 1984, 1995, 
and 2006-2007, thanks to the Fulbright Program) have in fact 
convinced him of the necessity for teachers in Benin, among other 
things, to: 
1) Improve their students' knowledge of American culture and 
civilization so as to reduce bias and prejudice, thus encouraging 
cross cultural relationships. To do this he put at their disposal 
the materials that he has brought home with him, and he organized 
periodic talk-sessions with them. 
2) Tell them something about homesickness and invite them to be 
prepared for it, should they travel (someday to America or 
elsewhere), even though he realizes that experiences and lessons 
differ from  person to person. 
 
The one final lesson that he has derived from his 2006-2007 stay is 
that, despite everything, despite the stress and all the drawbacks, 
despite all the privations and mistakes, it is worth going away, if 
only to test and evaluate oneself again, to be more serious about 
education, to make deeper self-exploration, to get to understand 
better other peoples and their cultures (even if sometimes one does 
not adopt them), so that, on their return, they could better help 
their own people and mostly their students to be more themselves, as 
individuals and community members. 
To end the session in Parakou, the audience watched Obama's 
biography and asked questions about the electoral system and the 
lessons to be drawn from President Obama's election. 
 
On November 20, 2008 the PAS team and Innocent Datondji headed for 
Natitingou. At the Teachers' Training College, (this college has 
only been created for scientific studies,) books were donated and 
communications were given on the exchange programs by the CAA and on 
the importance of the English language by Innocent Datondji. He 
explored the most important factors which can affect the 
teaching/learning of English as follows: 
1) The objectives of English learning: Commerce, tourism, teaching, 
international relations, diplomacy, technology, sciences, 
transports, professional career, leisure. 
2)The conditions and variables: The country where it is taught, the 
area (urban or rural), the racial composition, the economic 
situation, the educational system, the cultural values, the place of 
English in the country, the medium of instruction, the contents of 
the teaching. 
3) The human variables: 
 -The learners: Their level of instruction, their age, their 
aptitude, their attitude, their gender, their health, their family 
background, their exposure to English, their degree of motivation, 
their expectations regarding English. 
-The teachers: their level of education, their qualification as 
English teachers, their experiences, their level in English, their 
comprehension of the nature of English, their interest for English, 
their teaching methods. 
-The environment: Geographical situation, availability of classes, 
availability of teaching materials, availability of language 
laboratory, the expectations of the parents. 
It was a good opportunity to encourage students in science to keep 
learning English, since they tend to give it up generally. 
 
The team also visited the Military School for young girls, a school 
that was started in the year 2000 to promote excellence based on the 
model of a military school for boys called "Prytanee Militaire of 
Bembereke". Currently, there are 278 girls attending the school. 
Selection for enrollment is based on a yearly competition and the 
three best students from the 12 Departments are invited to enroll. 
The students range in age from 9 to 18 and follow the same 
curriculum as the one used nationally. We donated books to the 
school and showed the film on sexual harassment "On Behalf of All 
Women" and this was much appreciated by the whole school and by the 
staff. All the girls attended the session. 
 
Judging by the number and intensity of questions and audience 
contributions, the programs were well received and successful. We 
distributed flyers to market our exchange programs and encouraged 
potential candidates to apply for the Fulbright Program. 
Requests were made in Parakou and Natitingou for additional programs 
 
COTONOU 00000754  003 OF 003 
 
 
and resources, especially for the faculty in developing English 
curriculum and training for its staff. 
 
To wrap up the IEW activities, the film titled "Akeelah and the Bee" 
was shown at the American Cultural Center on November 21, 2008. The 
film provided an opportunity to point out that education is a key 
factor to success. The film was an efficient tool in emphasizing 
that when a girl has the determination to succeed in life, she could 
be equally as or more successful than a boy. At the end of the film, 
students' representatives made lengthy comments about how to succeed 
in life, which was a sign that the message was well received. Many 
University students seized the opportunity of this film program to 
express their interest in getting more involved in PD programs. 
 
 
¶6. NON-USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN KIND SUPPORT: 
Most of the academic institutions we visited did their best to 
encourage students to attend the sessions, even though they haven't 
resumed yet at the University of Abomey Calavi, at the Teachers' 
Training Colleges in Porto-Novo and Natitingou. Regarding the film 
show at the ACC, the willingness of three institutions of learning 
to send students to attend this program was instrumental to the 
overwhelming success of this activity. The participation of the 
Fulbright alumni Etienne Ewikotan and Innocent Datondji and Elvire 
Hounou Huenassou brought vivid first-hand accounts to the events. 
 
¶7. QUALITY OF USG SUPPORT: Excellent. Kudos to Doctor Alfred 
Frederick, Professor of Education at State University of New York, 
for accepting to serve as Moderator in the program of "Akeelah and 
the Bee". During the lively discussion which took place at the end 
of the film, Dr. Frederick's pedagogical approach was highly 
appreciated. 
 
BROWN