VZCZCXRO0124
PP RUEHPW
DE RUEHBUL #0227/01 0320526
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 010526Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7087
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000227 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/PPD, SCA/A 
STATE FOR IIP 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAO KIRC SCUL AF
SUBJECT: LINCOLN CENTERS REACH AFGHANISTAN'S NEXT GENERATION OF 
LEADERS 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: With over 55,000 visitors in 2008, Lincoln Centers 
(LCs) are one of the most successful public diplomacy tools in 
Afghanistan, providing unparalleled free and open access to the 
Internet, books, and educational opportunities throughout the 
country.  The LCs also serve as cultural and education gathering 
sites, regularly receiving significant praise from the Afghan media. 
 In a country with a literacy rate of only 28 percent, education is 
a critical means of helping Afghanistan develop its stability, its 
economy, and its democratic institutions.  With other cities in 
Afghanistan clamoring for their own Lincoln Centers, it is clear 
that we have a successful model to promote Afghan literacy, 
education, development, and democratic values.  We need to seize the 
opportunity for expansion while we have it.  END SUMMARY. 
 
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME 
 
¶2. (U) The Lincoln Center network currently consists of five 
centers, located in Kabul, Jalalabd, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, and 
Bamyan.  Twoof the centers (Kabul and Bamyan) are hosted bylocal 
universities, and the other three are a Ministry of Information and 
Culture sites.  ublic Affairs opened two new centers in 2008; one 
is a large center with a separate classroom collocated with the 
Herat Public Library and the second is a small center in Bamyan 
University.  Both centers had significant local leadership at the 
opening ceremonies and received wide-spread public coverage locally. 
 Herat, in its first full month of operations, drew nearly 3,000 
visitors of whom 40% were women.  Three more centers will be opening 
before July, in Kunduz, Khost, and Gardez. 
 
¶3. (U) The most popular activities at the centers are free English 
language and internet training courses that are offered at each 
location.  The classes are all taught by volunteers, although the 
Embassy offers some training opportunities or small honoraria to 
help cover their transportation and expenses.  Each Lincoln Center 
also offers a weekly film series of English-language films; the 
Herat LC is offering a prize after each film for the person who can 
answer the most questions on a quiz.  The event at Herat is drawing 
65-70 people a week, many of whom are researching the movies online 
before the movie showing. 
 
¶4. (U) Other popular activities are talks and discussion groups on 
topics of mutual interest, many revolving around international and 
U.S. holidays.  Cultural programs about Muslims in the United States 
and Afghan poetry alo draw large audience.  The Lincoln Centers 
also heavily participate in webchats and other electronic outreach 
programs, since they are one of the few sites with dependable, free 
internet access.  In addition, our PRT officers regularly use the 
Lincoln Centers to conduct outreach and programming activities since 
they have unrestricted access and enough space to host large 
audiences.  For example, the PRT officer in Mazar-e-Sharif hosted 
two Iftaar dinners at the Lincoln Center during Ramadan and the PRT 
officer in Herat hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for contacts. 
 
¶5. (U) The LCs are also centers for key cultural and scientific 
gatherings.  In Bamyan province, the LC hosts weekly poetry sessions 
which Bamyan Radio has asked to broadcast live.  They also sponsor 
regular scientific and cultural discussion hours hosted by a 
rotating list of university professors.  Journalism training and a 
province-wide youth gathering have also been held at the center. 
All these activities were established within two months of the 
opening, highlighting the potential for LCs to instantly become key 
local institutions. 
 
¶6. (U) The Lincoln Centers in Afghanistan are effective because they 
can reach audiences who do not speak English or have any background 
with the United States, and because they offer high-tech resources 
and information for more sophisticated audiences.  IIP products 
ensure a steady stream of new materials for use in the Centers.  In 
some locations, our free access to Internet, along with training, is 
the only place for many Afghans to learn computer skills and expand 
their knowledge.  The LCs are also effective as they reach 
non-English speaking audiences, through programs held in Dari and 
Pashto and with, until now, a small collection of materials in both 
languages.  We hope to expand our offerings in Dari and Pashto as 
money becomes available. 
 
 
¶7.  (U)  The most frequent user group is university students, a key 
audience for PD outreach activities.  To promote shared values, the 
LCs frequently invite local religious leaders to offer blessings at 
programs.  The centers are also successful in giving more women 
access to these resources, since some centers in more conservative 
areas host women-only hours and classes.  Culturally, many women 
cannot go to internet cafes in Afghanistan, so having free internet 
access at libraries and cultural sites helps give equitable access. 
 
 
EXPANDING THE NETWORK 
 
KABUL 00000227  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8. (U) Post would like to significantly expand our Lincoln Center 
network, beyond the eight projected centers by this spring, but more 
funding is needed.  Standing up an LC in Afghanistan costs 
approximately $100,000 but we have identified a number of 
cost-sharing opportunities.  For example, in Badghis province, the 
Spanish PRT has offered to build a building to host both an American 
and Spanish cultural center.  With this partnership, we can open 
this center in a remote provincial capital for approximately $30,000 
and at the same time send an important message about allied 
cooperation.  Some PRT officers are also exploring the ideas of 
using CERP funding to create buildings in key locations. 
 
¶9. (U) Approximately 12 provinces have expressed an interest in 
hosting Lincoln Centers; in Dai Kundi province, which neighbors 
Bamyan (where a center opened earlier this year), the Governor 
directly requested such a center after seeing how much impact the LC 
in Bamyan has had on cultural life there.  A Kabul newspaper earlier 
this year called the Lincoln Center in Mazar-e-Sharif "one of the 
best cultural centers for youth in Balkh province." 
 
¶10. (U) Given the logistical challenges of moving equipment and 
materials, it realistically takes six to nine months to open a 
center.  During the winter months, major roads and air 
transportation are less dependable, so the fall is a major window 
for opening new centers. 
 
TRAINING AND DEVEOPMENT 
 
¶11. (U) As part of an ongoing series of local and regional training 
classes supported by IIP and its corps of Information Resources 
Officers (IROs), post held a Lincoln Center Coordinators conference 
January 21-22, which generated more ideas for enhancing the local 
impact of the centers.  In addition to adding speaker programs and 
presentations, one of the centers is intending to begin writing a 
regular newsletter in Dari, Pashto, and English.  Another intends to 
begin holding local photography and art contests on themes such as 
"Democracy."  Since post will be opening three new centers in the 
coming months, we are also implementing a cross-training program 
where coordinators will be traveling to other Afghan centers to 
enhance relationships and idea sharing. Our LC coordinators will 
also participate in regional training provided by IIP. 
 
ENHANCING SECURITY, WHILE REMAINING PUBLIC 
 
¶12. (SBU) Security is provided by the local host institution, 
although the Embassy is always looking to enhance security while 
remaining open to the public.  Our center in Jalalabad has been a 
good example of a center operating in a high-threat environment. 
The Lincoln Center is within the Office of Information and Culture 
compound, and has a local police guard in the front.  Our 
coordinator is originally from the area, and he reports feeling more 
at risk in the city than at the center.  As we move to open new 
centers in Khost and Gardez this year, we prioritized locations with 
built-in security.  Post's RSO office is also assisting Public 
Affairs in enhancing security and developing emergency plans for 
each center. 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
¶13.  (U) Lincoln Centers focus on promoting shared values through 
free and equal access to information and education.  Establishing 
more of these centers is a key priority for Public Affairs.  As open 
gathering places offering unique information resources, they draw 
hundreds of people on a daily basis.  The LCs bolster the weak and 
limited education system in Afghanistan, and hence contribute to our 
overall development goals in the country.  The centers significantly 
expand the impact of other local PD efforts, by providing sites for 
candid discussions about U.S. culture, policies, and values, and 
providing centers for dialogue between Afghans and Americans. The 
open arms being offered to us now across Afghanistan may not remain 
open for long. It is time to move forward quickly. 
 
WOOD