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O 092257Z JUL 09
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TO ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 071325 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON OEXC OSCI PREL SCUL SENV SOCI TNGD
TSPL, XF, XI, ZP, ZR 
SUBJECT: FOLLOW UP TO THE CAIRO SPEECH: CONSULTATIVE PROCESS 
FOR MUSLIM ENGAGEMENT 
 
FOR CHIEFS OF MISSION FROM THE SECRETARY 
 
 
 
 
 
¶1. This is an action request. Please see paragraphs 8-14. 
 
¶2. SUMMARY: The President's June 4 speech in Cairo called for 
a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around 
the world based on mutual respect and the pursuit of 
partnerships in areas of mutual interest. Among the 
President's highest priorities is moving aggressively to 
fulfill the promise of his speech by implementing the 
initiatives he laid out, and by ensuring an ethos of mutual 
respect and partnership pervades our engagement with Muslim 
communities worldwide. In support of USG efforts to implement 
these goals, we ask that you and your country teams consult 
with stakeholders and partners including community leaders in 
civil society, the private sector, and government; as well as 
members of target communities such as women, youth, and 
disenfranchised groups.  Stakeholder views on what elements 
would be of greatest interest to them to pursue in partnership 
with the U.S. will be vital to the development and 
implementation of the President's initiatives.  The 
consultative process is also intended to  demonstrate U.S. 
commitment to dialogue and partnership. To best support 
ongoing implementation discussions, initial responses are 
requested by July 22.  End Summary. 
 
BACKGROUND: Follow up on the Cairo speech 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. The President's June 4 speech in Cairo, available on the 
White House website, laid the foundation for a new beginning 
with Muslim communities worldwide based on a vision of mutual 
respect, peace, advancement, partnership and opportunity.  The 
Cairo speech is part of a broader, long-term engagement 
effort, which includes the President's Inaugural address, 
Nowruz message, and speech in Ankara. However, the President 
has also recognized that what we do matters more than what we 
say, and has emphasized that above all we will demonstrate 
through actions our commitment to a better future. 
 
¶4. Following up swiftly and visibly on the Cairo speech is 
imperative.  We are moving aggressively to implement and 
amplify the initiatives the President laid out.  Working with 
Muslim communities on these initiatives by seeking their 
input, obtaining their support, and fostering a sense of 
dialogue and partnership is critical to the success of this 
effort and realizing the ethos of engagement. 
 
Three areas of engagement 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. The President's Cairo speech covered a wide range of policy 
priorities, including: countering violent extremism; Middle 
East peace; nuclear proliferation; democracy and human rights; 
religious freedom; women's rights; and advancing social and 
economic opportunity. 
 
¶6. Related to these priorities, he described three broad areas 
of engagement and a number of specific initiatives, defined 
 
STATE 00071325  002 OF 004 
 
SUBJECT: FOLLOW UP TO THE CAIRO SPEECH: CONSULTATIVE PROCESS 
FOR MUSLIM ENGAGEME 
below. For each of these areas, we seek input from local 
stakeholders and community members that would help develop the 
most effective activities and programs possible with respect 
to the policy priorities outlined above. 
 
        --Human development, including education, youth, women and 
girls, public health, democracy and rule of law, and economic 
development. Specific initiatives identified in the speech 
include expanding exchange programs; increasing scholarships; 
encouraging American study-abroad in Muslim communities; 
matching Muslim students with U.S. internships; investments in 
online learning for teachers and children; online networks for 
youth; partnership with the OIC to eradicate polio; 
partnerships to promote child and maternal health; 
partnerships to expand literacy for girls; and microfinance 
partnerships to help women pursue employment. 
 
        --Entrepreneurship and Interfaith Partnership, including 
interfaith dialogue on addressing humanitarian needs and ways 
of increasing innovation and entrepreneurship to bring 
creative and self-sustaining solutions to development 
challenges. Specific initiatives from the speech include 
creating a business volunteer corps; hosting a summit on 
entrepreneurship this year; creating a new online 
intercultural network; and mobilizing interfaith service 
partnerships. 
 
        --Science and Technology, including education, technology 
transfer, capacity development, scientific exchanges, and 
specific ways of applying science to solve local problems or 
issues such as water scarcity, new sources of energy, and the 
creation of green jobs.  Specific initiatives from the speech 
include creating a new fund to support technological 
development; opening scientific centers of excellence in 
Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia; and appointing 
science envoys. 
 
¶7. These areas of engagement are not exhaustive nor are they 
mutually exclusive. Implementing the list of specific 
initiatives promised by the President is a priority but just a 
first step.  We welcome feedback from your consultations on 
additional areas of emphasis or ways to advance the policy 
priorities outlined above and in the speech. 
 
ACTION: Launching a consultative process 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. ACTION: Chiefs of Mission are requested to work with 
country teams to undertake consultations with civil society, 
private sector, government entities, and members of target 
communities including women, youth, and disenfranchised 
communities, convening and connecting stakeholders to discuss 
the speech, the priorities outlined within, stakeholder 
priorities, and potential follow-up actions that are 
responsive to needs and ideas identified by local communities. 
Our goal is to partner with stakeholders both in planning and 
in implementation, ensuring that local communities are 
invested in the initiatives, that the initiatives are owned by 
communities impacted and demonstrate meaningful collaboration 
between the USG and the communities we seek to engage. 
 
¶9. We encourage creativity in creating context-appropriate 
dialogue opportunities that will result in open communication 
and exchange of ideas.  In some cases, that may mean that the 
consultations you organize are hosted by local NGOs, community 
and religious leaders, or other civil society or private 
sector leadership.  In some countries special effort may be 
needed to engage Muslim women in providing their ideas and 
insights.  Engaging FSNs on our technical staff can also be an 
important source of ideas. We also encourage you to explore, 
 
STATE 00071325  003 OF 004 
 
SUBJECT: FOLLOW UP TO THE CAIRO SPEECH: CONSULTATIVE PROCESS 
FOR MUSLIM ENGAGEME 
as appropriate to your country context, cross-sectoral and 
interfaith opportunities for dialogue and potential 
partnership in key areas, for example by bringing the NGO and 
private sector communities together. 
 
¶10. ACTION, continued: Posts are also requested to describe 
the consultative process undertaken, including how outreach 
was organized and conducted, the entities and communities who 
participated, the structure of the events, and the issues 
raised. We are interested in learning not only of new ideas, 
but also of new outreach methodologies. 
 
¶11. ACTION, continued: We also request that Posts review and 
share the key findings of civil society consultations, 
conferences and other events that have been or are being 
undertaken without USG leadership or participation, but which 
may yield insights into the priorities and perspectives of 
local communities. 
 
¶12. ACTION, continued:  Posts are encouraged to provide ideas 
on how to link current and potential activities for greatest 
impact - for example, by linking internship or education 
opportunities to job opportunities; by linking technology 
development and transfer to entrepreneurship. 
 
¶13. ACTION, continued: Where media engagement and coverage 
would be feasible and appropriate, we encourage posts to 
incorporate such engagement and coverage into their planning 
for consultations. 
 
¶14. ACTION, continued:  We recognize that there will be an 
ongoing consultative process.  Posts are requested to submit 
periodic  updates on their outreach. However, in order to 
ensure timely follow-up to the President's speech and to 
inform our ongoing efforts to plan initiatives, we request 
initial responses by July 22.  We acknowledge and understand 
that the foregoing represents an extensive set of requests, 
and appreciate Posts' efforts to respond to this Presidential 
priority. Please send submissions to the attention of Greg 
Behrman on the Policy Planning staff. 
 
Funding and review criteria 
--------------------------- 
 
¶15. As we are in the process of exploring the range of 
opportunities, we ask that you manage expectations 
appropriately. We anticipate that many initiatives and 
partnerships will not require new funding beyond increases in 
the FY 2010 budget; can leverage the funding of other, non USG 
donors; and-or, as in the case of activities in which the USG 
acts as a convener or facilitator, will not require funding. 
Proposed activities that will require additional funds beyond 
FY 2010 levels will be reviewed in the context of the FY 2011 
budget process.  Beyond funding constraints, we know that 
there are concerns about visa and other administrative and 
legal issues related to our exchange and scholarship programs. 
These issues have improved-for example, those traveling on F 
and J visas receive expeditious processing-and we will 
continue to review our processes in support of our visitor and 
exchange programs. 
 
¶16. In reviewing proposals, some of the issues that will be 
considered are: 
 
        --Opportunities to scale-up successful programs. We are 
interested in programs that expand reach by taking successful 
efforts to scale. These may be current USG-supported programs 
or innovative non-USG programs identified through 
consultations that can be expanded with additional resources. 
Expanding reach into underserved populations, including women, 
 
STATE 00071325  004 OF 004 
 
 
        --Partnering and leveraging. We are interested in programs 
that have local organizations, including local NGOs, 
universities, government, or private sector entities as the 
primary partner. Leveraging non-USG resources to broaden 
impact will be important. 
 
        --Achieving impact and measuring performance.  Proposals 
must demonstrate the potential for impact greater than current 
investments. 
 
Process 
------- 
 
¶17. In keeping with the high priority the President has placed 
on follow-up to the Cairo speech, the White House has convened 
an Interagency Policy Committee (IPC) and four sub-IPCs which 
will meet regularly.  The Department of State has created a 
parallel structure led by a State-USAID Steering Group. 
Through Department-USAID representatives to the IPC process, 
the interagency community will consider the results of Posts' 
consultations in determining a way forward. 
 
¶18. We appreciate your leadership on these issues.  The 
President laid out a vision for a new beginning with Muslim 
communities worldwide.  Making that vision a reality relies in 
great part on the reach, relationships, knowledge and 
convening power of your teams. 
 
¶19. For Tripoli, minimize considered. 
CLINTON