VZCZCXRO5898
RR RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHRN
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHCO #0515/01 3000152
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 270152Z OCT 09 ZDK (NUMEROUS REQUESTS)
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1164
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1536
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHIC/ISLAMIC CONFERENCE COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000515 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD (WHARTON, EKEMP, SANCHEZCROWE), PD/IIP McMICHAEL), 
AF/W (VHARPER) 
 
PARIS FOR ARS (DWINTON) and AFRICA WATCHER 
 
POSTS FOR PAOS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OIIP SCUL KISL BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: BLOOD DRIVE MUSLIM COMMUNITY PROJECT 
 
COTONOU 00000515  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: On September 16, 2009, the American Embassy in 
collaboration with the interfaith dialogue committee organized the 
first blood drive community project at the Mosque of Cadjehoun. This 
blood drive community project was identified during the interfaith 
dialogue conference held on September 10, 2009, in response to 
President Obama's call for an interfaith day of volunteer service. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. Program description: On September 10, 2009, the U.S. Embassy in 
Cotonou hosted a conference on the theme: Religion and Development: 
Interfaith Dialogue at the American Cultural Center. The American 
Embassy seized the opportunity of Ramadan to express solidarity and 
share President Barack Obama's message with Muslims in Benin who 
constitute about 20% of the population. This gathering also served 
as an opportunity to get local stakeholders' feedback on what 
approaches would be of greatest interest to them to pursue in 
partnership with the United States of America. The conference gave 
the local stakeholders a unique opportunity to voice their opinion 
on how to advance President Barack Obama's policy priorities, as 
outlined in his Cairo speech. All were unanimous on fostering the 
dialogue between the U.S.A and the world for a better understanding, 
through exchange programs. They stressed the role the U.S. should 
play as leader, to help developing countries fight poverty and 
corruption, and promote peacekeeping, good governance, justice, 
democracy, education, and most especially girls' education and 
women's empowerment. Participants also brainstormed and identified a 
blood drive community project in response to President Obama's call 
for an Interfaith Day of Service. A follow-up committee of 10 
members will be responsible for implementing this project. 
 
¶3. On September 28, the interfaith follow up committee that was set 
up to work on implementing the project, met with the Cultural 
Affairs Assistant and the Embassy medical Doctor at the American 
Cultural Center to discuss and identify the blood drive centers and 
the role the religious leaders and the American Embassy should play 
in order to successfully implement the project. 
An emphasis was put on communication and sensitizing the population 
about the importance of donating blood. 
They identified the following activities for the awareness raising 
campaign:  (1) dissemination of 
information in French and local languages, in Koranic schools, 
mosques and churches,about the importance of donating blood.  (2) 
collaboration with religious associations outside of Cotonou to 
raise people's awareness about the necessity of volunteering to 
donate blood and the advantages related to it. 
 
¶4.  The Embassy's role was to: 
 
Write the press release and organize media coverage of the event; 
provide tents for the blood drive centers; and 
provide transportation for the bank blood team. 
 
¶5.  The interfaith committee members asked many questions related to 
the advantages of donating the blood, the periodicity for donating 
blood, the management of the blood donated and the confidentially of 
the test results. 
They said they needed to learn more about the topic before beginning 
the communication campaign so that they could answer eventual 
questions from donors. The American Cultural Center worked in 
collaboration with the chief doctor of the blood bank to get the 
answers to all of these questions and to invite the blood bank 
mobile team. 
 
¶6. Post also held an Iftar dinner at the Charge's residence on 
September 16, 2009, to celebrate Ramadan with Muslim contacts. This 
Iftar was designed for religious leaders, the preachers, High Muslim 
officials, and gathered Imams from all leading Cotonou-based 
mosques. Also in attendance were the leaders of Muslim and Youth 
Association, as well as Muslim women's associations. This dinner 
served as an opportunity for the Charge to relay President's Barack 
Obama's Ramadan message, and pinpoint his vision about interfaith 
dialogue. Post distributed calendars on the Diversity and the 
richness of Islam in America as gratuities to the guests. 
 
¶7. MPP UMBRELLA THEMES AND AUDIENCE REACHED: Promoting Human Rights 
and Mutual Understanding. 50 participants, including Muslims and 
non-Muslims participated in the blood drive that was covered by 
media outlets including Golfe and Carrefour TV, and print media. 
Estimated audience reached: 3.5 million. 
 
¶8. IMMEDIATE RESULTS /IMPACT: The interfaith conference program was 
designed to bring together the leaders of the local religious 
communities, representatives of the civil society and members of the 
 
COTONOU 00000515  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
government of Benin, in order to listen to them and make an 
assessment of their concerns, with regard to what they think can be 
done by the Government of the United States to improve their 
relations with the rest of the world.  The blood drive program was 
designed to respond to President Obama's call for a volunteer day of 
service. By participating in a day of service, Post had the unique 
opportunity to expand the domestic commemoration of 9/11 as the 
National Day of Service and Remembrance into a global initiative 
that fosters increased understanding among people of different 
faiths and culture. The program has also instilled in Beninese the 
importance of volunteerism. The program was advertized in radios to 
sensitize and encouraged the population to donate blood. Blood 
donors included some of the faithful from the mosque of Cadjehoun, 
but also attracted passersby who donated blood spontaneously. This 
blood drive is the first of a series that will be organized with 
other mosques and churches. 
 
¶9. NON-USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN KIND SUPPORT: Post 
appreciated the participation of the Muslim IV alumni Abdoul Jalili 
Yessoufou, Imam of Aidjedo Mosque and Issiaka Ligali, Imam of 
Cadjehoun. Both of them organized the event and worked on the 
awareness raising campaign. 
 
¶10. QUALITY OF USG SUPPORT: Kudos to the Embassy team who 
successfully pulled these programs together. 
 
KNIGHT