By Phillip Kurata
Washington File Writer

Washington -- The U.S. government has had "a lot of success" in encouraging debate on the subject of reform in the Arab world during the past two years and is now funding dozens of projects undertaken by Arab governments, according to a senior State Department official.

"It is now perfectly acceptable to have discussion about reform, democracy, freedom and how you go about doing it," said Alina Romanowski, the deputy assistant secretary of state, who directs the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).

Secretary of State Colin Powell announced MEPI in December 2002 to broaden political participation, stimulate business growth and expand education. MEPI programs place particular emphasis on expanding the skills and rights of women and children.

MEPI was launched shortly after President Bush announced in 2002 his policy of supporting the formation of a free trade area linking the Middle East and North Africa and the United States by 2013.

Since MEPI went into operation, it has provided funding for 84 projects -- 32 for political participation, 22 for economic and business expansion, 13 for education and 17 for women's development, according to the State Department's MEPI Web site, http://mepi.state.gov/

The Bush administration committed $29 million for pilot education, economic and political reform projects in 2002. In fiscal year 2003, the administration spent $100 million on MEPI-related projects, which supplemented the more than $1 billion in bilateral assistance that the United States spends annually in the Arab world.

The MEPI budget for fiscal year 2004 is $89.5 million, and Romanowski says the MEPI budget request for fiscal year 2005 is $150 million.

"We have put in a request that very clearly spells out the need for more funding in the various areas. I certainly hope that Congress will see all that MEPI is doing -- the successes that it has achieved and that the region is quite receptive to working in some of the areas," Romanowski said.

Romanowski said she visited Tunisia and Algeria in July to observe MEPI-funded projects that support political participation by women.

The U.S. National Democratic Institute, using MEPI funding, conducted a five-day workshop for about 30 female political leaders from all of Algeria's political parties except one, she said.

"We were doing media training. How do you look on camera? How do you say things in a concise, direct way? How do you do a strategic plan for your campaign? Who are your friends? Who are the people who could support you?" Romanowski said.

The workshop in Tunisia, Algeria's neighbor to the east, was conducted by the U.S. International Republican Institute. That workshop, billed the second MEPI-backed Women's Campaign School, involved campaign planning, message development, outreach and media skills. The first such campaign school was conducted in December 2003 to train female candidates in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

In order to promote awareness of women's rights in Morocco, the MEPI has granted funding to a Moroccan theater company that tours the country staging plays and skits that denounce abuses against women and children.

"They've presented the subject matter in a way that makes it a win-win situation for society," Romanowski said. "MEPI has been able to help reformist groups in some very creative ways. This can be very effective in countries where illiteracy numbers are pretty high."

Countries that have free trade agreements with the United States or are in the process of negotiating them attract many of MEPI's economic programs. Bahrain and Morocco, which have completed free trade negotiations with the Bush administration, have received trade technical assistance, commercial law development programs, and micro-credit expansion assistance.

Countries not involved in free trade talks also have benefited from MEPI's economic programs. Algeria has been selected for the Enhancing Corporate Governance project, the Commercial Law Development Program and Treasury Debt Reform Technical Assistance. A program called Trade Institution Building/World Trade Organization Technical Assistance has been implemented in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

In early August, Secretary of State Powell welcomed 42 young businesswomen from across the Arab world to the United States as they began a four-month study and internship program with some of America's leading companies, consulting firms and law offices.

Powell described the businesswomen as pioneers in their countries in widening economic opportunity, expanding political participation and improving education.

"The MEPI has been very active in big programs and small ones. It has been able to bring a sense of 'here's the president's big strategic objectives' and what does that mean in terms of specific programs to build and strengthen democratic institutions," Romanowski said. "It will be a long-term process. Each country has its own unique challenges. It's something we clearly can't impose from the outside. It's got to be created as a partnership."