U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Thomas Krajeski, officially opened the first of two approved American Corners in Yemen at the Sana’a Public Library (Dar Al Kutob) on Wednesday, September 15, 2004. In attendance at the ceremony were the Yemeni Deputy Minister of Culture, Hisham Ali, and the Director of the Sana’a Public Library, Zaid Al-Fakih.
The model of the American Corner is built around the concepts of partnership, public access, and programming. It is a collaborative effort to foster goodwill and mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and the Republic of Yemen.
The American Corner at the Sana’a Public Library is the first of two approved American Corners in Yemen. The second will soon be opened at Dhamar University. To date, more than $75,000 has been allocated for the first two American Corners. Funding is being pursued to expand the program to place at least four additional American Corners in Sana’a, Hodeidah, Taiz and Aden.
The American Corners in Yemen are intended to provide free access to information about America and Americans to any Yemeni who wishes to learn more. They will be used to tell America’s story in Arabic and English through novels, periodicals, cultural programs, multimedia, and the Internet.
To demonstrate continuing U.S. commitment to the American Corner at the Sana’a Public Library, Ambassador Krajeski announced the award of grants to the two American Corner librarians to further their study of English at the Yemeni-American Language Institute.
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