Diplomacy

Reviving Public Diplomacy: An Opportunity for the Next President By Lauren B. Movius

We have all heard of the dismal levels of international public opinion of the U.S. and the increasing levels of anti-Americanism. Some respond with a ‘so what?’ attitude, and question the need for more positive perceptions. But international public opinion has very real consequences for the U.S and its people. Foreign public opposition to the Iraq war has weakened U.S. alliances, U.S. companies face hostility across the globe, and international terrorism is an ever-constant threat. Public diplomacy needs to be a key issue for the future President’s foreign policy, as a change in administration creates a strategic opening of significant proportions for U.S. diplomacy.
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The upcoming presidential election is already positively changing global public opinion. A recent BBC World Service poll found that the U.S. image abroad has begun to improve for the first time, following years of decline. The elections have drawn substantial media coverage from foreign journalists, thereby explaining American politics to the world, and hopefully presenting the country in a new light. That said, the U.S. is still viewed more negatively than the European Union, Brazil, China, India and Russia. If we are to restore our “beacon on the hill” status, the next president must capitalize on the goodwill the elections have brought and rejuvenate public diplomacy efforts.
While the Bush administration brought in several undersecretaries of state for public diplomacy and public affairs over the last seven years, all left office, and their public diplomacy efforts were largely unsuccessful. (Failures could be partially attributed to the position itself: With the dismantling of the U.S. Information Agency in 1999, the financial and organizational support for public diplomacy was greatly diminished. The current public diplomacy position is under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, though public affairs and public diplomacy are quite different matters and should be overseen separately.) Given these failures, some have questioned if a public diplomacy position is even needed. But public diplomacy is more important than ever and needs to be revived.
The recent failures to boost perceptions of the U.S. are not because public diplomacy is itself a bad idea, but because the policies being promoted were not accepted by foreign publics. Take the efforts of former-Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes as an example. Hughes’ strategy was to sell U.S. foreign policy, assuming that communication would lead to understanding and then admiration. But public diplomacy is not public relations for world powers. Citizens of other countries understand U.S. policies, but they do not agree with them. Future public diplomacy efforts must move beyond the outdated Cold War public diplomacy structure and work to enhance understanding between America and various publics around the world.
Second, while it is true that effective public diplomacy is vital to a successful American foreign policy, we cannot forget that smart foreign policy is vital to a successful public diplomacy. Hughes’ public diplomacy efforts were unsuccessful because our words did not align with our actions. The best public diplomacy is not a substitute for bad policy; the championing of human rights does not sit comfortably with Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo. Years of unilateralist foreign policy have diminished goodwill towards the U.S. The next president must ensure the U.S. lives up to the high standards it has traditionally set. Only then can we work on how our message is communicated to foreign publics.
Specifically, the next administration’s public diplomacy strategy should make U.S. foreign policy more sensitive to concerns of public diplomacy, as well as improve communication strategies and increase Congressional support for public diplomacy efforts. Fortunately, it seems that the remaining presidential candidates are aware of the power of public diplomacy and how to improve upon it. All three explicitly call for public diplomacy efforts to be increased, especially in combating violent extremism. And while they hold somewhat competing foreign policy philosophies, it is clear that the candidates all value the role public diplomacy can play in strengthening U.S. national interests across the globe.

Hardwork does pay in life

A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.

"The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued.”I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure…
Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.
Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified.

He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim.
He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.
"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.
Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective* If you plant hard work, you will reap success* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"