January 8, 2008
America must strengthen its efforts to engage, persuade and attract the support of foreign publics.
That's the central conclusion of “Voices of America: U.S. Public Diplomacy for the 21st Century”, the just-published seminal study of U.S. foreign relations by The Brookings Institution -- the latest influential body urging a new, robust and long-term U.S. commitment to “people-to-people” international communication and cooperation.
Highly influential individuals as well – such as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates – are also on board. Secretary Gates recently called for re-invigoration of the U.S. Information Agency to its post-World War II strategic role of two-way communication between the U.S. and the rest of the world.
We are now living in a multi-polar world where public opinion is more impactful than ever. It's a world in which constructive informational, cultural and educational exchanges are vital. A new, concentrated and well-organized U.S. commitment, contributing to the formation of foreign policy, will help improve our foreign relations significantly.
Among the many formidable challenges facing the Obama Administration, this surely deserves a priority status.
Who will undertake this vital mission?
Although a re-vitalized U.S.I.A. has its supporters, there is growing interest in a major private-sector initiative in this space.
Brookings is solidly in the latter camp. In its “Voice of America …” report, it points out that for such a mission, “Our nation has abundant assets. American businesses, universities, media, philanthropy and technologies touch every part of the world.”
As a central part of its comprehensive plan, Brookings urges “the creation of a nimble and entrepreneurial new non-profit organization, the USA*World Trust, to complement and supplement government efforts.”
USA* World Trust would “draw on the enormous goodwill, creativity, knowledge and talent of the American people and like-minded people to … [among other related objectives] contribute to an environment of trust, respect and understanding in which cooperation is more feasible.”
To implement this agenda, USA* World Trust intends to engage companies, non-governmental organizations, universities and other institutions as well as identify, cultivate and experiment with new technologies and media.
Perhaps most importantly, the organization envisions a ”feedback loop” wherein its findings on foreign public awareness and attitudes, and other relevant data, is presented regularly during development of U.S. foreign policy --the proverbial “seat at the table” in the complex process of determining such policy.
(Edward R. Murrow's counsel, when he was USIA Director in the Kennedy Administration, still resonates: “If they want me in on the crash landings, I better damn well be in on the take-offs.”)
Fortunately, there is already a foundation for USA*World Trust. This foundation has several components: the residue of relationships developed during USIA's zenith, although admittedly, many are fading with time; the many more-recently-established unilateral personal and professional relationships of myriad American cultural, educational and business organizations; and the private-sector organizations created with this very raison d'etre.
In the last category, one of the more successful organizations is Business For Diplomatic Action. Formed in 2002, BDA's mission is “to enlist the U.S. business community in actions to improve the standing of America in the world.”
One of it more successful initiatives is its international exchange program for young Americans and young people from other cultures. The most recent example: “The 2008 Arab and American Business Fellowship” in which some 21 “fellows” from eight Arab countries and six U.S. states traveled together to visit seven cities in the U.S., Dubai and Kuwait. In 2009, sixty “fellows” are scheduled to participate in this program.
BDA has just issued “A Public Diplomacy Checklist” which recommends a series of immediate actions for the Obama Administration. The list begins with: “Develop an overall public diplomacy and communications strategy for the United States” and ends with: “Support the establishment of a new, entrepreneurial non-profit organization to augment US government public policy efforts.” That would be USA*World Trust.
The cost of a two-year start up phase for USA*World Trust, to be borne by Congress, is estimated at $50 million annually.
The 2007 U.S. Department of Defense budget, including the global war on terror, was $717.6 billion (Source: U.S. Office of Management and Budget).
These commitments need not be on conflict. Secretary Gates explained why in this July, 2008 admonition: “In recent years, the lines separating war, peace, diplomacy and development have become more blurred and no longer fit the neat organizational charts of the 20th century.”
John Paluszek, APR, a Fellow at the Public Relations Society of America, is senior counsel at Ketchum and liaison to the United Nations for PRSA. He is also a member of PRSA's International Section executive committee.