Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy

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Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy

• March 16-18, 2004

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Kelman on Foreign Policykelmanj_at_ndf.org

• No matter how you package it, policies matter
• US image in crisis
• Within the Muslim world and
• Outside
• Our worldview is failing to win converts

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For example

• This year, UN Human Rights Commission passed a
  resolution endorsing Palestinian terrorism as an
  exercise of human rights and every single EU
  member seated on the commission (except Germany)
  either voted for it or abstained.

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Public Diplomacy campaigns

• Print media
• Mosques of America
• books on American/democratic values
• Broadcasting
• Radio SAWA (to come together) Voice of America

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Radio Sawa

• Controversial
• Focuses on the under 30 set
• Newscasts perceived as biased, dont sell
  policies
  
• Effective?
• everyone likes Michael Jackson and Jennifer
  Lopez. But they hate George W. Bush and
  Condolleeza Rice.
  

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Where should focus be?

• Elites
• Wyche Fowler and Saudi Arabia
• Non-elites
• the Arab Street
• Youth

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What are we not doing?

• Selling our policies
• Listening
• Effectively coordinating bureaucratic effort
• Lack of country specific expertise in the
  Undersecretarys office and
  
• No direct linkages betw. Undersecretarys office
  and field posts charged with implementing PD
  activities
  
• sleeping in the same bed with different dreams

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Interagency difficulties and Foreign Policy

• Since 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq, DoD is in the
  forefront of foreign policy
  
• Performs for American audience
• Department of Homeland Security
• visa processing role
• Department of State
• Not all State officials are public diplomacy
  officials