Improving US Image Abroad Top Priority for President-elect Obama

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO in guvspeak), today identified public diplomacy as one of 13 top priorities for President-elect Barack Obama. Public diplomacy involves both state and non-state efforts to inform, influence, and engage overseas publics. The U.S. State Department leads the charge as our main agency of diplomacy, but State's expenditures on public diplomacy pales in comparison to the Department of Defense. This urgent call for improving America's image in the world and confronting the rise of
anti-Americanism over the last five years is old news. What we urgently need now, as GAO points out, is a core of properly trained public diplomats who can communicate well in an intercultural context. And we need abundant resources in order to run the best global persuasion programs. International broadcasting is our mainstay in public diplomacy, but think about it. What influences you? For me, it's a person I trust, someone who sits across the table from me in two-way dialogue and who I may end up collaborating with on some project. Listening to Radio Sawa or watching Al Hurra may reach a larger audience but won't engage people.

The election of Barack Obama was a positive step to help stem the tide of anti-Americanism but Obama's victory alone can't overcome all the resentment that has built up over the years. We Americans need to listen more, talk less, and truly engage people in a spirit of mutual understanding. It doesn't have to mean that we naively agree with each other on everything or hold hands across the oceans. It does mean that we need to acknowledge that we're in this global lifeboat together.

http://www.gao.gov/transition_2009/urgent/diplomacy-broadcasting.php

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The URL for the public diplomacy section includes previous reports by GAO over the years. I appreciate the work of this good government agency that cares about how we are spending our hard-earned public monies.

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Comments

[Seattleview]

Nancy Snow is right on target. We threw public diplomacy under a bus in 1996. We need to restore this valuable tool of US foreign policy, and focus on recruting and retaining the best and brightest to come into government and apply their talents as public diplomacy practitioners in the field, not as State Department stepchildren who stamp visas for two years and then are so frustrated they leave. Obama attracted millions of young people to his campaign. He should encourage them to serve their country in many ways, including public diplomacy careers

[Nancy Snow - Huffpost Blogger]

I believe Karen Hughes may be back in her native Texas. She was on CNN just a week ago so she remains involved with media work. To LizM, your point is well taken. Price Floyd, a 17-year State Department veteran and former Media Affairs Director, resigned In protest to her nomination as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. He said in one interview : "She is one of the most dynamic people I have ever been around. She is truly impressive. But she comes at it from a press/media angle, and public diplomacy — I don't think — is that. I mean, this is bigger than Karen Hughes, it's bigger than the State Department. It's going to mean an administration change: someone new is going to have to come in."

[LizM]

Absolutely! Public diplomacy was misunderstood and doomed from the get-go - regardless of who was overseeing it - under the Bush administration foreign policy.

But, we need more than just a 'new' administration. Had the electorate opted for McCain/Palin, that result would have been the equivalent of the final nail in the coffin for public diplomacy and would have continued the downward spiral of America's standing in the world and its global leadership role.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden make a phenomenal team. Given the dire straits that we find ourselves in, domestically and internationally, I'd say that Obama/Biden represent the best team that has ever come together in the history of US presidential elections...and that's not hyperbole!

There are a multitude of critical challenges facing the US, at home and abroad, and navigating the treacherous waters ahead will not be pretty or easy. But, we couldn't possibly ask for a more qualified or better equipped team with the experience and judgement that will be necessary to make the changes that will restore American credibility and standing in the world and return honor to the promise of America.

Joe Biden often quoted from a favorite Irish poet, Shamus Heaney..."­...History says, 'Don't hope on this side of the grave; but then, once in a lifetime the longed for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme;..." If anyone can make hope and history rhyme, then Barack Obama and Joe Biden surely can.

[LizM]

I can assure you that the US image abroad has already vastly improved with the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden...no public diplomacy required.

Public diplomacy is a funny thing...if you don't have a smart foreign policy in general, then no amount of public diplomacy will achieve its goals AND if you DO have a smart foreign policy, then you don't really need much in the way of public diplomacy. Thankfully, the Obama/Biden administration will fall into the latter category as we say good riddence to eight long years of the former category.

[rocketsquirrel]

ummm. whatever happened to Karen Hughes and her "job" to improve the US image abroad? Or was that just a cover job to pay for her kid's college education? Where is she now?