[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 172 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10926-S10927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DIPLOMACY
Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, today I wish to talk about public
diplomacy. I have spent a lot of time in Africa and have built close
relationships with many African leaders. As you know, our country's
official diplomacy is conducted by the State Department. However,
public diplomacy involving people-to-people interaction is equally
important for promoting a positive image of America to the world. The
United States is admired as a beacon of freedom for oppressed people
everywhere. The attacks on the U.S. of 9/11 demonstrate the new
challenge we face by the forces of ignorance and intolerance that seek
the destruction of our country.
Today I include in the record an insightful essay that I will share
with the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the
critical role of public diplomacy in building bridges of good will for
the United States. The author is Richard Soudriette, the president of
the Center for Diplomacy and Democracy in Colorado Springs, CO. Mr.
Soudriette is the founding president of the International Foundation
for Electoral Systems, IFES, which has promoted free and fair elections
in over 120 countries.
I have a long and personal history with Richard as he was my chief of
staff in my office as mayor of Tulsa. Since then, he went on to be the
founding president of the International Foundation for Electoral
System, IFES, which has promoted free and fair elections in over 120
countries. Richard and I share the same heart for Africa and the same
vision for developing countries around the world; that they continue to
move towards self-sufficiency and become thriving economic nations.
His essay discusses public diplomacy at the local level and mentions
my home town of Tulsa, OK, as an example of a community that has
developed innovative international visitor programs. Public diplomacy
is vital to keeping our country safe. The best way to defeat the forces
of extremism is to educate people around the globe about America and
our values, culture, and people.
I strongly support Richard's work around the world and I ask
unanimous consent that the statement by Richard Soudriette be printed
in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Public Diplomacy: Building Bridges of Understanding
[By Richard W. Soudriette, Center for Diplomacy and Democracy, December
8, 2010]
Ever since the proclamation of the Declaration of
Independence in Philadelphia over 200 years ago, America has
championed the power of the human spirit. Across the globe,
America is a beacon of freedom that gives hope to people
living under oppression.
Our country faces many challenges never envisioned by the
Founding Fathers in 1776. The deadly attacks on America that
occurred on September 11, 2001 revealed that extremist
elements seek to destroy America and all that it symbolizes.
Al-Qaeda and their cohorts are dedicated to the eradication
of human rights and democracy. Islamic extremists do a great
injustice to Muslims who reject the extremist philosophy of
hatred, ignorance, and intolerance.
Defeating the forces of extremism will require more than
military power. It also will require tenacious public
diplomacy to educate people from Muslim countries, as well as
elsewhere, about America.
Public diplomacy is a term that was coined by respected
career U.S. diplomat, Edmund Gullion, who also served as dean
of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Ambassador
Gullion described public diplomacy as the way sovereign
nations openly and transparently communicate their ideas,
culture, and values to people of other countries.
Public diplomacy has become an essential component of U.S.
foreign policy. The Obama Administration has sought increases
in public diplomacy funding. The current Under Secretary of
State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Judith McHale,
recently unveiled ``The Strategic Plan for Public Diplomacy
for America in the 21st Century.''
Despite bipartisan support for public diplomacy, the image
of the U.S. continues to lose ground in many parts of the
globe. Our image problem in many countries is documented by
the work of the Pew Charitable Trusts Global Image Project.
Some respected organizations such as the Council on Foreign
Relations have focused on the failings of our public
diplomacy apparatus. The morphing of the United States
Information Agency into the State Department during the
Clinton Administration is identified as a major cause for
deficiencies in our public diplomacy efforts. The Council on
Foreign Relations has offered recommendations to the State
Department to fix our public diplomacy, but these will
require time and funding to implement.
The State Department already has the means to improve our
public diplomacy outreach to the world. For example, the
State Department should make certain that ambassadors and
foreign service officers are fully briefed on the State
Department's public diplomacy strategic plan before they are
[[Page S10927]]
posted abroad. Also, it should be made clear that a major
part of their duties will be to assist the Secretary of State
in implementing the plan.
Foreign service officers provide an immediate opportunity
for the U.S. to engage in effective public diplomacy. In
2008, the United States Advisory Commission on Public
Diplomacy issued a report entitled ``Getting the People Part
Right: A Report on the Human Resources Dimension of Public
Diplomacy.'' This report highlights the public diplomacy void
that has existed since 1999 when the United States
Information Agency was eliminated and its functions were
merged into the State Department. The report states that most
foreign service officers fail to grasp the importance of
public diplomacy, and at best, they merely pay lip service to
it. The report also discusses the lack of recruitment of U.S.
diplomats with the appropriate people skills for public
diplomacy. The report cites the need for more training for
our diplomats so that they might have the knowledge and the
skills to effectively interact with people from other
countries.
Newly hired foreign service officers frequently work at
U.S. Consulates processing visa applications for persons
wishing to travel to the U.S. This is a high stress job and
it demands that they possess strong interpersonal skills.
While serving as the director of the Peace Corps program in
the Dominican Republic, I frequently heard anecdotes from
Dominicans who had received rude treatment when seeking visas
at the U.S. Consulate. While the visa application process
requires extensive screening, all visa applicants should
receive prompt and courteous service. U.S. diplomats who
engage in arrogant behavior towards visa applicants create
ill will and plant seeds of hatred towards America.
Another aspect of public diplomacy that needs attention is
the manner in which officers of the Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection receive and process arriving international
visitors. Since the events of 2001, the work of Customs and
Border Protection officers has become more stressful and
challenging. While most officers perform well, there are some
who do not receive international visitors with courtesy.
Customs and Border Protection officers play a huge public
diplomacy role. When officers are surly, they offend
international visitors to the United States.
The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection should
incorporate customer service training into its curriculum for
all personnel. When developing this training, it would be
wise to tap the experience of companies like the Disney
Corporation which has a track record of receiving throngs of
people with respect and courtesy. Courteous treatment upon
arrival in our Nation can pay dividends by promoting a
positive image of the United States.
The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) can achieve immediate impact in public
diplomacy by requiring all contractors and grantees to
incorporate public diplomacy aspects into their work. USAID
utilizes many for-profit and not-for-profit organizations to
provide services in areas such as democracy, economic
development, governance, health, public works, and rule of
law. All organizations that undertake work abroad on behalf
of USAID have an important public diplomacy responsibility.
USAID should require grantees and contractors, whenever
feasible, to hire project managers who speak the language of
the country where they are working. Personnel working abroad
on USAID funded projects should undergo orientation training
about local culture and customs.
International visitor programs play a key role in
successful public diplomacy. For nearly sixty years, the
State Department has funded visits by thousands of
international visitors to acquaint them with our country.
Often, these visitors eventually become leaders in their
countries. The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, traveled
to the U.S. in 1985 on a State Department sponsored trip.
Today he is regarded as one of the most pro-U.S. leaders in
France.
The State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs funds most of the government sponsored international
visitor and scholarship programs. The bureau has rules in
place stipulating that prime contractors and grantees for
State Department funds must be in existence for a minimum of
four years. These rules stifle innovative programming by new
organizations and inhibit the ability of community based
groups beyond the Capital Beltway to access funding.
For most international visitor programs, the State
Department contracts with the same large East Coast
organizations. These organizations rely on a patchwork of
community based groups across the U.S. to organize meaningful
professional, educational, and cultural programs for
international visitors. Unfortunately, these East Coast
organizations pass on very little, if any, funding to
communities that have agreed to receive international
visitors. Hosting of international visitors relies on local
volunteers and in-kind support. The lack of financial
resources at the local level results in a huge disparity in
the quality of programming that international visitors
receive.
Some communities like Tulsa, Oklahoma do a superb job in
organizing and managing international visitor programs. Since
1995, the Tulsa Global Alliance has provided excellent
programs in this area. Tulsa has developed an organizational
model that relies on a mix of professional and volunteer
support. The Tulsa program has been successful in developing
a broad funding base that provides more than $400,000 per
year for international visitor activities. Funding comes from
corporations, individual donors, foundations, program fees,
and limited grants from the State Department.
It is recommended that the State Department modify its
rules for funding international visitor programs. Contracts
for large organizations should require that they provide
grants of at least 25 percent of their total project budgets
to be passed on to international visitor committees at the
local level. This funding will help provide needed resources
to ensure that high quality programs are offered to
international visitors. The public diplomacy implications of
these international visitor programs are too important not to
have sufficient funding.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the State
Department should give priority to funding small and newly
established organizations engaged in international visitor
programs. The Bureau should be encouraged to make available
up to 25 percent of its budget for international visitor
programs to small and newly established organizations. This
new approach would open the door for communities across
America to develop their own capacity to implement high
quality international visitor programs. The end goal would be
that each international visitor would have a fulfilling
experience in the U.S.
The security of America and the future of our democracy
demand more commitment to public diplomacy. To keep America
safe and to protect our values, ideals, and principles, we
must build bridges of understanding with people across the
globe.
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