31 July 2002
Source:
http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/latest&f=02073001.plt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml
US Department of State
International Information Programs
Washington File
_________________________________
30 July 2002
(Report aims to strengthen U.S. foreign policy abroad) (1840) A report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) recommends a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. government's public diplomacy agencies and programs to improve America's image and strengthen efforts to advance U.S. foreign policies abroad. "Around the world, from Western Europe to the Far East, many see the United States as arrogant, hypocritical, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and contemptuous of others," the council report said. The report -- prepared by a 35-member task force that included journalists, former diplomats, and scholars on the Middle East -- was released July 30 in Washington. The CFR specializes in research and publications designed to increase America's understanding of the world and contribute to the formulation of U.S. foreign policy. "The Task Force applauds the positive steps taken by the administration, including appointing an under secretary of state for public diplomacy and launching an Arabic language radio station targeted at younger Middle Eastern audiences, but it also points to recent polls showing America's image problem is global -- not just isolated to the Middle East," the report's introduction said. "Negative attitudes about U.S. policy are also pervasive in front-line states in the war on terrorism and among our closest allies." The report recommends: -- Issuing a presidential directive on public diplomacy to make clear the U.S. government's commitment to public diplomacy as a strategic element of U.S. foreign policy; -- Expanding the use of political campaign techniques, including polling, to shape attitudes toward the United States; -- Establishing a White House-based Public Diplomacy Coordinating Structure (PDCS) to coordinate efforts, headed by a senior adviser to the president; -- Reforming the State Department to provide the necessary organizational structure and resources to bolster the public diplomacy effort; -- Building congressional support for public diplomacy to substantially increase funding overall; and -- Establishing an independent Corporation for Public Diplomacy (CPD), similar to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, to develop programs to communicate American messages abroad. The full report can be found at http://www.cfr.org/public/PublicDiplomacy_TF.html (Note: In the text, billion equals 1,000 million.) Following is the executive summary of the CFR report: (begin text) Independent Task Force Reports Public Diplomacy: A Strategy for Reform -- Summary A Report of an Independent Task Force on Public Diplomacy Sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations Summary Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Council on Foreign Relations assembled an Independent Task Force of experts and opinion leaders from government, the media, the arts, advertising, and public relations, as well as Islamic and regional scholars to examine the current limitations in U.S. public diplomacy and to develop practical, innovative recommendations for improving America's messages and messengers. The "sine qua non" of the report's conclusion is that public diplomacy must be a central element of U.S. foreign policy. The Task Force's intention is to contribute to the general public discourse, the administration's internal policy deliberations and the current public diplomacy debate on Capitol Hill. I. Right rhetoric, but more action needed While President George W. Bush sounded the right rhetorical notes about upgrading public diplomacy to combat terrorism and America's shaky image abroad, and also took initial steps, he must do more, and better, urgently. The Task Force applauds the positive steps taken by the administration, including appointing an undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and launching an Arabic language radio station targeted at younger Middle Eastern audiences, but it also points to recent polls showing America's image problem is global -- not just isolated to the Middle East. Negative attitudes about U.S. policy are also pervasive in front-line states in the war on terrorism and among our closest allies. Around the world, from Western Europe to the Far East, many see the United States as arrogant, hypocritical, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and contemptuous of others. II. Integrate U.S. foreign policy and public diplomacy in a coherent strategy with backing from the top The Task Force warns that without the government's clear commitment to public diplomacy as a central element of foreign policy, public diplomacy efforts will founder. The report concludes that it is essential for the administration to "listen" to the world, even as it defines American interests and defends and asserts them abroad. Public diplomacy cannot be an afterthought. It must be present at the creation, when and where policy is sculpted. III. Specific measures to reorganize the U.S. public diplomacy machinery and improve the quality of America's messages and messengers: -- Issue a presidential directive on public diplomacy to make clear the U.S. government's commitment to public diplomacy as a strategic element of U.S. foreign policy. Early in 2001, the administration undertook to review previous efforts to integrate public diplomacy into the policy process before implementing its own interagency coordinating structure. In July 2002, 17 months later and 10 months after September 11, this review is still ongoing. By issuing a presidential directive, President George W. Bush will generate widespread public and private sector attention, bolster public diplomacy planning and review processes, and strengthen America's ability to communicate effectively with foreign publics. -- Create a Public Diplomacy Coordinating Structure (PDCS) led by the president's personal designee to ensure action and coordination at the highest level. Similar to the National Security Council in its role as adviser, synthesizer, coordinator, and prioritizer, the role of the PDCS would be to develop public diplomacy priorities and to oversee and coordinate public diplomacy between government agencies themselves and between government agencies and the private sector. -- Reform the State Department to provide the necessary organizational structure and resources to bolster the public diplomacy effort. The Task Force recommends providing increased budget and operational authority for the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, and making public diplomacy the primary responsibility of the deputy assistant secretaries in the State Department's regional bureaus. Further recommendations include greatly expanding the use of the department's multi-language Internet websites and leased satellite TV and FM radio broadcasting channels, strengthening the Office of International Information Programs, and significantly increasing media skills and public diplomacy training for all ambassadors and foreign service personnel. -- Initiate an evaluation of diplomatic readiness through a Quadrennial Diplomacy Review to keep officials energized and accountable. This evaluation, similar to the Quadrennial Defense Review, should be conducted by the secretary of state in consultation with the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. It should replace budget-driven reviews of the status quo with strategy-based assessments of diplomatic readiness, requirements, and capabilities. Build congressional support for public diplomacy to substantially increase funding overall. To make public diplomacy the kind of priority the administration has talked about would involve a budget far in excess of the approximately $1 billion [$1,000 million] currently spent by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors in their public diplomacy programming. As a point of reference, just one percent of the Defense Department's proposed budget of $379 billion would be $3-to-$4 billion. This pales in comparison to the $222 billion American companies invest annually on overseas advertising. Increase the effectiveness of public opinion research and adopt an "engagement" approach that involves listening and dialogue because 'persuasion' begins with listening. The U.S. government spends only $5 million annually on foreign public opinion polling. This amount does not cover the research costs of an average U.S. Senate campaign and it is a tiny fraction of the $6 billion spent by the U.S. private sector to gauge overseas opinion. It is critical that we allocate additional moneys and modernize methodologies in order to better understand the audiences we want to reach. We must know in advance the likely relevance of and level of attitudinal resistance to our policies and the communications about them. -- Focus public diplomacy on supporting moderate voices and reaching out to younger people, particularly in the Middle East where the young comprise an unprecedented and growing share of the population. The Task Force recommends more intensive and creative use of interactive media to reach the majority of this population, and calls for identifying and supporting independent messengers in the region, who can criticize fanaticism with more credibility. -- Cultivate and improve access for foreign journalists because they are the main transmission belts for what the United States is doing and why. Foreign reporters are highly credible messengers, but are generally given short shrift by administration spokespersons. The administration should increase foreign press access to senior American officials and engage foreign journalists more effectively at all times, not just during crises. Tie U.S. policies in our public diplomacy effort to basic American values, shared and admired around the world in order to foster a better understanding of these policies. U.S. efforts should build on the positive side of the love-resentment divide that characterizes much world opinion about the United States. To foster a better understanding of American policies, the administration should link them more closely to America's cultural values that are admired around the world: our democratic tradition, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, the universal reach of education, volunteerism, and an expansive social safety net; as well as to American values that are widely shared by many of the world's cultures -- the values of family and religious faith. Draw into our public diplomacy effort the talent and energy of the private sector and bridge the gap between public and private sector initiatives by creating an independent public/private not-for-profit "Corporation for Public Diplomacy" (CPD). Modeled after the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the CPD would leverage private sector creativity and flexibility. America's true voice heard globally is a complex mixture of public diplomacy, journalism, marketing and other commercial messages -- and pop culture in all its variety. Independent and indigenous messengers, including young and moderate Arabs and Muslims, mullahs, journalists, and talk show personalities can be much more fluid in their ability to engage varied audiences in "two-way" dialogue and debate, as opposed to conventional one-way "push-down" communications. Much broadened use should also be made of American life, including Arab-American firefighters and police officers who rushed to the WTC [World Trade Center] scene, victims, particularly women and children, including Arab and Muslim Americans who died or lost loved ones, Arab and Muslim-Americans who are thriving in the United States and the respect their religion receives, as well as well-known American sports figures and celebrities like Muhammed Ali and other business leaders, scientists, and healthcare leaders. In sum, the U.S. has significantly under-performed in its efforts to capture the hearts and minds of foreign publics. The marginalization of public diplomacy has left a legacy of under-funded and uncoordinated efforts. Lack of political will and absence of overall strategy have rendered past public diplomacy programs virtually impotent in today's increasingly crowded communications world. While sound public diplomacy is not a silver bullet for America's image problem, making it a true component of the foreign policy-making process is a vital step towards ensuring the nation's security. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)