The Foreign Service Journal, March 2011

ductive to try for a broad audience by using television or other mass media, or to host an exclusive event with lim- ited attendance. In other words, will it be more effective to reach out to the same people repeatedly to reinforce a particular theme, or send the message just once? Sometimes the turnout for an em- bassy event is but a fraction of the sec- ondary audience, which may be the real target of our outreach. For exam- ple, organizing an awareness campaign about a USAID programmay not draw many people, but it raises the pro- gram’s profile and underscores the commitment of the United States to helping the local population. Best Practices The most effective cultural affairs programs are those that bring people together in the spirit of Edward R. Murrow’s exhortation to bridge the “last three feet.” It’s best if a meal is part of the program (there is a reason most religions have rituals centering on food). One reason exchange programs are so useful is that they create experi- ential relations. Alumni programs maintain those relationships. To improve our professional skills as cultural affairs officers, we could offer courses in communications theory and practice as part of public diplomacy training at the Foreign Service Insti- tute. Another area would be cultural analysis. Two of the greatest names in that field, Joseph Campbell and Ed- ward T. Hall, once taught at FSI. We should strive to reach that level again. Another step would be to recruit of- ficers who have studied American his- tory, literature and culture, and worked in public relations. There are ongoing attempts to develop metrics for what we do, and that should be encouraged, as well. We won’t know if we’re effec- tive—and why— if we can’t (or don’t) measure it. Cultural affairs will grow increas- ingly important as the century unfolds. As we face the challenge of state-con- trolled capitalism, along with other threats to our core values of democ- racy, human rights and free markets, the battle for “hearts and minds” in- creasingly needs the cultural affairs shock troops. ■ 52 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 1 1 Cultural affairs officers use a variety of tools to build bridges between cultures. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Printed letters may be edited for space. E-mail to fsjedit@afsa.org or mail to FSJ, 2101 E Street NW, Washington DC 20037. E-C LASSIFIEDS www.afsa.org/classifieds M EMBERSHIP For changes of address and other questions about AFSA membership, e-mail member@afsa.org . A DVERTISING For details about placing either a display or classifed ad, e-mail fsjads@afsa.org , classifieds@afsa.org. C OPYRIGHTS & R EPRINTS To obtain permission to reproduce FSJ material, e-mail fsjedit@afsa.org . O NLINE www.afsa.org www.fsjournal.org Q UESTIONS ? Not sure whom to contact? FSJ FasTrax Dear Readers: In order to produce a high- quality product, the FSJ depends on the revenue it earns from advertising. You can help with this. Please let us know the names of companies that have provided good service to you — a hotel, insurance company, auto dealership, or other concern. A referral from our readers is the best entrée! Ed Miltenberger Advertising & Circulation Manager Tel: (202) 944-5507 E-mail: miltenberger@afsa.org You Are Our Eyes & Ears!