The Foreign Service Journal, April 2011

A P R I L 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 15 diplomatic personnel have improved conditions on the ground. Apart from the WikiLeaks revelations, there have long been individual embassy initia- tives that reflect conditions in host countries and produce unexpected, positive results. In 2009, for example, after assess- ing a decline in favorable views toward the U.S. among Argentine elites, the U.S. embassy held an open house at which local NGOs were invited to meet with potential American funding sources. This event proved so popular that it was repeated and expanded in 2010, shifting perceptions of American diplomacy and sending a clear message that the U.S. is genuinely concerned about the needs of Argentina’s people. Today, State’s Bureau of Interna- tional Information Programs produces a variety of electronic journals on spe- cific themes, tapping the views of many experts. These are disseminated via open Web sites to our embassies and foreign audiences. Although more re- search needs to be conducted to de- termine the impact such e-publications have on foreign audiences, it seems reasonable to see real potential. However, these publications need to tackle more controversial themes, such as public attitudes toward Islam in American communities, as well as the persistence of racism and poor educa- tional results among U.S. minorities in rural and inner-city schools. Other top- ics might include the current dysfunc- tions in state governments dealing with budget and other crises and the record levels of prison incarcerations, and how these affect state and federal budgets. The work of NGOs and charitable or- ganizations in helping victims of abuse, home foreclosures, natural disasters and business failures might also be sub- jects for online journals. S P E A K I N G O U T