The Foreign Service Journal, April 2011

16 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 1 1 By addressing such subjects head- on, warts and all — unconventional as that may seem — we could gain cred- ibility and cultivate a broader under- standing of social and economic ten- sions in America and how we are ad- dressing them. Such efforts would also help foreign audiences appreciate the complexity and diversity of our society. To communicate our values abroad, we must immerse ourselves in the thinking of people from other cultures and learn how they view the world. Successfully engaging our adversaries in public debates on international is- sues will require creative approaches to public diplomacy — not simply the application of new technologies. It is undeniable that certain foreign audiences and opinion makers hate U.S. policies. Yet many of them still like to be engaged by American diplo- mats, whether in person, via videocon- ferences or in Internet Web chats. Some don’t trust their own media and government spokespersons, while oth- ers believe our policies support and abet the corruption of their govern- ments. But even they rely on Ameri- can reporting, because it is factual and verifiable. Outreach efforts to such groups and individuals should be a prominent ele- ment of a new, more effective U.S. diplomacy. Time to Act In her December column, Susan Johnson challenges foreign affairs pro- fessionals to move beyond traditional thinking. In fact, many of them al- ready do so every day, all around the world. But much of what they are learning and experiencing goes un- heeded back in Washington — partic- ularly among the hundreds of political appointees who manage our foreign policy establishment. How can we “think the unthinkable” and adopt such approaches if conventional thinking re- jects the contrarian? We can begin by realizing that our ideological enemies, many of whom are non-state players, are busily in- venting ways to use our more orthodox approaches against us. One way they do this is through dissemination of as much disinformation as possible across the galaxy of Web sites that appeal to young, poorly educated and unem- ployed people. Their goal is to per- suade their followers that the United States is the “Great Satan.” The more widely we counter such claims with relevant, reliable informa- tion, the harder it becomes for such regimes to deceive their citizens. It will not be easy to develop a new language for diplomacy and dialogue with foreign audiences, to be sure. But earlier generations of U.S. diplomats succeeded in meeting similar chal- lenges. And now it is our turn. Bruce K. Byers is a retired Foreign Service officer with more than 30 years of service in the U.S. Information Agency and the Department of State in cultural and informational affairs. He was the USIA vice president of the American Foreign Service Association from 1995 to 1996 and later served as acting president of the Coalition for American Leadership Abroad. He writes widely on foreign affairs and the role of public diplomacy in advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives. S P E A K I N G O U T