The Foreign Service Journal, September 2012

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 37 cities as centers for the initiative: Washington, D.C., Seattle, Los An- geles and Chicago. At a Dec. 3, 2011, session with foreign reporters at the Washington Foreign Press Center, McGiffert ex- plained how these public-private partnerships operate. First, donors’ contributions go directly to the schools and study-abroad programs of their choice. So when Coca-Cola pledged amillion dollars last year, that money went to six uni- versities via a competitive process administered by a foun- dation. In addition, part of the grant was designated to support need-based scholarships for lower-income students. That last aspect is critical, because most American par- ticipants in international educational exchanges traditionally hail from large universities. To diversify enrollment, the 100,000-Strong Initiative aims to create opportunities for low-income students, those attending two-year colleges and community colleges, minority students, and middle and high school students from underserved communities. The idea is that the sooner we can expose young minds to Chi- nese language and culture, the better prepared they will be to interact with their peers on the world stage. Private-sector organizations also sponsor fundraising events to support the 100,000-Strong Initiative. ADec. 17 concert in Beijing featured a number of American and Chi- nese pop stars under the logo “Booey Lehoo,” which is drawn from an excerpt from a Confucius saying that es- sentially means “We are very happy when friends come from afar.” The Road Ahead The Third Consultation on China and U.S. People-to- People Exchange that took place in Beijing this past May was sadly overshadowed by the furor over the fate of dissi- dent Chen Guangcheng. But participants in the discussion concurred that in its first three years, the CPE has already had a significant impact on Sino-American relations through exchanges in the areas of education, science and technology, sports, culture and women’s issues. These ac- tivities, along with the 100,000-Strong Initiative, have played an influential role in enhancing and strengthening ties between the citizens of America and China. Still, there are signs that the organization’s structure is inadequate to carry out its ambitious mission over the long haul. This prompted a restructur- ing of the program, moving it out of the Department of State and recreating it as an independent, private, nonprofit entity. Toward that end, the Ford Foundation re- cently agreed to give $1 million in seed funding to establish a 100,000- Strong Foundation. This will move the initiative toward a model of partnering collaboration and reci- procity between private, nonprofit organizations and indi- viduals, with less emphasis on national self-interest and direct governmental involvement. Sec. Clinton rightly hailed the Ford Foundation’s com- mitment as crucial to supporting and sustaining the goals of the program beyond its original four-year term. It also rep- resents a valuable model for bringing together govern- ment, civil society and the private sector to carry out other people-to-people projects. F OCUS American corporations with business ties to China and other private-sector entities have already pledged more than $15 million for the program.