The Foreign Service Journal, October 2005

14 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 5 Hughes Revs Up Public Diplomacy Push Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes has finally hit the ground, and, by all accounts, she has hit it run- ning. Named in mid-March for the critical post, Ms. Hughes’ confirma- tion hearing was delayed to afford her time to prepare her son for college. Confirmed by the Senate on July 29, the presidential confidante whose job it is to transform America’s image in the world, and particularly in the Muslim world, moved into her office at the State Department in the third week of August and jumped right into the fray. By Labor Day, the first plank of her four-point policy program — engage- ment — was clear. On Aug. 30, she sent a cable to all U.S. embassies urg- ing them to think of ways to com- memorate the fourth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, such as attending interfaith services, that will demonstrate that terrorism is a chal- lenge faced not just by the United States. “I think it’s a very humble way, on the day of our national tragedy, to remember that other people have experienced horrible tragedies,” said Ms. Hughes. Her decision to appear Sept. 1 in Chicago at the convention of the Islamic Society of North America caused a stir in some conservative cir- cles. Hughes has told reporters she has initiated discussions with Muslim leaders — clerics, students and schol- ars — to hear their concerns and ideas, and plans to travel to Europe and the Middle East. The other three planks in Ms. Hughes’ public diplomacy program are exchanges, education and empow- erment. The administration has in- creased its request for funds for edu- cational exchanges by 20 percent this year, to $430 million, and will try to make it easier to get visas for these programs. Hughes also plans to promote “advocacy platforms,” or debates about democracy and its values in ways that are relevant to countries experiencing authoritarian rule, as well as “rapid-response” teams to counter bad news and disinformation in a timely manner. “We are behind the curve in being able to put down rumors and myths,” she says. An interagency public diplomacy operat- ing group is another element of the plan, as is placing more emphasis on public relations skills in Foreign Service promotions. The public diplomacy challenge Under Secretary Hughes faces is daunting. Her immediate predeces- sor, Margaret Tutwiler, quit last sum- mer after less than a year on the job; her predecessor, advertising executive Charlotte Beers, had thrown in the towel after 18 months as U.S. prestige tumbled, particularly in the Middle East. Panels and commissions have stud- ied the problem, and there is no short- age of thoughtful reports ( http:// www.publicdiplomacy.org/archiv e.htm ). A recent addition to the pol- icy literature is from the Heritage Foundation, “Strengthening U.S. Public Diplomacy Requires Organi- zation, Coordination and Strategy” ( http://www.heritage.org/Research /NationalSecurity/bg1875.cfm ). Significantly, while Ms. Hughes pre- pared for her confirmation hearings, the State Department issued a new contract to establish what went wrong and identify the remedy. The depart- ment offered $250,000 for “a thor- ough and scientific study of how to address negative perceptions of the United States, particularly in Muslim countries,” to be completed by Sept. 30. You can follow this important issue online at the “What’s New in Public Diplomacy” Web page of the Univer- sity of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy ( http://www.usc publicdiplomacy.org/index.php ), at the Web site of George Washington C YBERNOTES 50 Years Ago... Effective representation abroad in the hydrogen age of the global time of troubles demands the services of individuals with the paradoxical combination of the widest backgrounds and most intensive technical training available. Diplomacy has ceased to be a select art and become a total technique. — Robert C. Bone Jr., from “From the Past into the Future: Suggestions for the Service,” (Prize Winning Essay in Category ‘C’), FSJ , October 1955.