The Foreign Service Journal, October 2006

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 27 ublic diplomacy was vitally impor- tant during the Cold War, a contest the U.S. could not afford to lose on any level. So it is perhaps understand- able that the euphoria that followed our victory led oth- erwise sober analysts to entertain thoughts of the “end of history.” Contrary to the expectations of the policymak- ers who abolished the U.S. Information Agency in a fit of hubris and parsimony, however, we find ourselves in a dangerous, shape-shifting era. More and more govern- ments play the nuclear card, once-poor nations throw their economic clout around and even longstanding allies must be cajoled for support. In some ways, we are the victim of our own success. Ex-client states have outgrown U.S. tutelage and eco- nomic support; political empowerment has produced intellectual independence; and the U.S. is no longer seen as the “indispensable force” or beloved uncle whose warts and missteps can be overlooked. Instead, the U.S. must explain itself even to its old friends and, too often, finds itself on the defensive. The swagger that inspired confidence during the Cold War now generates more resentment than admiration. Nor is bigger always more powerful today. Some of today’s most virulent threats come from supranational universalistic ideologies and non-state actors perpetrat- ing massive cross-border (or intrastate) violence. And a single, freelance blogger reaches even more people than did the BBC and the Voice of America combined a few decades ago. Enterprising geeks can undermine elec- tronic security systems and government censors’ Internet blocking. There’s more. Satellite television outlets with deeply appealing, competing perspectives have multiplied. The Internet allows rapid, low-investment access to global audiences by anyone, anywhere, and bloggers pounce gleefully on ill-considered official statements. Misrep- resentations are exposed, counterarguments are gener- ated, and silence is filled by alternative ideas. To suc- ceed in this decentralized, democratized, even anarchic environment, diplomacy requires ever-greater contex- tual sophistication, flexibility and nimbleness, and two- way communication skills, meaning dialogue — not hectoring. Contemporary Contexts for Public Diplomacy Given this dangerous and complex world, the exercise of public diplomacy offers distinct advantages. It’s far cheaper than war and its results are long-lasting. Public diplomacy isn’t about coercion, bluster or manipulation, but persuasion. It’s about communication so relevant and so well conceived that allies are reinforced, neutrals F O C U S O N P U B L I C D I P L O M A C Y P UBLIC D IPLOMACY M ATTERS M ORE T HAN E VER L IKE INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS , PD MUST BE PROTECTED FROM POLITICAL STRONG - ARMING , GENEROUSLY FUNDED AND HEEDED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL . B Y P ATRICIA H. K USHLIS AND P ATRICIA L EE S HARPE P