The Foreign Service Journal, October 2006

other activities attract large num- bers and expose them to different aspects of American history and culture. Such offerings can in- struct and gratify foreign audi- ences, contributing to getting our message out. Still, effective pub- lic diplomacy depends on person- al contact. Otherwise, how do we invite the right people to the exhibit and find a respected co-sponsor? How do we understand a journalist’s biases or know an academic’s political leanings? How do we choose the right newspaper, magazine or broadcasting program for an interview? Personal contact, of course, requires officers, and officers cost a lot of money. Yet there is little prospect that future budgets will allow for dramatically increas- ing our programs or our ranks. So what measures can the department take to ensure that public diplomacy gets done and done well? There are several ways to do this, all of them quite basic and relatively inexpensive. First, we need more officers who speak languages at a professional level. Then, all Foreign Service offi- cers, and not just those specializ- ing in public diplomacy, must use their enhanced language skills to engage foreign publics. In order for officers to do this well and confidently, we need to provide more training in the theory and practice of public diplomacy. And, most important, we need to recognize and reward those officers who do all these things. This has all begun to happen, but too slowly. The Importance of Speaking Fluently It all starts with language ability. If we do not master foreign languages, and if we go overseas without the ability or will to use them, then we are remiss in our F O C U S 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 35 Foreign Service officers are among our most valuable, but underused, public diplomacy assets.