The Foreign Service Journal, December 2009

serve components of the government’s Civilian Response Corps. It will also assist individuals at all levels involved in any aspect of an S&Rmission—de- cision-making, assessment, planning, training, implementation or metrics. — Susan Brady Maitra, Senior Editor Advancing Africa, Engaging the World A new form of development collab- oration in Africa is being put to the test as we go to press. Africa Rural Con- nect is an Internet-based project to dis- cuss and develop ideas to improve sub-Saharan agriculture. ARC was launched by the National Peace Corps Association in July with the support of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ( www.AfricaRuralCon nect.org ) . To turn the lively online delibera- tions into viable action plans, ARC conducted a contest from August through November, ranking submis- sions on the basis of their support from registered discussants. After three rounds, the grand prize of $20,000 will be awarded in December to the very best program. ARC’s purpose is to harness the firsthand experiences and insight of those who have served or lived in Africa, and thus have insights about the needs of African farmers, and link them with development professionals, nongovernmental organization work- ers and scholars. “This community is an ideal way for Peace Corps Volunteers to extend their service beyond their two-year commit- ment, and for the African disapora to have a platform to put forth their own solutions for issues in their home coun- tries,” Molly Mattessich, Africa Rural Connect project manager and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali from 2002 to 2004, tells BusinessNews ( http://balti more.dbusinessnews.com ) . Once a proposal is posted on the site, users can contribute feedback, al- lowing the creator to make adjust- ments to make the project more feasible and effective, increasing its chances of gaining more support. The first-place winner in Round 3, which ended Oct. 15, was a proposal for improvement of the Arid and Semi-arid Land Schools system in rural Kenya put forth by a Kenyan NGO. Primary contributor Kacheru Karuku’s plan will use information technology to standardize and stream- line the school system’s management and introduce an e-learning curricu- lum in agroforestry, water harvesting and greenhouse and drip-irrigation technologies. — Amanda Anderson, Editorial Intern U.S. Standing: Beyond the Obama Effect Though America’s standing in the eyes of the world has generally trended downward since 2002, the 2008 elec- tion saw a surge in positive impres- sions, both domestically and abroad. What does this mean? Can it last? These are among the questions ad- dressed in a new study, “U.S. Standing in the World: Faultline for the Obama Presidency,” released by the American Political Science Association at the Na- tional Press Club on Oct. 1 ( www. apsanet.org/content_59477.cfm ) . Not simply a popularity contest, U.S. standing in the world at any given time is the product of complex pro- cesses and, in turn, has implications for policy. The findings are thought-provok- ing. For instance, other countries rate the U.S. not only on its provision of public and private goods (fromhuman- itarian aid to global health) throughout the world, but on their own expecta- tions that this American largesse will in- crease each year. As the study’s authors note, “it is likely that the disconnect be- tween high expectations of what the United States should do in the years ahead, and what it actually can and will do, will pose a persistent challenge for managing U.S. standing.” The study offers some recommen- dations for ways to restore America’s reputation abroad. First, leaders must recognize that the gains from improv- ing our standing outweigh the short- term costs. Second, the U.S. should take into account local, country-spe- cific factors, while still supporting over- arching moral objectives, like human rights and climate change. Finally, rather than providing charity, the U.S. should demonstrate leadership by working alongside other states to aid in developing and implementing effec- tive policies. The study also suggests that a por- tion of the massive military budget could be better spent in areas of diplo- macy, arguing that developing such ties would accrue more value than any number of weapons and troops ever could. 10 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9 C Y B E R N O T E S W e’ve got to think about giving out cookies. Kids, countries — they react to gold stars, smiley faces, handshakes, agreements, talk, engagement. —U.S. envoy to Sudan retired Major General J. Scott Gration, Sept. 29, www.washingtonpost.com