Public diplomacy refers to government efforts to promote their national interests through direct outreach with the citizens of a foreign country. The United States government used the United states Information Agency (USIA) to help combat soviet propaganda during the cold war but after the Soviet Union dissolved, the USIA’s role dwindled and eventually was abolished in 1999 and then merged into the state department. After the 9/11 attacks, the United States strengthened its public diplomacy efforts when it waged war on international terrorism. In recent years there have been many calls upon the U.S administration to improve its public diplomacy. The Public Diplomacy Council says, “Effective public diplomacy is vital to a successful American foreign policy. In the war on terrorism, public diplomacy can play a critical role combating misinformation, enabling us to better understand our world, providing accurate information about the U.S. and helping people around the globe to understand this nation, our values and our policies.” - (http://publicdiplomacycouncil.org//uploads/Call_for_Action_2d_Ed_Oct_05.pdf).
However, U.S diplomacy isn't all about the war against terror. President Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, began a ten day trip to Asia on 6 November 2010 to encourage India to open its markets and thus create more jobs for America. During their stay they were taken on a tour of the Taj Mahal and Pictures appeared all over the newspapers and internet of the president and his wife dancing with children at a high school in Mumbai during Diwali celebrations.
Obama paid his respects to victims of the terror attacks, praised India on their economic rise and backed India’s bid for a UN permanent seat.
The President was clearly determined to win the trust and respect of India and conveyed this in his speeches. At one point he made a reference to one of India’s most influential figures, Mahatma Ghandi saying, "I am mindful that I might not be standing before you today, as president of the United States, had it not been for Gandhi and the message he shared and inspired with America and the world." It is not the first time the president has made an effort to reach out to the Indian population. In a speech that demonstrates the revolutionary changes of communication, in 2009 the white house posted a video message of Obama wishing a happy Diwali.
Hi Selita,
ReplyDeleteI do agree that public diplomacy is a powerful tool building international relations for better or worst. However, how can be said that one or few individuals would be a fair representatives of all country. As you have mentioned already, the USA foreign policy is more or less successful building effective public diplomacy. Indeed, its aim is still to guarantee self interests; the war on terrorism, economic expansion, international leadership, etc... Moreover, US public diplomacy was active not just in the time of the Cold War; since beginning of the twentieth century know as the 'Hollywood' diplomacy was a key promoter of 'American culture'. It is considered as propaganda too, because the production of the individual agencies was controlled by the government. Nevertheless, during the Cold War, US public diplomacy was not different from your mentioned Soviet propaganda. In fact, it was already active before the start of the Second World War, fallowing the effective German public diplomacy.
My point is, that public diplomacy can be very manipulative, it certainly works towards self interests, for better international relations or for a need to mislead vulnerable society gaining more support for the government action, for example the war on terror and the Iraq War.
We should try to look very carefully at public diplomacy, concerning wider issues and study different continental public diplomacy which would help find a fairer answers.
Hi Illuskis,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you comments. I am aware that the cold war was not the only period that public diplomacy was active in the U.S but I wanted to show that after the cold war and before 9/11, their public diplomacy efforts had diminished.