[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15] [Senate] [Pages 23228-23229] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]DIPLOMACY Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, today I wish to talk about public diplomacy. I have spent a lot of time in Africa and have built close relationships with many African leaders. As you know, our country's official diplomacy is conducted by the State Department. However, public diplomacy involving people-to-people interaction is equally important for promoting a positive image of America to the world. The United States is admired as a beacon of freedom for oppressed people everywhere. The attacks on the U.S. of 9/11 demonstrate the new challenge we face by the forces of ignorance and intolerance that seek the destruction of our country. Today I include in the record an insightful essay that I will share with the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the critical role of public diplomacy in building bridges of good will for the United States. The author is Richard Soudriette, the president of the Center for Diplomacy and Democracy in Colorado Springs, CO. Mr. Soudriette is the founding president of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, IFES, which has promoted free and fair elections in over 120 countries. I have a long and personal history with Richard as he was my chief of staff in my office as mayor of Tulsa. Since then, he went on to be the founding president of the International Foundation for Electoral System, IFES, which has promoted free and fair elections in over 120 countries. Richard and I share the same heart for Africa and the same vision for developing countries around the world; that they continue to move towards self-sufficiency and become thriving economic nations. His essay discusses public diplomacy at the local level and mentions my home town of Tulsa, OK, as an example of a community that has developed innovative international visitor programs. Public diplomacy is vital to keeping our country safe. The best way to defeat the forces of extremism is to educate people around the globe about America and our values, culture, and people. I strongly support Richard's work around the world and I ask unanimous consent that the statement by Richard Soudriette be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Public Diplomacy: Building Bridges of Understanding [By Richard W. Soudriette, Center for Diplomacy and Democracy, December 8, 2010] Ever since the proclamation of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia over 200 years ago, America has championed the power of the human spirit. Across the globe, America is a beacon of freedom that gives hope to people living under oppression. Our country faces many challenges never envisioned by the Founding Fathers in 1776. The deadly attacks on America that occurred on September 11, 2001 revealed that extremist elements seek to destroy America and all that it symbolizes. Al-Qaeda and their cohorts are dedicated to the eradication of human rights and democracy. Islamic extremists do a great injustice to Muslims who reject the extremist philosophy of hatred, ignorance, and intolerance. Defeating the forces of extremism will require more than military power. It also will require tenacious public diplomacy to educate people from Muslim countries, as well as elsewhere, about America. Public diplomacy is a term that was coined by respected career U.S. diplomat, Edmund Gullion, who also served as dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Ambassador Gullion described public diplomacy as the way sovereign nations openly and transparently communicate their ideas, culture, and values to people of other countries. Public diplomacy has become an essential component of U.S. foreign policy. The Obama Administration has sought increases in public diplomacy funding. The current Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Judith McHale, recently unveiled ``The Strategic Plan for Public Diplomacy for America in the 21st Century.'' Despite bipartisan support for public diplomacy, the image of the U.S. continues to lose ground in many parts of the globe. Our image problem in many countries is documented by the work of the Pew Charitable Trusts Global Image Project. Some respected organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations have focused on the failings of our public diplomacy apparatus. The morphing of the United States Information Agency into the State Department during the Clinton Administration is identified as a major cause for deficiencies in our public diplomacy efforts. The Council on Foreign Relations has offered recommendations to the State Department to fix our public diplomacy, but these will require time and funding to implement. The State Department already has the means to improve our public diplomacy outreach to the world. For example, the State Department should make certain that ambassadors and foreign service officers are fully briefed on the State Department's public diplomacy strategic plan before they are posted abroad. Also, it should be made clear that a major part of their duties will be to assist the Secretary of State in implementing the plan. Foreign service officers provide an immediate opportunity for the U.S. to engage in effective public diplomacy. In 2008, the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy issued a report entitled ``Getting the People Part Right: A Report on the Human Resources Dimension of Public Diplomacy.'' This report highlights the public diplomacy void that has existed since 1999 when the United States Information Agency was eliminated and its functions were merged into the State Department. The report states that most foreign service officers fail to grasp the importance of public diplomacy, and at best, they merely pay lip service to it. The report also discusses the lack of recruitment of U.S. diplomats with the appropriate people skills for public diplomacy. The report cites the need for more training for our diplomats so that they might have the knowledge and the skills to effectively interact with people from other countries. Newly hired foreign service officers frequently work at U.S. Consulates processing visa applications for persons wishing to travel to the U.S. This is a high stress job and it demands that they possess strong interpersonal skills. While serving as the director of the Peace Corps program in the Dominican Republic, I frequently heard anecdotes from Dominicans who had received rude treatment when seeking visas at the U.S. Consulate. While the visa application process requires extensive screening, all visa applicants should receive prompt and courteous service. U.S. diplomats who engage in arrogant behavior towards visa applicants create ill will and plant seeds of hatred towards America. Another aspect of public diplomacy that needs attention is the manner in which officers of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection receive and process arriving international visitors. Since the events of 2001, the work of Customs and Border Protection officers has become more stressful and challenging. While most officers perform well, there are some who do not receive international visitors with courtesy. Customs and Border Protection officers play a huge public diplomacy role. When officers are surly, they offend international visitors to the United States. The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection should incorporate customer service training into its curriculum for all personnel. When developing this training, it would be wise to tap the experience of companies like the Disney Corporation which has a track record of receiving throngs of people with respect and courtesy. Courteous treatment upon arrival in our Nation can pay dividends by promoting a positive image of the United States. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) can achieve immediate impact in public diplomacy by requiring all contractors and grantees to incorporate public diplomacy aspects into their work. USAID utilizes many [[Page 23229]] for-profit and not-for-profit organizations to provide services in areas such as democracy, economic development, governance, health, public works, and rule of law. All organizations that undertake work abroad on behalf of USAID have an important public diplomacy responsibility. USAID should require grantees and contractors, whenever feasible, to hire project managers who speak the language of the country where they are working. Personnel working abroad on USAID funded projects should undergo orientation training about local culture and customs. International visitor programs play a key role in successful public diplomacy. For nearly sixty years, the State Department has funded visits by thousands of international visitors to acquaint them with our country. Often, these visitors eventually become leaders in their countries. The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, traveled to the U.S. in 1985 on a State Department sponsored trip. Today he is regarded as one of the most pro-U.S. leaders in France. The State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs funds most of the government sponsored international visitor and scholarship programs. The bureau has rules in place stipulating that prime contractors and grantees for State Department funds must be in existence for a minimum of four years. These rules stifle innovative programming by new organizations and inhibit the ability of community based groups beyond the Capital Beltway to access funding. For most international visitor programs, the State Department contracts with the same large East Coast organizations. These organizations rely on a patchwork of community based groups across the U.S. to organize meaningful professional, educational, and cultural programs for international visitors. Unfortunately, these East Coast organizations pass on very little, if any, funding to communities that have agreed to receive international visitors. Hosting of international visitors relies on local volunteers and in-kind support. The lack of financial resources at the local level results in a huge disparity in the quality of programming that international visitors receive. Some communities like Tulsa, Oklahoma do a superb job in organizing and managing international visitor programs. Since 1995, the Tulsa Global Alliance has provided excellent programs in this area. Tulsa has developed an organizational model that relies on a mix of professional and volunteer support. The Tulsa program has been successful in developing a broad funding base that provides more than $400,000 per year for international visitor activities. Funding comes from corporations, individual donors, foundations, program fees, and limited grants from the State Department. It is recommended that the State Department modify its rules for funding international visitor programs. Contracts for large organizations should require that they provide grants of at least 25 percent of their total project budgets to be passed on to international visitor committees at the local level. This funding will help provide needed resources to ensure that high quality programs are offered to international visitors. The public diplomacy implications of these international visitor programs are too important not to have sufficient funding. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the State Department should give priority to funding small and newly established organizations engaged in international visitor programs. The Bureau should be encouraged to make available up to 25 percent of its budget for international visitor programs to small and newly established organizations. This new approach would open the door for communities across America to develop their own capacity to implement high quality international visitor programs. The end goal would be that each international visitor would have a fulfilling experience in the U.S. The security of America and the future of our democracy demand more commitment to public diplomacy. To keep America safe and to protect our values, ideals, and principles, we must build bridges of understanding with people across the globe. ____________________