The Brookings Institution held a discussion in which in unveiled “Voices of America: U.S. Public Diplomacy for the 21st Century,” a plan to improve U.S. public diplomacy.

“Power is diffusing into a larger and more diverse group of nations, non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations than ever before,” said Kristin Lord, a fellow at Brookings and author of “Voices for America.”

Lord called for the creation of a non-profit organization called U.S.A.-World Trust which would “conduct and commission research and analysis…and convey it in a form useful to public diplomacy practitioners.” It would also “tap the vast potential of the private sector…to engage companies, non-governmental organizations, universities, think tanks and others to work on innovative new initiatives” and “provide grants and venture capital to endeavors that advance the nation’s public diplomacy objectives.”

“The goal in all the instances would be to attract new talent and new voices to the challenge of improving U.S. public diplomacy,” said Lord.

The panelists agreed that one of the most important things the U.S. should do is listen to public opinions in foreign countries. “Listening conveys respect, and a lot of people in the Muslim world feel that we don’t respect them,” said Martin Indyk, Senior fellow at Brookings and Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. “The consequence of listening is that you have to show that you’re going to change something about what you do as a result of listening. Otherwise, people get the sense you aren’t listening at all even though you say you are.”

Panelists discussed “Humanity as a Weapon of War,” a new report on the military’s role in humanitarian assistance written by Reuben Brigerty, at the Center of American Progress. Brigerty, Director of the Sustainable Security Program at CAP, said decisions being made at the Pentagon suggest the military is realizing that force alone is not an effective strategy in warfare.

Brigerty said his paper outlines the US military’s shift from a direct line of approach in times of conflict, a “kill or capture” technique, to a softer approach that recognizes the causes of insurgencies and works to alleviate them. He said the Department of Defense is beginning to see that humanitarian efforts are not only moral undertakings, but also national security operations. According to Brigerty, the US military benefits from humanitarian ventures by showing American goodwill to skeptical populations and by planting people in the field that can observe local sentiment. He also said the US public must realize, despite written evidence, that US security interests rely on diplomacy and the military equally.

Elisabeth Kvitashvili, deputy assistant administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development, expressed discomfort with the military’s role in humanitarian efforts. She said USAID has called upon the military in the past to assist in a supportive role and added that civilian agencies like USAID and the Department of State should continue to lead development efforts. Kvitashvili said workers at the DoS and USAID have been trained development methods and that large-scale military participation in humanitarian assistance may cause recipients of aid to doubt the neutrality of non-military organizations.

Today a group of retired military officials met to discuss their experiences, activities, and interactions with Chinese military leaders. Known as the “Sanya Initiative”, the intention of visiting China was to foster better communication and understanding between the United States and China without necessarily promoting a political agenda. (more…)

The House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia met to discuss “Iran’s Strategic Aspirations and the Future of the Middle East.” Gary Ackerman (D-NY), said that Iran’s threat to America has gone ignored for years. He said that now Iran’s expanded realm means a real threat to the U.S., but that the security risks are manageable. (more…)

Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, proclaims a need for openness in diplomacy between the U.S. and Iraq at a briefing on “The Future of U.S.-Iraqi Relations: The Perspective of the Iraqi Parliament.” He says the U.S. has an obligation to support a viable Iraqi democracy.

 

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Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) expresses his view on an exit from Iraq at a briefing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on “The Future of U.S.-Iraqi Relations: The Perspective of the Iraqi Parliament.” (0:56)

 

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During a hearing on the Department of Defense, the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speaks about leverage when seeking to engage Iran and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) responds saying that the U.S. missed it’s opportunity to engage Iran in 2003. (0:42)

 

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Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke at the Center for American Progress Action Fund today and discussed presidential nominee John McCain’s remarks last week about Senator Obama and his statement to commence talks with Iran. Biden said that McCain’s foreign policy aims are undefined and will be following in President Bush’s footsteps.

Biden declared that Bush was “completely out of touch” with the government. The Bush Administrations foreign policy objectives have failed, Iran’s influence has expanded not diminished, Hamas runs amok in Iraq, over 4,000 American soldiers have lost their lives in the Iraq war and the Middle East is more dangerous now then it was seven years ago, Biden said. (more…)

The United States Institute of Peace held a panel discussion today entitled “Resurrecting the Wall of Fear: The Human Rights Situation in Syria.”

The last 3 months have seen a crackdown by the Syrian government targeting public intellectuals, civil society activists. It all began with a December meeting of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration, after which a wave of arrests saw a drastic limitation of civil liberties. Thirteen of the leaders of that coalition remain in prison and have been accused of subversion of Syrian security, among other charges. The U.S. has withdrawn its ambassador from Syria. (more…)

Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, today delivered a passionate address about her term as Secretary, global peace, and the United States‘ place in the world at Georgetown University. Rice discussed her feelings that America must remain active in not only fighting terrorism around the world, but also in helping developing countries grow economically.

Rice often referred to her use of “transformational diplomacy,” to shape U.S. policy. As time has gone on and challenges facing America have become more complex, she explained how she and other leaders have needed to use different methods to solve global problems. Rice also discussed “American Realism,” as she examined the limitations the government often faces in sending troops and aid around the world.

Rice said that while she and the President believe we have to continue to aid those struggling to survive in Sudan, ending the crisis is something our nation cannot do alone. Stressing the need to have unilateral support in fighting terrorism and championing human rights, Rice was enthusiastic and hopeful about the future of American foreign policy.