Interagency Campaign Planning
Quote:
...To improve U.S. public diplomacy, we should:
· Continue to raise the status of public diplomacy as a key element in fighting Islamic extremism and protecting U.S. national security.
· More clearly link the mission of USAID and the role of development and humanitarian assistance to core national security objectives and ensure close coordination between USAID and State Department on programming for aid projects.
· Consider establishing a semi-governmental entity to conduct public opinion research in individual countries to allow us to tailor our messages to different audiences and to give U.S. public diplomacy efforts a solid factual foundation.
· Re-establish the once-popular American libraries in city centers to supplement our efforts to reach people through the internet and electronic media and reinvigorate the book translation program.
· Revitalize U.S. international broadcasting leadership and recommit resources and funding to Voice of America.
I like all of those 'cept:
Quote:
· More clearly link the mission of USAID and the role of development and humanitarian assistance to core national security objectives and ensure close coordination between USAID and State Department on programming for aid projects.
because I don't see the issue as a failure to link with established objectives. I see it as a failure to first identify the objectives and define them so they can be linked in a rational fashion. As stated above, this follows the idea that development and humanitarian assistance are the same; they are not. It is also tied to the idea that development is a reward for supporting our objectives, the classic "carrot." I see the realm of development and humanitarian assistance as tied to broader objectives (or lines of operation) seeking to expand our influence and improve our standing. State has never really grasped that and I am not sure they would now. Re-energizing USIA with the correct folks would help. And JIIM approach tieing inter-agency "campaign plans" for the various regions would also help.
Best
Tom