PUBLIC DIPLOMACY - Influence versus Coercion

Public Diplomacy is the way in which states promote their culture to foreign citizens, in the hope that it will influence and improve foreign public opinions, gaining a good reputation and enhancing their global status. This is done in many different ways such as foreign exchange programmes, international broadcasts, and presidential addresses aimed at foreign nationals (government to people) to promote themselves in a systematic form of lobbying e.g. Obama addressing the Iranian people.

With non-state actors having more of an influence in international affairs and the escalating spread of information communications technologies i.e. internet and 24hour news broadcasts, it is increasingly important that political leaders speak honestly as the truth will always come out. Edward R. Murrow, in May 1963, as the Director of United States Information Agency - USIA at the time, acknowledged this, "American traditions and the American ethic require us to be truthful, but the most important reason is that truth is the best propaganda and lies are the worst. To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful. It is as simple as that."

During the Clinton and Bush administration public diplomacy rapidly declined and the focus was on what the public internally thought about the government and not the public opinion abroad. For example after 9/11 George Bush acted swiftly to find fault elsewhere, his war was aimed at terrorism but many bore the brunt of Bush’s wrath. In September 2001, directly after 9/11 Bush stated "Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." The lack of indifference here and with many of the other comments George W Bush made and acted upon did not help win him support from overseas. He was demonstrating hard power when he went into Iraq and Afghanistan and lacked the backing of the people with a lack of soft power and public diplomacy.

Public Diplomacy has played a key part in Obama’s foreign policy and it is becoming more important in an era of globalisation where gaining the trust and spreading your word to foreign nationals is as equally as important as state to state discussions. If foreign nationals back you and understand you then their leader will be more inclined to negotiate with you.

The Ghanaian High Commission showed a fine example of Public Diplomacy during the visit last week. They behaved with typical Ghanaian mannerism by providing food and were friendly, informative and hospitable. In doing so they were promoting their own culture to a group of students from all around the world. Had they been blunt and rude it may have been assumed that the whole of Ghana was blunt and rude?