Be a citizen diplomat; help rebuild U.S. image

John Menzies

Des Moines Register, Feb. 2, 2008

What will our world be like five, 10, 25, 50, 200 years from now? Will it be a safer and more prosperous world for everyone or an increasingly dangerous place, especially for Americans? How will Americans be perceived by other people around the world?

Many people of other cultures and views now see the United States as arrogant, soft, spoiled, pompous, demanding and intractable. They openly wonder whether America has begun an irreversible decline into greed, decay and immorality. But what can individual Americans do about that?

The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, established in 2006 in Des Moines, is asking all U.S. citizens to join our organization in the mission of a lifetime: engaging more Americans in relationships and partnerships with men and women from other homelands, trusting that such experiences will inspire surprising possibilities in times of future crises.

The center promotes the opportunity for all Americans to be citizen diplomats and affirms the indispensable value of citizen involvement in international relations. It is devoted to recruiting, educating, strengthening and recognizing citizen diplomats who strive to meet the duty of each generation. And it connects people to organizations who provide opportunities for Americans to participate both here and abroad.

As our government continues to search for effective ways to project a positive American image abroad, nothing demonstrates American values better than Americans. Tens of thousands of our fellow citizens travel outside the United States every year, each having an opportunity to leave a personal and lasting image among those they meet. Others welcome visitors at home, build friendships through technology with their counterparts abroad and raise funds to meet the needs of those overseas who are facing disasters of weather, war and famine.

These Americans of all ages may be everyday citizens, business people, teachers, artists, pen pals, humanitarians, students, researchers, adventurers and others. They are motivated by compassion, professional interest, curiosity and faith. They volunteer. As a result of being involved, they are informed and responsible citizens of our shared world.

They participate in the Peace Corps, Rotary International, Sister Cities, Partners of the Americas, the International Visitor Leadership Program, Doctors without Borders, Youth for Understanding, the Fulbright Program, the Institute for International Education and countless other organizations committed to the importance of Americans building personal relationships with people throughout the world.

Until now, public and private efforts to enhance the quality and quantity of this spontaneous flow of personal energy and goodwill have been insufficient. There is no consistent or routine measurement of the extent of the efforts’ impact, no methodical sharing of what works and what does not, and little focus on magnifying this extraordinary resource to the level of national attention it deserves.

Today, it is critical that America’s values be better understood throughout the world. It is the right and the responsibility of every American to be a citizen diplomat of the highest quality for our communities and our country.

The center is devoted to helping humanity learn genuine trust and respect for neighbors near and far. Initial investments of time, energy and resources - public and private - will enable the center to lift citizen diplomacy to the level of engagement that today’s global needs demand.

We invite you to join us and contribute to this work. Complementing other citizen-diplomacy efforts nationwide, we will work to forge a common future with mutual security, cultural diversity and realistic expectations.

JOHN K. MENZIES is honorary board chair of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy. He’s also dean of the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations and a retired U.S. ambassador.

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