WASHINGTON, 23 April 2004 — Amid growing problems in Iraq and between Israelis and Palestinians, the United States, on Feb. 14, launched its much-touted Arabic language satellite television station. “Al-Hurra” (meaning “the free one”) will beam American messages in Arabic and Farsi across the Islamic world. At $62 million a year, the project is certainly not cheap. And with America’s public image in a free fall, anything is better than the current failed US public diplomacy. But those who think that a “fair and balanced” response to Al-Jazeera will reverse the plummet in America’s favorability ratings or, more importantly, actually resolve the serious policy challenges that the US faces are kidding themselves.

The problem is two-fold:

First and foremost, the problem is US policy. What are citizens from across the Islamic world angry about when it comes to the US? From the occupation of Iraq, to US disengagement toward Israel and Palestine, to backing down on claims that the US would push for democracy across the region, there are many reasons to point to. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, this administration has managed to squander global support for America.

Now, vast majorities of the populations of countries in the region — 70 percent in Indonesia, 80 percent in Jordan and 81 percent in Lebanon — say they feel that the US “does not take their interests into account.” But this was not always the case. A century ago America was seen as a positive and benevolent light in the region. And as recently as 2000, the US was much more respected in the region because we were more constructively engaged. The policies of the Bush administration, particularly after 9/11, have driven changes in sentiments across the Islamic world.

The second problem is the way America communicates. Adding yet another state-owned media outlet to the region answers neither America’s needs nor those of the region.

The US faces more than just a lost popularity contest or some imagined information gap. Instead what is needed is a fresh approach to public diplomacy where cornerstone activities are launched in partnership and re-anchored in a new paradigm of “jointness.” American public diplomacy will be most effective and persuasive when it is rooted in a dialogue between American and foreign civil society, planned with inputs from both sides, and conducted in a manner that benefits all sides. In more practical terms, the first step of this process is the joint identification of mutual interests and concerns through dialogue between civil society and government leaders in Muslim-majority countries and the US.

The second is joint planning and implementation. It is important to contrast this with concepts developed essentially by Americans and then implemented with the help of citizens, groups, or governments from Muslim-majority countries.

Such a strategy — change on both the policy and the communication front — must keep in mind the following lessons:

• Our policy direction must change. We must center our policies on good governance and democracy. These are values that citizens of Muslim countries admire about the US and want to see take root in their countries.

• Effective public diplomacy requires deeper coordination. Foreign policy and public diplomacy must work hand in hand.

• Muslim-majority countries are exceptionally heterogeneous in terms of wealth, culture, religious composition, media access, and attitudes. Regional programs should be developed to meet strategic needs, but deployed tactically on a country-by-country basis.

• Youth represent an opportunity. The rapidly growing cohort of youth in Muslim-majority countries should be seen as an opportunity, rather than a threat.

• Leverage the strength of our diversity. The State, Homeland Security, Justice, and Defense Departments should all examine how they can better tap the strengths of the Arab— and Muslim-American communities at home, both to improve programming and recruit individuals who can better relate to and communicate with Arab and Muslim populations overseas.

• Emphasize values-based policy. The US should undertake the following initiatives with the philosophy of jointness, where appropriate:

1. Create easy-access US public information centers. Accessible information centers like the American Corners program, which puts smaller versions of US libraries stocked with technology-based information and books into high-traffic areas should be launched.

2. Expand exchange programs. Exchange programs such as the Fulbright and Humphrey programs should be strengthened and expanded, and should reflect growing US geopolitical needs, in particular toward improving relations with the Islamic world. We should realize that new visa restrictions make it difficult to bring visitors from the Islamic world into the US at all, at a time when we need these cultural exchanges more than ever.

3. Expand the use of polling. We should utilize polling and focus groups in Muslim-majority countries to better inform US policy-makers and measure the success of public diplomacy efforts. Because another important ingredient affecting how people of the Islamic world feel about America is our own feelings about them, it is important to keep measuring American attitudes about the Islamic world and even design programs to change negative attitudes.

4. Make public diplomacy a crosscutting theme for all Foreign Service officers. Every American diplomat must play a part in public diplomacy, so as to maximize efforts to reach directly into civil society. Thus, public diplomacy and foreign language training for diplomats should be strengthened. And those diplomats who know the Islamic world — particularly those who speak the local languages — should continue to be assigned to the Islamic world and not rotated beyond its borders.

5. Build closer alliances with NGOs. Local and national NGOs and international institutions receive strong positive ratings across the Islamic world.

6. Leverage the expertise of Capitol Hill and state and local leaders. Civil society in Muslim-majority countries craves dialogue with American policy makers.

7. The current US public diplomacy apparatus should be reorganized. Today, public diplomacy operations are spread across various agencies and assistant secretaries creating a muddled structure for public diplomacy professionals.

8. We should send significantly more speakers to Muslim-majority countries.

In other words, hatred of America can indeed be reduced — and in turn American security improved — through two major changes. First, we must turn US-policy around. We must push the Israeli and Palestinian leadership toward a just, fair and secure solution. We must further internationalize the security and administration of Iraq by seeking UN leadership in the process. Second, we must reduce one-way public diplomacy broadcasts such as Al-Hurra in favor of jointly planned activities and dialogue between Americans and the Islamic world.

— Hady Amr is the co-president of the Arab Western Summit of Skills, www.awsummit.org. Can be reached at [email protected]