WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Colin Powell's resignation this week, is likely to elicit some concern from European allies who had hoped that President Bush would take greater steps to mend transatlantic relationships during his second term.
The political and economic effects of America's flawed image abroad have not been lost however, on some U.S. non-profits and private firms,
who are rushing to do what the Bush administration has so far done poorly -- sell brand America.
According to the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States, in 2003, two-way trade in goods and services between the U.S. and the European Union (prior to the accession of ten new member states on May 1, 2004) amounted to $593 billion. Reciprocal direct investment between the partners approaches $2 trillion.
While in most accounts recent strains in U.S. relations with its European allies do not seem to be affecting this bustling pace of commerce, private firms are forming partnerships in order to ensure that misunderstandings between governments do not impact "business as usual."
Jeffery Werner, chairman of one such partnership, the Transatlantic Business Dialogue, told United Press International that although firms have seen few current drops in business, they are adopting a proactive approach to head off the impact of anti-Americanism to their bottom lines in the long term.
"You are losing out when the U.S. and the European Union are not working together," said Werner. "In order for companies to remain competitive and meet the challenges from emerging economies like China and Brazil, there needs to be a seamless marketplace." Werner adds, "The Transatlantic Business Dialogue is not looking to replace what the government does -- the state does diplomacy -- we are just looking to provide industry input (where damaged political relationships might affect industry)."
While the State Department funnels almost $600 million this year into public diplomacy initiatives directed at repairing unfavorable perceptions of U.S. policy in Europe and the Muslim world, non-profit organizations like America Abroad Media (AAM) are also looking to engage foreign audiences more directly.
America Abroad Media is the brain-child of Aaron Lobel. Lobel, a Harvard Ph.D., and former research fellow at the Washington D.C. think-tank, Brookings Institution, formed AAM a few months after the 9-11 attacks. Lobel decided to use radio and television to encourage dialogue about U.S. foreign policy between American students, scholars and policy makers and their counterparts abroad.
"So often with the U.S. government and public diplomacy, foreign audiences feel that they are being preached to," Lobel told United Press International.
"We talk directly about the issues in order to generate thoughtful discussion, and promote a two-way dialogue."
AAM's radio program, which broadcasts internationally through National Public Radio Worldwide, addresses such touchy subjects as "America's Presidential Election: The View from Abroad," or the "United States and the Two Koreas: Growing Tensions on the Peninsula." Lobel's most recent and promising project has been a 1-hour television show, linking foreign and American students and senior analysts by satellite for discussion.
The program, in partnership with CNN-Turk, seized the occasion of the NATO summit in Turkey's capital last June to encourage discussion about the future of American/Turkish relations.
Challenges in U.S./European Union transatlantic relations and United States presidential elections were the subject of the program's more recent October episode.
Both broadcasts received such positive reviews from foreign audiences that Lobel is planning to bring its discussion format to audiences in South Korea, Russia and Qatar in the future. He is also looking to land distribution contracts within the United States to make the program more accessible to American audiences.
The key to AAM's vision is to expose foreign publics to the different faces of America, particularly in those regions where American interests and image need some help according to Erin Pelton, AAM's associate project director.
"We are not looking to engage the world (in a general way)," said Pelton. "We look at regions of strategic value to the United States, especially given the rise of anti-Americanism abroad."
Lobel believes that it is precisely the separation of non-profit media organizations from government that lend his work the weight that United States diplomats might lack with audiences abroad. "(The damaged American image abroad) is obviously one of the leading international security issues of the day," said Lobel. "As non-partisan, non-government organizations, we have credibility -- there are tremendous opportunities for the private sector to get involved."
While such international affairs heavyweights as the Economist have fallen behind Lobel's internationalist agenda and co-sponsored some of his radio programs, former giants of government are also weighing in to pick up where the current Bush administration may have dropped the ball.
Ambassador Richard Fairbanks founded Layalina Productions, Inc. in March 2002 to create "information and entertaining Arabic-language television" for distribution by satellite and cable TV throughout the Middle East. Classified as a non-profit corporation, Layalina is still in the beginning stages of program creation and has not yet entered into any contracts with satellite or cable networks.
However, Ambassador Fairbanks, who served as Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador-at-Large, and Special Negotiator for the Middle East Peace Process during the Reagan Administration, counts political stars from both sides of the aisle as members of his advisory Board of Counselors. These include Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Scowcroft, George P. Schultz, Samuel R. Berger, and Henry Kissinger. In addition, the elder president Bush is Honorary Chairman of the Board.
When asked about how his efforts "to present the United States to the world" complement or are influenced by the current Bush administration's public diplomacy efforts, Fairbanks responded, "We're certainly in favor of what the government does, but we believe that the private sector can capture the eye of the public."
He added, "There is a place for the government -- the private sector can be complementary, but different from the government."
For all of the private and non-profit interest in lending a hand to spruce up America's battered international image, it is too early to tell whether these efforts will have any long-term positive effects on current perceptions of the United States abroad.
Keith Reinhard, whose Business for Diplomatic Action was featured in the Economist for its efforts to apply the energy of private industry to "out-recruiting bin Laden" and addressing anti-Americanism abroad, is also still undertaking research to determine the scope of the problem and its impact on individual private firms.
However, he is convinced that private firms can succeed where the government has failed -- selling the best of America's culture to skeptical audiences, particularly in the Middle East.
Reinhard, who is also chairman of DDB Worldwide, one of the world's largest advertising and marketing firms worth almost $1 billion in revenues in 2003, expressed his philosophy to United Press International in terms of brand loyalty.
"While the mullah's 'brand' is very accessible, experts on the Middle East say that there are young people who have not committed to (it)."
Reinhard believes that private industry can effectively target this "floating middle block" of undecideds by appealing to common values, such as personal advancement and global prosperity.
"There are certainly ideas (common to America) that resonate with Muslim young people. Business understands talent, recruitment, and the importance of attracting young people."
Certainly, it is in the interest of all Americans that the offer of privately funded corporate internships and exchanges, one component of Mr. Reinhard strategy, be accepted as a peace offering, particularly in regions where poverty combines with discontent to breed hatred of the United States.
However, Reinhard also suggested in past interviews that Osama bin Laden has offered his recruits something that current United States public diplomacy efforts have yet to provide: dignity and respect.
It is a simple assessment of which the broad range of private, public and, non-profit actors attempting to improve America's image abroad, should take note.
