Fostering connections for a peaceful, prosperous world

By Adam Esrig

“I am convinced that increased participation by dedicated Americans in international exchanges will help to achieve our common hope for a durable and just peace.”

— President John F. Kennedy, 1961
Robert Ogburn, Director of the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US State Department

In this PDx episode, SMPA undergraduate student Adam Esrig speaks with Robert Ogburn, Director of the Office of Citizen Exchanges, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State.

Examining the impact of cultural and educational diplomacy, Mr. Ogburn discusses the importance of exchange programs in the context of today’s current events.

Enjoy this PDx podcast: Fostering Connections for a Peaceful, Prosperous World

Adam Esrig is a student in the SMPA 3350 Public Diplomacy class taught by Public Diplomacy Fellow Emilia A. Puma. He is an undergraduate student in Political Science and Political Communication, Class of 2023.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the interviewer. They do not express the views of the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication or the George Washington University.

Public Diplomacy Council and U.S. global engagement

Dr. Sherry Mueller heads the Public Diplomacy Council, a non-profit organization that supports the practice, academic study and advocacy for public diplomacy. The Council looks at the engagement by U.S. Government, especially the State Department and U.S. international broadcasting, but it also observes and learn from the experience of other nations.

Dr. Mueller talks about the Council, its activities and membership.

She promotes the role of PDC as a champion for better US engagement: “I’m a real believer that for any organization, it’s not enough to deliver good programs and services, you’ve got to try to impact the policy environment within which you function.”

At the same time, PDC is looking to encourage and support a new generation of professionals in the field: “If we’re not drawing new young people into the field and into professional associations that serve that field, we’re missing what I would call an opportunity for multi-generational leadership.

“In my view, it’s, it’s so important that any vibrant organization have active members of every generation, and the real art of leadership is bringing those generations together, getting them to work well together, and to tap into their complementary talents and skills.”

Please enjoy the conversation between PDx interviewer and SMPA graduate Victoria Makanjuola and Dr. Sherry Mueller HERE.

Katherine Brown, CEO & Pres Global Ties US

Latest PDx interview: Katherine Brown, Global Ties US

To welcome the new year, IPDGC had a conversation with CEO and President of Global Ties U.S. Dr. Katherine Brown. We asked her about the importance of citizen exchanges and how these programs contribute to the greater U.S. public diplomacy efforts globally. Citizen exchanges are win-win experiences – with the U.S. gaining as much from these exchanges through sharing in scientific research and development, technology transfers, economic growth through trade and business, and cultural enrichment.

Brown also shares how her past experiences have led her to this role in leading the largest and oldest citizen diplomacy network in the U.S.

Global Ties US will be holding its 2020 National Meeting in Washington, DC from January 22-25, 2020. Learn more about the event and how to register here: https://www.globaltiesus.org/events/national-meeting

(Registration is open until January 10, 2020)

Seeing America as the Land Of Hope

by Chanson Benjamin, GWU undergraduate student (SMPA 3350)

Public Diplomacy exchanges bring a wide variety of foreign professionals to the U.S. to help them achieve their own goals and, ultimately, U.S. policy goals as well.  One of our goals is to promote the growth of grassroots democratic organizations and free media in developing countries.  The Professional Fellows program brings hundreds of NGO activists, entrepreneurs, journalists and local government officials to America for several months of engagement with mentor organizations here, culminating in a Professional Fellows Congress that unites all the Professional Fellows at the end of their programs.

This May, I had the privilege of attending the final reception for the Professional Fellows Congress in Washington, D.C for their final time in the United States. Over 270 Fellows from 60 countries attended the reception, in the Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the Department of State, to wrap up their several months of fellowships at different locations across the country.

One such person was Oscar Portillo Dueñas of El Salvador. Dueñas got his start studying journalism in college, interning at both Diario Co Latino and the local U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section. After graduating in 2016, he got a job with, a prominent Salvadoran daily, where focuses on multimedia and video stories in the country’s expanding online market.

In February, he was accepted into the Professional Fellowship program. He was mentored by Doha Debates in Washington, D.C. Oscar told me, “I’m really grateful to the State Department for that opportunity.  During his time in America, despite being from a country featuring in U.S. domestic debates over immigration “nobody saw me as different.  No one was judging me for being a Salvadoran.”

Farah Ghodsinia, a peace activist from the Philippines, focused during her Professional Fellowship on community understanding initiatives in Cleveland, Ohio.  Farah was part of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).  She worked in Cleveland with the city hall and with the community relations board on person-to-person projects and talked directly with members of local communities.

“What really makes America great,” she told me, “Is how it manages to continue its struggle to include new people in social justice.” The welcoming atmosphere she found in Cleveland was quite different from the American culture she previously saw in movies and on the news. After observing how America has overcome some of its own struggles, she is inspired to return to the Philippines to help resolve Christian-Muslim conflicts on Mindanao.  She said that, as a result of her program, in the U.S. “I learned that the impossible problems we have to overcome are not really impossible.”

Raymond Musiima of Uganda, a Professional Fellow who is National Coordinator at the Africa 2000 Network and Hemophilia Foundation in his home country, fully agreed with this sentiment. He told me, “Issues like food deserts, gender discrimination and  income inequalities are not African or Asian issues. They are everywhere! To me, the difference between our countries and America lays in the path the American people have chosen to take — in mitigating these challenges.”

Musiima’s Fellowship took him to Michigan State University, where he studied cases of business management. Yet, he added, as important as his vocational training was, the relationship he had with his host family was equally instructive. Comparing it with the technical information and training he received, he said, would be like “choosing between my heart and my soul.”

For Mirela Juka, who is the Legal Counsel at the Down ’s Syndrome Foundation of Albania, the most important part of her experience was the program itself. “New people from all over the world from many different cultures, religions, backgrounds — all connected by one purpose, which was this professional program.”

Juka’s Fellowship was in Denver, where she was impressed with the importance that local citizens placed on the outdoors, especially their love of hiking. Before this exchange program, she told me, she had mostly known about America through movies and television. “When I came here myself, I saw a very strong community feeling that I didn’t expect. I saw a welcoming environment and a strong connection in families.”

Talking with many other Fellows at the ending reception, I heard the same feelings repeated by all.  They agreed that America is not great because our country has no challenges in her path. Instead, they felt, America is great because she confronts her challenges and finds ways to overcome them.

The American story, they said, is not one of easy victories.  It is one of hope. It is a story that inspires exchange visitors with the ultimate message: “If America can do it, so can you.”

Seeing the Benefits of an International Education

By Tess Peterson, GWU undergraduate student (SMPA 2021)

As a student in Washington, D.C., I knew the norm was to have an internship early in my college career. But I have had several!  In fact, I’ve held three different positions, including the latest as Government Affairs Intern at the Fulbright Association.

The Fulbright Association is the official alumni association of the State Department’s prestigious Fulbright program, which takes scholars of all ages on overseas exchanges to study, learn, and grow. I had heard of study abroad programs and other exchange programs before, but none of the alumni of these various programs expressed the same pride that Fulbright alumni do.

In corresponding with members of the Fulbright Association, I found that they were always willing to share their experiences and memories with me. They include their Fulbright overseas location and year of their grant in all of their email signatures and mention it on every phone call I have. At networking events, they wear it proudly on their name tag and introduce themselves with their Fulbright study location, rather than where they are from in the U.S..

Fulbright means so much to them that they volunteer to drive miles to advocate for this program. At our office, we have planned several Advocacy Days, where former Fulbrighters travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with elected officials to share their stories. For most of the members of the Fulbright Association, the experiences and lessons that shaped them matter so much that they now consider being a Fulbright scholar a major part of who they are. I had never seen individuals become such passionate alumni for an organization they were a part of so long ago.

Their passion speaks volumes about the overall impact of international education programs. Through these programs an individual can learn a new language, discover a new religion, meet amazing new people, understand better the issues of other countries, learn a lot about global politics, and do so much more. The Institute for International Education of Students (IES) recently ran a survey that looks at the impact of studying abroad as an undergraduate student on a student’s life after graduation. An overwhelming number of students returning from time studying or working abroad reported feeling more mature (95%). Likewise, 48% of students stated that they have worked internationally or participated in new volunteer activities since studying abroad. Additionally, 94% stated that the overseas experience continues to influence their interactions with people today. It is clear that educational exchanges do not end when you leave your host country, but have a lasting impact on your education, your career, and your long-term personal development.

            Personal stories experienced by the individuals on an exchange are not the only benefit of an international education program. According to the Erasmus Impact Study, 64% of all employers think international experience is important for hiring. In fact, graduates of the Erasmus program had an unemployment rate 23% lower than that of those who did not study abroad.

The number of the students who are studying abroad is growing at a rapid rate. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has predicted that that, with current demographic changes, the international student population is likely to reach 8 million by 2025. These students come from a variety of different areas of studies and majors. According to Statista, 29% of students who go abroad study STEM, 25% study business, 24% study social sciences and 32% study other topics. With a variety of different programs, every student from every field of study has the chance to learn more while abroad.

            Working at the Fulbright Association I saw these statistics come to life. I saw our alumni getting job promotions, beginning graduate studies at prestigious universities, and connecting with each other over their shared ideals. This helped solidify my decision to study abroad next year. By working with people like these, I have already become more aware, more educated, and more inspired. I can only hope my semester abroad will have the same impact that I have felt so far, just being around the members of the Fulbright Association.