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Terrorism: Countering the Boko Haram extremist narratives in Nigeria

April 14, 2022May 9, 2022Africa, Disinformation, Women, Youth9 Comments

By Adeniyi Funsho, MA Media and Strategic Communications ’22

The latest bombing attack of the Abuja-Kaduna bound train by Boko Haram speaks to the continuous reign of terrorism, and extremist narratives against Nigeria. The latest attack is coming off the back of countless others that spread from the northeast to as far as the south of Nigeria. Nigeria, a former British colony has gone through several turbulent moments in its history as a nation leading to it becoming a democratic state, running a democratic system. As a nation, its master narrative is rooted in its diverse culture, tribes, religions, and hard-fought democracy. One threat to Nigeria’s master narrative is Boko Haram, an Islamic group founded by Mohammed Yusuf, which grew out of a cell of Muslim clergies and followers in Maiduguri, a state in the northeastern region of Nigeria. Since 2009, Boko Haram has been disrupting both the economic, and social life of Nigerians with a total of over 34,000 deaths, the latest killing of passengers traveling in a train bound for Kaduna adds to the increasing number of deaths by the terrorist group.

*Courtesy of Vanguard News: Abuja-Kaduna bound train attacked by Boko Haram killing over 15 passengers and over 200 wounded*.

Boko Haram translates to ‘no to western education,’ and western ideologies describe the archetype of its master narrative as a group that is completely opposed to westernization. Unlike other ethnic militias, Boko Haram does not appropriate its ethnic Kanuri nationalist rhetoric to demand national representation for the northeast region within the Nigerian democratic system; instead, Boko Haram’s goal is the pursuit of an Islamic caliphate, a political structure, and a system of government based on Tawid ‘God’ law. Boko Haram is in opposition to what it calls ‘man-made’ laws of western democracy and the westernized culture under which the Nigerian system operates. Most importantly, however, we need to understand that Boko Haram’s narratives are founded on the “Salafi-jihadi” movement of Islam, a modern-day movement traceable to the middle east which developed roots connecting it to northern Nigeria. Their beliefs are predicated on a “Quran-only” doctrine, that strongly rejects westernized culture, and systems, owing to that reason the earliest people that first came into contact with the group branded them ‘Boko Haram’ a narrative that describes their utopia of ‘no to education’.

Specifically, Boko Haram’s Salafi-jihadi “Quran-only” identity reveals the ‘Islamist extremism’ ideology of the group, how they think, how they organize, the goals they pursue, and the reason why their narrative and activities are engrained in tough-talk and violent videos laundered through the media ecology. We get an understanding of their strategic narrative and the reason why they see an Islamic state as jihadism, and the only solution to resolve their issues with Nigeria. Boko Haram’s narratives for an Islamic state which previously appeared to have been ignored by the Nigerian state and international audiences got international attention when in April 2014, it ransacked the small town of Chibok, Maiduguri, and kidnapped 276 Chibok schoolgirls returning from school. In its messaging to Nigeria and the rest of the world, Boko Haram released a video via YouTube showing the girls as a ransom for the release of its members, and demands for an Islamic state. Nigeria’s counternarrative of peace and the use of Islamic commands on education as an appeal to Boko Haram to release the girls failed. However, it succeeded in destroying the conditions that make Boko Haram’s narratives plausible, communicable, and intelligible. It galvanized international and local nonstate actors, and media to frame the counternarrative of #BringBackOurGirls emphasizing the urgency for their unconditional release and their immutable right to education.

*Courtesy of Channels News: Images of Chibok Schoolgirls that escaped from Boko Haram’s Kidnapping Camp*

In order for Nigeria to counter Boko Haram’s extremist narratives, it should frame Boko Haram in a way that counters the group as following a false narrative of the ideology of true Islam. Framing should be crafted on peace and not violence, and Nigeria should heighten its frames on Islam as a religion that entertains peace ‘salam’ as its identity and one that abhors violence. Most importantly, Nigeria’s frames should heighten the sayings of the Islamic prophet on education and the ones whereby he implored its followers to live in peace and tolerance with their neighbors.

This should be supported by strategic use of the media ecology to counter the Boko Haram identity narrative of ‘no to education’. Nigeria’s counternarrative to Boko Haram should be based on the true Islamic authority of the prophet of Islam as he expressed his love for knowledge and enjoined his followers to seek education even if it were to be as far as China!

For more on the topic by the author, please click here.

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

The importance of citizen engagement in PD

September 28, 2020September 28, 2020Cultural Diplomacy, PDx, public diplomacy, Youth

Also, the US State Department presents 2020 Citizen Diplomacy Awards

B&W photo of Learning Life founder — Paul Lachelier

Our interconnected world is ever-changing, and if recent months have shown, having global connections does not always mean better understanding and cooperation among people and their governments. Diplomacy has been always been a practical approach to addressing these moments of disconnect and tension. However, non-government organizations have sometimes led the way by spearheading programs that get citizens involved in diplomacy.

PDx interviewer Victoria Makanjuola talks to Paul Lachelier, founder and director of Washington, DC-based non-profit lab Learning Life. The mission of the organization is to promote lifelong learning and citizen engagement. By using innovative approaches, Paul explains, Learning Life seeks to encourage and provide ways to know more about the wider world – especially amongst communities who do not always have that economic or social access – finding ways to “democratize opportunity” with programs such as International Mentoring and Family Diplomacy Initiative.

To find out more about Learning Life and its programs, go to their website or write to email@learninglife.info

Here is the latest PDx podcast with Paul Lachelier: Learning Life and the sharing of democracy.

***

Also happening on Wednesday, September 30, is the U.S. State Department presentation of the 2020 Citizen Diplomacy Award to Mr. Mohamed Amin Ahmed, Founder, Chairman, and Executive Director of “Average Mohamed”. Average Mohamed is a counter ideology organization dedicated to stopping extremism and hate. The mission of Average Mohamed is to use ideas to defeat ideas, to find local solutions to global problems, and to promote peace, anti-extremism, and democracy to kids where they are: on social media.

Read more about the Citizen Diplomacy Award: https://www.state.gov/citizen-diplomacy-award/

Seeing America as the Land Of Hope

July 11, 2019Exchanges, public diplomacy, Youth

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.”

Street art as a form of public diplomacy

July 9, 2018January 11, 2019Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, YouthLeave a Comment

By Devan Cole, Jazmyn Strode and Ali Oksner

Street art, which is defined simply as visual art that is created in public places, is seldom considered a form of PD. But, if thought about carefully, one can easily see how street art can be a powerful and effective form of public diplomacy. Our presentation was centered around several examples of street art that Jazmyn and Ali saw (and in one case, painted) during their study abroad trips last year, that serve as prime examples of how this form of art can send cultural and political messages to both visitors and citizens of other countries.

In Italy, Jazmyn snapped photos of a series of paintings in a town she visited. The paintings were of people who appeared to be torn from classical Italy but wore scuba diving masks and were positioned underwater. While the message they sent wasn’t exactly political, it was indeed cultural as it gave people (tourists) passing by a glimpse at Italian art without having to go into a museum that likely has an entrance fee. With the paintings being on the street, accessibility is at the heart of their purpose because you don’t have to chump up euros to experience this form of cultural diplomacy. In Chile, Ali saw a message spray-painted in Spanish that translates to “You have to be asleep to live the American dream.” This message, which can be considered street art, was presumably written by a local who wanted to express their thoughts on what they saw as an unattainable foreign fantasy. The audience: both Chileans and Spanish-speaking visitors. The interesting thing here is that the artist was attempting to relay a message about another country’s beliefs, not their own.

Nonetheless, this example of public diplomacy proves is just as interesting as any other because it promotes a citizen’s socio-cultural beliefs about a country. Ali also painted a mural of her father on the side of an abandoned house in Chile. When she asked if she could paint somewhere, city officials shrugged off her request and told her she was free to paint on the side of the building, proving once again that this form of public diplomacy is extremely accessible. Her painting was a way for her to promote American art technique and form in another country, which can be seen as a form of public diplomacy. All of these examples and more serve as a testament to the fact that street art is an important form of public diplomacy that allows individuals to promote political and cultural messages through art that is easily accessible to anyone who wants to be on the receiving end of that messaging.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author(s). They do not necessarily express the views of either The Institute of Public Diplomacy and Global Communication or The George Washington University.

When Policy Meets Public Diplomacy: U.S. losing its edge in attracting international students

May 30, 2017December 19, 2018Asia, China, Global Communication, IPDGC, public diplomacy, Youth1 Comment

china education fair — Chinese students attend an Education Fair at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to learn more about study abroad programs in the U.S.

U.S. public diplomacy efforts are about attraction, rather than coercion. A major variable in measuring “attractiveness” of the U.S. is through attitudes of potential foreign exchange students. The ability of the U.S. to attract bright minds from around the world has bolstered the country’s development since its inception and fuels the U.S. “melting pot” narrative. China is now the primary source of these foreign exchange students. The recent release of Institute for International Education’s 2016 Report revealed that numbering almost 330,000, Chinese international students comprise 31.5 percent of the total number of international students in the U.S. Sheer volume holds weight, but from a public diplomacy perspective, the numbers are less important than the attitudes behind them. Why do Chinese students choose to study abroad in the U.S.? Will this trend last? Research I conducted in 2015 concludes that unless the U.S. sees major education and public diplomacy policy shifts, we have reason to doubt it will.

In 2015, I completed an in-depth study of the evolution of Chinese students’ motivations to study abroad in the U.S. Its findings highlighted a need for the U.S. to foster policies that attract foreign talent as the web of international politics becomes increasingly multipolar. These conclusions ring true today.

The rapid influx of Chinese exchange students, who make up the majority of foreign students in the U.S., will play an unprecedented role in Sino-U.S. relations, as well as in the U.S. economy as potential future skilled immigrants. Through historical contextualization, observations at U.S. Consulate Guangzhou, as well as primary interviews of study abroad participants from the 80s, 90s, and today, my research concluded:

In comparison with students from the 1980s, 1990s, and even early 2000s, today’s Chinese students have a greater freedom of choice and the economic means to take advantage of that freedom of choice. To date, that choice has overwhelmingly been to study abroad in the U.S., but both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that trend is waning as students begin to consider other countries in place of or in addition to the U.S. as study abroad destinations.
Though modern-day students make the decision to study abroad out of desire for a better education and personal development, practical factors dictate which study abroad location and program students choose. Factors that may affect a student’s decision include the cost of a program and a country’s immigration policies, which may become even more important in the future as developed countries reach equilibrium in terms of education quality.

The student exchange trends described above call for the U.S. to adjust its education policies to continue attracting foreign talent, a factor that is crucial to the economy’s continuing success. Giving international student policies a more important role is not a betrayal to the “America First” rhetoric on the rise. In a recent interview, Thomas Friedman described his new book as a “manifesto for the eye people”. The “eye people” are those who thrive in the middle of the hubbub of globalization and interconnectedness and draw power from it. The “wall people” are those who withdraw into extreme nationalism. To thrive, the U.S. needs to maintain its status as a hub of global leadership. America’s largest group of international students is beginning to perceive the eye-to-wall shift. When will we?

Click here to read the full study.

When Public Diplomacy Is a Bad Joke: The importance of in-groups and out-groups to the successful use of humor by diplomats

December 1, 2016July 9, 2020Cultural Diplomacy, Global Communication, in the field, IPDGC, public diplomacy, Social Media, Youth1 Comment

640px-secretary_kerry_jokes_about_his_height_standing_with_kenyan_president_uhuru_kenyatta_at_the_state_house_in_nairobi_28534132883 — Secretary of State John Kerry jokes with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta | State House, Nairobi | August 22, 2016 | Photo credit: U.S. Department of State

Derision is a complicated thing. At its most sophomoric, derision is little more than blowing raspberries on the playground – good for a laugh at someone’s expense but without much of a point. When given proper thought and execution, though, derision can deliver persuasive satire or charming self-deprecation, both of which bond audience and humorist closer together.

While diplomats use humor regularly to engage foreign audiences, often with successful results, there is little study of its use as a public diplomacy tool. Unfortunately, there is no formal understanding of the strategic use of humor when engaging foreign audiences. As a result, we see some nightmares when humor is poorly applied. When a diplomat’s joke bombs, the risk of real bombs is greater than when a new stand-up chokes at Comedy Works. It’s like Bono pleading with the UN to send a CVE-comedy task-force to Syria – we seem to know that there’s something there, but we just can’t quite grasp how to harness it.

Let’s talk about the failures of derision in public diplomacy. The most glaring example is “Think Again, Turn Away,” a counter-terrorism effort so poorly conceived that even our own comedians mocked it. In 2013, the Global Engagement Center from the U.S. Department of State launched the video “Think Again, Turn Away” on YouTube, intending to reach the same young audience that ISIS targeted online for recruitment. It wasn’t long before people realized that the snark-filled, sardonic PSA was utterly tone-deaf.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3VDDbh5dXw&w=560&h=315]

The team that produced “Think Again, Turn Away” undoubtedly understands the situation in ISIS-occupied territories better than most. They just don’t know comedy.

For every joke, there is an in-group and an out-group. These groups may be defined as those who get the joke and those who don’t, or along the classic laughing with/laughing at split. Derision especially lends itself to this split, more so than other comedic styles. Creating distinct in-groups and out-groups can reinforce or undermine existing narratives, depending on how those groups are framed.

Think of it this way: Everyone has a story in their head that tells them who they are. That’s our identity narrative. We have stories about our place in that world. We call those system narratives. In every narrative, there is a protagonist (the in-group) and an antagonist (the out-group). Generally, people like to be the protagonists of their own stories. We make this happen by aligning our identity narratives and system narratives in such a way that we belong to the in-group throughout. So, if we hear a different narrative, perhaps in the form of a joke, that recasts us as members of the out-group, we will reject that narrative. Not only that, we’ll likely cast whoever shared that narrative as a member of the out-group in our own narratives.

Here is a narrative map for a typical ISIS recruit, based on research on ISIS target messaging:

	Identity Narrative	System Narrative
ISIS Recruit	Young, over-educated & underemployed, an outsider (perceived or actual) of mainstream society, destined to and/or worthy of greatness	Living in a society that is hostile towards identity, unjust, limited opportunities to advance; the West is keeping true believers down, only the caliphate is righteous

“Think Again, Turn Away” tries to undermine the “righteous caliphate” narrative by using sarcasm to cast ISIS in the out-group. However, the video fails to draw the potential recruits into its in-group. Therefore, it’s mockery only reinforces the theme of separation between recruits and the West present in both narrative levels.

So, if we hear a different narrative, perhaps in the form of a joke, that recasts us as members of the out-group, we will reject that narrative. Not only that, we’ll likely cast whoever shared that narrative as a member of the out-group in our own narratives.

Understanding the dynamics of in-groups and out-groups isn’t just good comedy – it’s good communication. Philip Seib says that successful communication is always audience based and ties into the narratives of that audience’s socio-political context. Obviously, “Think Again, Turn Away” is not audience based. Rather than embrace its target audience, clearly marking themselves as being “on the same team,” or both part of the in-group, the narrator mocks the ideological society that said audience expressed interest in joining. That is why the video targets its specified audience, after all. By mocking the group with which the audience has already identified, even superficially, it casts both in the out-group, cementing the audience’s allegiance to the butt of the joke.

One might have done less damage trying to sincerely persuade potential recruits to join ISIS. John Oliver points out that the State Department is “banking a lot on any potential militants understanding that [“Think Again, Turn Away”] is sarcasm,” the implication being that the intended audience won’t get the joke. Alternatively, the audience might understand the joke, but doesn’t find it the least bit funny. Either way, the video reinforces extremist messaging by squarely casting the audience in the out-group.

Whether or not potential recruits have the capacity or inclination to “appreciate” the video’s try at sarcasm, humans respond to humor cognitively and emotionally. No one likes being mocked; it makes us feel bad. You learned this blowing raspberries on the playground. When the audience you are trying to reach is also the butt of your joke, you have missed the point.

The views expressed here are the author’s only and do no necessarily represent those of George Washington University.

Peer-to-Peer: Challenging Extremism [Event Recap]

September 29, 2016public diplomacy, Social Media, YouthLeave a Comment

Peer-to-Peer: Challenging Extremism (P2P) is an innovative program that removes a hierarchical government approach to digital youth outreach. It does so by providing the resources for university students to creatively implement localized solutions that reach the target demographic: their own age group using their own preferred online platforms. On the International Day of Peace, September 21, regional winners from the U.S., Finland, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Netherlands, presented their creative digital outreach campaigns in New York City to encourage moderation and integration in communities plagued by online extremism, prejudice, and hate.

Keynote speakers from co-hosts Facebook, U.S. Department of State, and EdVenture Partners highlighted the rapid growth of the international P2P competition and ingenuity of the students. The program’s 250 universities across 60 countries have students work with $400 in Facebook Ad Credits and $2,000 budget for academic credit to research a target audience and then create a digital media initiative, tool, or product to counter online extremism. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Richard Stengel, described the program as the “model for public-private partnerships at State. We love this program because we get out of the way.” Head of Product Policy at Facebook, Monika Bickert, said the local and global campaigns are so inspiring because the students are responding to their environment, and they can thus develop effective solutions. Under Secretary Stengel reinforced this critical need to act upon understanding by elaborating on his media experience, “as a journalist, when I asked the wrong question, I got the wrong answer.” The following are brief summaries of how each winning team answered the “right” answer with their innovative solutions, with further details on their campaign sites.

fullsizerender-7 — Under Secretary of State Richard Stengel addresses a full room, photo by author.

All teams presented their strategic off and online, peer-driven campaigns that detailed design, implementation, and results. New York University’s conflict studies Masters students focused on diversity and integration processes based on teammates’ experiences feeling vulnerable as outsiders. They described how their campaigns evolved from the #7TrainStop on immigrants in Queens, into the Voices of New York Resolve on countering hate in Brooklyn, which will now focus on radicalization in Bronx prisons. The team has collaborated with local and international organizations to mutually support countering extremism goals, such as garnering 43, 831 Facebook views and 384,340 Youtube views on BuzzFeed-released, “When Hate Speech Comes to Campus.” [#7TrainStop]

The Turku School of Economics [Finland] and Utrecht University [Netherlands] concentrated on refugee integration. The Finnish team created a mobile application that addressed the ~1,000% increase in asylum-seekers entering Finland from 2014 to 2015. They identified four major problems refugees face: Lack of information on the city and country; Lack of contact with locals; Lack of activities in the reception center; and negative attitudes among the local population. Interestingly, these challenges are similar to those new students may encounter when moving to Turku. The team designed multimedia events to increase locals’ awareness, interest, and opinion of newcomers. “United by Food” was a day-long pop-up for refugees to sell food from their home country. “About Turku” made city information accessible by transforming pre-existing records into a free mobile download in Arabic and English. The Dutch team tackled the heated European political climate in “#DareToBeGrey: An Alternative to the Black & White Fallacy.” They created a humorous online series to raise awareness that it is possible to have a moderate stance on refugee intake. The online efforts combined with their recent five-city Dutch tour have reached over eight million people. Both campaigns give agency to Europeans and refugees through multimedia. [Choose Your Future] [#DareToBeGrey]

fullsizerender-8 — Lahore University of Management Sciences team, photo by author.

The Pakistani and Afghan teams focused on dispelling misuses of politicized Islam. The Afghan team from Laal-u-Anar Foundation identified TV and Facebook as the most wide-reaching outlets to defend their religion in #IslamSaysNoToExtremism while sharing Quranic verses that reinforced peacemaking messages. The Lahore University of Management Sciences project, “Fate: From Apathy to Empathy,” highlighted comprehensive programs to re-incentivize Pakistanis who felt they were “just a number” in the destruction and deaths from violent extremism. They countered the apathy by organizing concerts, tours, video games, activism workshops, and education programs to empower and humanize citizens. Both teams cite youth activation through media campaigns to promote moderate Islam to various demographics, as well as calling attention to a narrowing window of opportunity for effective counter-extremism. [International Strategic Studies] [Fate]

Event host, Dean Obeidallah, concluded by reinforcing the magnitude of violent extremism in Asia, explaining that “over 90% of victims of ISIL and al-Qaeda are Muslims, but the U.S. media doesn’t cover it so Americans don’t know.” Mr. Obeidallah paraphrased Robert F. Kennedy to encourage youth to recognize their potential and collaborate because “few of us alone can change and bend history, but together, collectively, we can write a narrative of our generation.” Indeed, a compelling, accessible narrative needs to be solidified to effectively counter various forms of extremism around the world, and the P2P program is leading the way.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JilJithBoFU&w=560&h=315]

Reflections From Kyiv: One Year Later

February 24, 2014Europe, in the field, Youth1 Comment

Sonenshine delivers remarks at the "Women's Forum: Women's Role In A Changing Ukraine's Future" in Kyiv, April 12, 2013. Credit: State.gov — Sonenshine delivers remarks at the “Women’s Forum: Women’s Role In A Changing Ukraine’s Future” in Kyiv, April 12, 2013. Credit: State.gov

On April 12, 2013, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv hosted a day-long conference for Ukrainian women entrepreneurs focusing on business owners of small and medium enterprises. The goal of the event was to promote the importance of Ukrainian women in fostering economic growth, build the confidence of women entrepreneurs to take on leading roles in business and society, provide practical tools for further empowerment, and serve as a platform for networking.

It was less than one year ago when I visited Kyiv as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Today, seeing the unrest, I am reminded of the importance of US-Ukrainian cultural ties. While in Kyiv, I helped launch the construction of the new American Center to build ties between our two nations. Former US Ambassador John Teft and I knocked down a wall as contractors worked to create a convening place to keep Ukrainians and Americans connecting with one another. I also met with bloggers and media, and was the keynote speaker at the Women’s Forum.

Sonenshine and Ambassador Teft help to launch the construction of the new American Center in Kyiv, April 2013. Credit: State.gov

Meeting with bloggers in Kyiv. Credit: State.gov

I visited school no. 168 in Kyiv where they are providing mainstream education to students with cognitive and physical disabilities. I met with children learning English through a State Department funded program. I was moved to tears at Babyn Yar, the site of a series of massacres carried out by the Nazis during their campaign against the Soviet Union.

Visit to Babyn Yar, a ravine in Kyiv and a site of a series of massacres carried out by the Nazis during their campaign against the Soviet Union, April 11, 2013. Credit: U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.

As events unfold, let’s focus on the people as well as the politics. There are beautiful cultural sites throughout the country that must be preserved. Artists, journalists, young people, the LGBT community, and women must have their rights and freedoms.