By Hend Alhinnawi
LOS ANGELES – What is the best form of public diplomacy? It’s the type of diplomacy that promotes American values such as the right to peace and prosperity through building strong ties with people directly. United States Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Ann Stock, expressed that
“The mission of American public diplomacy is to support the achievement of U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives, advance national interests, and enhance national security by informing and influencing foreign publics and by expanding and strengthening the relationship between the people and government of the United States and citizens of the rest of the world.”
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the face of the American people overseas, and for the past 50 years, it has carried out its humanitarian mission through “saving lives, building partnerships, and promoting peace and prosperity for the developing world and the American people.”
These definitions suggest, then, that United States uses foreign aid as part of its public diplomacy strategy. USAID funds infrastructure, cultural preservation projects, public works and economic investment initiatives in many developing countries, including India. Continue reading
