Dear Friends,
Welcome to Business for Diplomatic Action, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the decline in America's standing in the world and improving relations between Americans and people from other cultures. America’s reputation in the world today is at an historic low. Anti-Americanism is a growing trend that, unless checked, is certain to have wide-ranging, long-term negative effects on the United States: on our economic competitiveness, on our national security, and on the lives of our children and grandchildren.
While it is true that much resentment of and hostility toward our country currently centers on U.S. foreign policy, much does not. Other root causes of anti-Americanism include the perception that Americans are ignorant about the world and are arrogant in their attitudes towards other cultures. The influence of American popular culture and mass media on other societies is increasingly seen as pernicious and corrupting. American-led globalization of the economy is thought to be exploitative and unfair.
Business for Diplomatic Action was formed just after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and well before the war in Iraq began. Our mission is to enlist the U.S. business community in actions to improve America’s standing in the world. Our Board includes global companies such as McDonald’s, Microsoft, American Airlines, PepsiCo, Weyerhaeuser, and others. We believe that a concerted national effort to win back friends for our country is vital for our national security and long-term economic prosperity, and we look forward to accelerating progress in bringing practical business solutions to the challenges of public diplomacy.
We are currently concentrating our efforts in five critical project areas:
I. America's Role in the World: A Business Perspective on Public Diplomacy
In October 2007 Business for Diplomatic Action released a white paper laying out the business community’s perspective on major public diplomacy issues. There has never been a more critical time for comprehensive public diplomacy reform, and this reform must involve the government, U.S. businesses, the academic community, and individual American citizens all working together. Over the course of the past year we have worked aggressively to raise the issue of America's standing in the world with every presidential candidate, and we intend to make this a central issue in the 2008 election. We invite your feedback on our white paper and encourage your support for our recommendations.
II. Engaging Effectively with the World – Cutting Edge Cross-Cultural Tools
In collaboration with the Thunderbird School of Global Management, we are introducing CultureSpanSM: The Workshop in Global Corporate Diplomacy. CultureSpanSM is an intensive one-day program designed to help business executives develop effective global teams, best global practices, and truly global mindsets. Based on rigorous research, it focuses on proven techniques for building cross-cultural cooperation. It’s the only global program of its kind. For more information on the CultureSpanSM workshop please email Tom Miller, Vice President, Business for Diplomatic Action, at Thomas.Miller@ddb.com.
With sponsorship from the National Business Travel Association, we recently published the second print run of the popular World Citizens Guide for Executives which is available free of charge by request. The Executive Guide complements CultureSpan and the popular World Citizens Guide for American college students studying abroad. www.worldcitizensguide.org.
III. Building Bridges to Other Cultures
Our partnership with the Young Arab Leaders organization has expanded and this fall we welcomed our first Arab American Business Fellows to the United States. The fellowship is a unique opportunity for high potential executives from the Middle East to engage and learn from U.S. business leaders in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Des Moines, Iowa,. This successful pilot phase of the program will be expanded in 2008, with a larger number of Middle Eastern executives coming to the U.S. and, for the first time, a contingent of young American executives heading to the Middle East.
And because nothing improves the image of our country like visits from people from other countries, Business for Diplomatic Action continues to work in partnership with the Travel Industry Association, the Travel Business Roundtable, the National Business Travel Association, and the City of New York to increase international travel to the United States
IV. Partners in Progress–Gathering and Disseminating Private Sector Best Practices in Public Diplomacy
We are in the process of collecting practices and projects undertaken by U.S. companies and individuals that help and truly partner with local communities. Americans’ philanthropy and generosity are unrivalled on the world stage, yet these stories go largely untold. It’s time to change global perceptions of what America gives to the world, and we invite you to contact us with any stories that you think should be more widely publicized.
V. Engaging Americans with the World – Business for Diplomatic Action Partners with the Public Relations Society of America
In October 2007 BDA announced a partnership with PRSA to launch a national Town Hall Initiative to engage public relations professionals in a dialogue about America's role in the world, and how local business communities can help make a difference. A new speakers’ bureau has been established as part of this initiative, with top-rated speakers and leading experts now available to speak across the country to local PRSA chapters and other organizations. Please contact Cari Guittard, our Executive Director, at Cari.Guittard@sf.ddb.com if you are interested in learning more about this program.
Sincerely,
Keith Reinhard, President