Monday, January 21, 2013

US changes minds in the Middle East

From a reader:
""Sonenshine sidestepped questions about the efficacy of public diplomacy in changing mass popular opinion about the US in the Middle East, noting only that "people who participate in exchange programs have a positive view of the US." The term public diplomacy encompasses a broad range of efforts to "convey and explain US policies and values," as well as programs to foster "democratic transitions … entrepreneurship … [and] educational exchange," Sonenshine told the audience at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy [WINEP]."


"Our U.S. Ambassador to Syria regularly engages with Syrians through our website and Facebook pages, and in face to face meetings with Syrians currently outside the country."