Guest Blogger: "Democracy is..."

Jeremy Curtin served as coordinator of the Bureau of International Information Programs in the U.S. State Department from 2005 to 2009, where he was the government's senior public diplomacy officer. During more than thirty years in the Foreign Service, he specialized in international public affairs and strategic communications. The Bureau of International Information Programs is responsible for creating the “Democracy Is . . . ” initiative.  

“Democracy Is . . . ”

Branding a whole country is tough.  “Cool Britannia” didn’t last.  Smaller countries keep trying.  For the United States, a big, diverse superpower with a myriad of conflicting voices and images, presenting a single coherent image to the world is just impossible.  That doesn’t mean that the US Government shouldn’t try to influence the way others see us.  That is, after all, the core mission of public diplomacy.  It just means that our efforts have to be strategically purposeful, with clear goals, and an understanding of the intended audience and the best way to reach them.

The “best way to reach them” has changed radically with the transformation in information technology, the explosion of television, especially satellite, and more recently the Web and mobile technology.  The Web brought not only new means of communication but new concepts about how effective communication could be achieved.  Interactivity replaced broadcast.  Communication had to be two-way, a conversation, not a speech.  To be heard, you had to listen.

That is the concept behind “Democracy Is . . . ”, a US State Department initiative to generate a global discussion – through a web-based video contest – about what democracy means to people in different cultures around the world.  The initiative was launched in 2008 and continues.  In its first two years, it drew over 1,600 videos from more than 130 countries.  Some entries were funny, some very serious and moving.  Some took vigorous issue with the American view of democracy.  Video production values varied greatly.  Entries were posted on YouTube, and people all over the world cast votes, choosing six winners representing six different geographical regions.  The initiative expanded beyond video to include other social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and to explore other media including digital photography.  To date over 6 million people have engaged in global dialogue through the “Democracy Is” program.

“Democracy Is . . . ” holds a couple of lessons.  It depended on real openness to many views, including opposing views.  That is not always easy for a government agency to pull off, but State Department leadership was supportive.  Partnerships were crucial.  The State Department started the idea, but it would never have succeeded without the hard work and contributions of YouTube and Google, NBC Universal, the University of Southern California, the Motion Picture Association of America and others.  Partnerships were important not only for the resources they brought – which were significant – but also because they reinforced the sense of common effort rather than a USG information campaign.

The “Democracy Is . . . ” initiative did not seek to replace more traditional information and outreach programs.    Quite the contrary, US embassies worked with film schools, democracy NGOs and others around the world to generate discussions and participation.  They created programs with the participants and formed relationships which have continued since.  

Even in the age of social media, our embassies still issue press releases and engage with journalists.  The Department spokesman still offers a media briefing every work day, explaining US policy and actions, keeping the public informed.  Now, the Department also delivers these official messages via Facebook and Twitter, and Secretary Clinton holds international town hall meetings over Adobe Connect.  And embassies use these new tools to engage publics, especially young people, who would have been beyond their reach just ten years ago.

All this does not add up to “Brand America.”  The clutter of other voices and images is still out there and proliferating.  But official America is being heard.  We are in the conversation, which is the first indispensable step to influence.