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Public Diplomacy & Global Policymaking in the 21st Century

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

 

Mission of Public Diplomacy and Global Policymaking in the 21st Century

Our mission is to bridge the gap between the world of ideas and the world of action by mentoring today’s students to become tomorrow’s leaders, thereby promoting mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence through the practice of public diplomacy.

Purpose of Colloquium and Overarching Theme

On June 4, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama gave a speech at Cairo University titled “A New Beginning.” In this speech, the president expressed his hopes to “seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles — principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”

In “Changing Minds, Winning Peace,” a report from the Advisory Group on Public Diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim World, chaired by Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, founding director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, the authors note that “the most effective programs of public diplomacy — the ones most likely to endure and have long-term impact — are those that are mutually beneficial to the United States and to the Arab and Muslim countries. We urge that care be taken to emphasize programs that build bridges … especially in education, while at the same time advancing the American message and building a constituency of friendship and trust.”

This joint endeavor between Rice University and American University in Cairo (AUC) is intended to be a part of this new beginning by sharing the experiences and knowledge of both Egyptian and American students. Thus, the theme of this colloquium is to demonstrate how public diplomacy has the potential to give countries the tools and direction necessary to inform, influence and engage the global society we are all a part of. Through diplomacy, we can learn from each other’s cultures, histories and perspectives in order to draft informed policies that can lead to mutually beneficial relationships, with the shared superordinate goal of preventing conflict.

Format

Six two-hour roundtable discussions over the course of three days, each jointly organized by both Rice and AUC students.

Proposed Topics and Respective Topic Leaders on the Rice Team

 

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