A PUBLIC DIPLOMACY APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Abstract

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image sizeKeywords: Civil SocietyDiplomacyEducationGlobalizationHuman RightsMediaNon-governmental OrganizationsPluralismPublic OpinionReligious FreedomSoft PowerUS Foreign Policy Notes 1. Concept from Chris Seiple (president of the Institute for Global Engagement), interview with the author, Washington, DC, November 2009. 2. See also Prodromou, “Election 2008: Day-After Policies for International Religious Freedom,” 17. 3. Seiple, “Methodology, Metrics, and Moral Imperatives in Religious Freedom Diplomacy,” 53. See also Albright, The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs: 97. 4. Farr and Hoover, “The Future of US International Religious Freedom Policy,” 31. 5. See global engagement as described in “Statement by the President on the White House Organization for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.” The White House, May 26, 2009. 6. McHale, “Public Diplomacy: Strengthening US Engagement with the World,” 8. 7. Chereeka Montgomery, comments at the US Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy July 2010 Official Meeting, Washington, DC, July 20, 2010. 8. Telhami, “2010 Arab Public Opinion Poll.” 9. Heshaam Kanona (Regional English Language Office, Office of Cultural Affairs, US Embassy, Egypt), interview with the author, Cairo, August 2010. 10. Abdeldayem Nossair (Special Advisor to the Grand Imam, General Secretary of World Association of Al-Azhar Graduates, Al-Azhar University's Advisor for Development of IT and Languages), interview with the author, Cairo, August 2010. 11. Kanona, interview. 12. Edreis, Shereef Mohammed; Hassan, Abdel-Rahman; Hemaya, Khaled M.; Karim, Mostafa Abdul; Said, Ahmed Adly; and Tawfik, Shereef (Cairo-based imams), interview with the author, Cairo, August 2010. 13. Rosenthal, “Confronting Religious Bigotry, Anti-Semitism, and Holocaust Denial.” 14. Hannah Rosenthal (Special Envoy, Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism), interview with the author, Washington, DC, July 2010. 15. See http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/cgp/programmes_cgp.html. 16. Muhammad Gohar (Chairman, Video Cairo SAT), interview with the author, Cairo, August 2010. 17. See http://www.mostresource.org/. 18. Jodi Breisler (Assistant Information Officer, US Embassy, Greece) and Alanna Rosenberg (Political Officer, US Embassy, Greece), interview with the author, Athens, August 2010. 19. Mansour, Suggestions to Revise Muslim Religion Courses. 20. Mahsood, “Our Shared Europe,” 13. 21. Brian Grim (Senior Researcher and Director of Cross-National Data), interview with the author, Washington, DC, October 2009. 22. McHale, “Public Diplomacy,” 8. 23. Rick Ruth (Director, Office of Policy and Evaluation, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State), interview with the author, Washington DC, October 2009. 24. “Evaluation of the Youth Exchange & Study Program”, 20, 22, 33. 25. See http://institute.jesdialogue.org/programs/study_of_the_us_instituteson_religious_pluralis%20m/ for more information. 26. See “Connect Program,” Soliya, http://www.soliya.net/?q=connect_program. 27. Each semester, Soliya evaluates the program based on a test designed by Intermedia, an independent firm. See “Results,” Soliya, http://www.soliya.net/?q=results. 28. See http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/pages/content-/. 29. See USCIRF's recommendations for Southern Sudan, 2009 Annual Report, 106. 30. See “Bridging Babel,” 20, 34, 35. 31. McHale, “Public Diplomacy,” 8. 32. See discussion in “Engaging Religious Communities Abroad,” 39-42. 33. See http://www.bylc.org/ for more information. 34. See the IGE website, especially the section on its country programs: http://www.globalengage.org/diplomacy.html. 35. “Third-party Program Evaluation,” 3, 5. 36. “Religion, Conflict & Peacebuilding,” US Agency for International Development, 16, 17. 37. Hamrin, “A New Framework for Promoting Religious Freedom in China,” 9. 38. Joey Hood (First Secretary for Press, Education, and Cultural Affairs at the US Embassy in Qatar), interview with the author, Doha, June 2010.