Diplomacy 102

Posted By Davide Berretta Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 3:00 PM Share

According to the Government accountability office,

30 percent of officers in [US] language-designated public diplomacy positions in the Muslim world have not attained the level of language proficiency required for their positions, hampering their ability to engage with foreign publics

This is horrible news, and further proof that the American public diplomacy strategy is not very well thought out, and always a couple of years behind the curve. Speaking the language of the country our officers work in should not be something we need to work towards, but a requirement for holding that position. 100% of the officers should speak the language fluently: then we can try to begin implementing a strategy.

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