U.S. Under Secretary Hughes: ‘Job is to wage peace’
Reaching out to the rest of the world — including Muslim countries — is one of the United States’ biggest challenges and goals, U.S. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes told about 150 students and guests at Baker Hall Wednesday.
Hughes, who is a long-time adviser to President George W. Bush, said study abroad programs — both for American students to travel overseas and for foreign students to study in the United States — can improve global camaraderie and understanding.
“Being seen as unwelcoming is a national security challenge,” Hughes said. “We want to send a message to the students of the world that they are welcome here.”
In her speech, which was part of the Shell Distinguished Lecture Series, Hughes outlined three objectives for the State Department in its global outreach mission.
“Firstly, we want to ensure that the United States gives a positive vision of hope to all peoples — we want to be that shining city on a hill that President Reagan spoke of,” Hughes said. “Secondly, we need to isolate extremists while also demonstrating respect for Muslim communities. Lastly, we are working to foster a sense of common values and interests between nations, instead of just focusing on common threats.”
Hughes said under her State Department tenure, the government is increasing the United States’ presence abroad and improving its worldwide image. Some of the changes aim to heighten the United States’ media presence abroad.
For example, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is a major media center for the Arab world. Currently, the United States does not have any government spokesmen there, but Hughes said the State Department is sending two spokesmen soon.
In another change, Hughes said ambassadors no longer have to obtain permission when they want to speak with foreign press. That restriction was preventing ambassadors from appearing on television, and it gave them an excuse not to speak with the foreign media, she said.
Hughes said another goal is using the spread of technology to increase global understanding.
Hughes participated in an audience question-and-answer session following her speech.
She was asked how diplomacy is important in fighting global terrorism.
“We are working to engage with Muslim clerics around the world,” Hughes said. “We are seeing more and more people — both clerics and regular people — beginning to move and take a stand against terrorist atrocities committed in their countries.”
Hughes said one of the United States’ problems is citizens from Arab nations often have false impressions of how Americans perceive them.
“I have been to Arab countries where people complain to me that all Americans think [Arabs] are terrorists, and I have to explain to them that just is not true.” Hughes said.
Hughes said dealing with the negative impact of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal has been one challenge of her job. She said a picture is so powerful it can override months of hard work on an initiative.
“When confronted with this issue, I usually ask how [people] would like to have a photograph of a crime being committed broadcast as a picture that is representative of their nation,” Hughes said. “I remind them that what was done at Abu Ghraib was a crime, and the perpetrators are being punished for it.”
Hughes said the State Department’s goal of improving the United States’ image will come gradually.
“My job is all about waging peace,” she said. “We are very focused and clear on the years of effort this will require.”
Before the lecture, Hughes held a private briefing at which she spoke with 16 students, who applied for the session by writing a paragraph explaining why they wanted to meet Hughes.
Martel College sophomore Andrew Bowen, who attended the briefing, said he appreciated Hughes’s candid approach to the discussion.
“She just walked right in and told us to go ahead and ask her any questions we had,” Bowen said. “Her presence was very warm and friendly, and we had a very open dialogue about both the successes she has seen and some of the challenges that the administration is facing today.”
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