Special Gifts, by Sherry Mueller
One of the ways I celebrate the December Holidays is to reflect on special gifts received in the past year. There are many and I am grateful. Two recent gifts seem especially appropriate to share with PDCA members.
The first gift was the opportunity to meet with the Kathryn Davis Fellows. Many readers may know that the Council of American Ambassadors has been a partner of, first the Public Diplomacy Council and since 2022, PDCA. The Fellowship was established in 2008. A brainchild of Ambassador Bruce Gelb, CAA awards this Fellowship annually to two accomplished mid-career FSOs in the public diplomacy cone. Thanks to PDCA VP Vivian Walker, who orchestrates PDCA participation in monthly mentoring sessions, for pairing me with Mark Overmann, the Executive Director of the Alliance for International Exchange. He was an ideal partner to launch a discussion of "PD Lessons in Building Public-Private Partnerships: Working with NGOs and Corporations." It was a wonderful window on the remarkable talents of PD practitioners and a stimulating interchange on the challenges they (and we) face. I hope the following examples give you the flavor of our wide-ranging conversation with current Fellows Jack Bisase and Will Dokurnow. [In the photo, l-r, are Sherry Mueller, Mark Overmann, Jack Bisase, and Will Dukornow.]
Jack described new U.S. initiatives to establish six small island posts in the Pacific. He observed that the Chinese outspend us there about 20:1 and are good at branding. On a more optimistic note, he said that our people and relationship-building skills are better and that we operate on a more authentic level.
Will described his work as Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) PD Desk Officer with the Amazon Gold Alliance and the illegal mining issues it endeavors to address. He emphasized that human rights abuses are inevitably linked to increased crime and security concerns.
Mark and I talked about how State’s private-sector partners engage in coordinated advocacy and suggested resources that were new to the Fellows. For instance, I’m always pleased to share Bruce Gregory’s book American Diplomacy’s Public Dimension and other publications I think are particularly useful. Later, I sent the Fellows Thomas Kent’s recent article on Russian disinformation and training of journalists.
We also discussed other concerns: the “horizontal coordination” that technology makes possible vs. bureaucratic imperatives, tech-driven admin requirements that consume too many program funds, effective arguments for more resources for PD, the power of sports diplomacy, the latest Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors statistics, and viewing U.S. higher education as an export. We learned about the Rugby for Security Agreement between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The opportunities that PDCA provides to mentor and interact with practitioner colleagues as well as Rising Professionals is a great gift.
The second gift is the chance to read (or reread) Amazing Peace – A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou (2005). Two of the Holiday concerts I attended this year (including the Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center and the Holiday Gala at Shenandoah University) interpreted all or part of this inspiring poem that resonates in this turbulent time. I am particularly drawn to the phrase:
Surely that is what public diplomacy is all about – building community.So we may learn by your shimmering light
How to look beyond complexion and see community.
Happy Holidays. May 2025 offer you many gifts and opportunities to build community.
Sherry Lee Mueller, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the School of International Service, American University, and former Co-President of the Public Diplomacy Council of America. She is co-author of Working World, 2nd edition.