Former Secretary of State Antony R. Blinken's Remarks at Special Forum on January 14, 2024
Hello, everyone. On behalf of my State Department colleagues, I’m honored to accept this award.Throughout my career – and especially these last four years as Secretary of State – I’ve witnessed the unmatched power and reach of our public diplomacy.
I’ve met young women in Morocco, kicking off STEM careers through our educational programs.
I’ve spoken with foreign journalists who benefited from our training initiatives – and tried to answer their tough questions.
I’ve seen how sharing intelligence with our foreign partners and the public – like revealing Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine – helped counter lies and disinformation, forge trust with partners, and develop a stronger collective response.
In a more contested, competitive, and combustible world – with state and non-state actors working to shape global narratives and undermine the objective truths on which open societies depend – the work of telling America’s story – proactively, authentically, and strategically – is more important than ever.Public diplomacy helps build understanding between citizens of the United States and other countries. It strengthens our network of allies and partners. It unlocks new possibilities and friendships – for people and nations.
At the same time, public diplomacy allows us to expose, disrupt, and deter foreign interference and manipulation – and to help repair the fissures that those who sow falsehoods aim to exploit.
In short: Public diplomacy is not just “nice to do.” It’s essential to our foreign policy.
That’s why, over the last four years, we’ve worked to reinvest in and reimagine our public diplomacy.
As the world emerged from the COVID pandemic, the State Department not only restored international exchanges – we set enrollment records.
We launched new efforts – like our Global Music Diplomacy Initiative – to harness the power of art to bring people together.
We promoted digital and media literacy, to empower citizens to distinguish fact from fiction online.
We improved the reach and sophistication of our public messaging, from hiring the Department’s first Mandarin-language spokesperson… to leveraging podcasts and influencers to explain our efforts… to providing more training for Locally Employed Staff – who are our indispensable guides everywhere we work.
None of this would have been possible without the State Department’s talented and creative public diplomacy professionals – the locally employed staff, contractors, civil servants, and foreign service officers who do their jobs with so much heart and dedication, often under extremely difficult circumstances.
Our diplomats don’t just talk about American values; they model them every day. It’s been the honor of my life to serve alongside them.
Thank you to the Public Diplomacy Council of America for recognizing our efforts, and for your continued partnership.