“We are so busy measuring public opinion, we forget we can mold it. We are so busy listening to statistics, we forget we can create them.”

– Bill Bernbach

Five Part Action Plan

S.T.A.R.S.

Brief Project Reports

1. Sensitize Americans to the importance of global citizenship

   Recent & Upcoming Events of Note

   Over the past year we have participated in numerous speaking events, roundtables and granted hundreds of media interviews for local, national, and international press. This winter we have several keynote addresses to include the Illinois governor´s Conference on Tourism and the NCIV National Meeting. For a list of all upcoming events please go to http://www.businessfordiplomaticaction.org/news/index.php

   For More Information, to request a speaker or an interview please contact Cari Guittard at Cari.Guittard@sf.ddb.com or on 415.732.3620.

2. Transform american attitudes and behaviors to promote cross-cultural understanding and respect

   In an effort to build cutting edge public diplomacy tools for business we partnered with The Thunderbird School of Global Management over a year ago and began work on the development of an executive briefing program. The development of the program is completed and CultureSpan will launch nationwide this fall. The "Crash Course in Corporate Diplomacy" is a day long, customized, intensive course in cross-cultural communications and focuses on the management of global teams and the building of a global mindset. For More Information:

   • Link to CultureSpan Brochure
   • Contact Tom Miller at Thomas.Miller@ddb.com

   Travel and Tourism Partnership

   BDA continues to work closely with the travel and tourism industry, speaking at many of their events, most notably several Governors´ conferences, and in giving testimony and speech support, as well as sharing and amplifying their insights with the national and foreign media. Further, we have engaged VCU Adcenter students on TIA´s Discover America program.

   BDA is also working with the travel and tourism industry on visa issues and in the creation of a welcoming ports of entry project as well as serving on the Advisory Council to the Secure Borders Open Doors Initiative, spearheaded by Secretaries Rice and Chertoff.

3. Accentuate America's positive qualities and contributions to the world community

   BDA is developing a program called Partners in Progress where it is gathering stories of America’s positive contributions to the world community. For more information on this effort and to share your work with us, please contact Cari Guittard on Cari.Guittard@sf.ddb.com

4. Reach out to business leaders in strategic world markets

   BDA is currently working on building the AAB Fellows Class of 2008. Our initial group of seven came from Arab companies in five countries and, last October, spent a week in New York, a week in Des Moines, Iowa and a week in Washington, DC. Though small, the project was deemed a success by all concerned and, based on our learnings from last year’s pilot program, the 2008 version should be even better. One new feature is that funding has been secured to send ten young American executives to two Middle East countries in a reciprocal exchange during the same time period. The young Arab executives and the young American executives will then meet in Dubai at the end of their respective internships to exchange views and perspectives.

   BDA's partners for this exchange program are Young Arab Leaders Organization in the Middle East and, in the States, The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy and the National U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce. Details of the program are on our website or contact BDA Vice President Tom Miller at Thomas.Miller@ddb.com

   BDA Partners with Brookings— After participating in the 2008 US-Islamic Forum in Doha, BDA has again partnered with The Brookings Institution to develop a business delegation to the US-Islamic Regional Forum this October to be held in Kuala Lumpur.

5. BDA joins with The Brookings Institution to seek input on restructuring public diplomacy at the federal level.

   BDA has taken an active role in supporting a study being conducted by The Brookings Institution, at the request of the U.S. Department of State and Congress, to plan for a public/private interagency public diplomacy center which will serve as a program integration and coordination entity for the United States public diplomacy programs. BDA has been working closely with Brookings and the U.S. Public Diplomacy Council to organize and conduct five separate listening events to which interested parties are invited and asked to share their views. Three of these events took place in Washington, one was held in New York and one in Los Angeles. So far, the views of more than 200 people have been collected. Separate interviews with individual subject experts are also taking place.

   The study will be independent, non-partisan, and forward-looking. Its mission is not to comment on specific policies or politics, but rather to set forth a vision for an organization that can cultivate and draw on the talents of a diverse range of Americans from the public, private and non-profit sectors. It seeks to imagine what tools and structures America will need to conduct public diplomacy effectively in the next fifty years. Specifically, it will evaluate whether the proposed organization is necessary and, if it is, recommend the organization’s mission and range of activities, governance and structure, and how it will interact with existing U.S. government agencies and private organizations both domestically and overseas. The study is due to the Congress at the end of September. It should be noted that BDA Board member Gary Knell has been chosen by Brookings to serve on the Advisory Board of this project. Contact Tom Miller for further details.