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The Future of United States Public

Diplomacy in Brazilby Blair RapalyeaSummaryThis study based in part on interviews with U.S. officials attempts to take acloser look at the public diplomacy program in Brazil while also considering thepolitical and economic situation the United States faces in the WesternHemisphere. Brazil has one of the biggest U.S. public diplomacy programs in theAmericas, accompanied by one of the highest levels of funding. This begs thequestion: since bilateral relations are positive and the majority of Brazilians have afavorable view of the U.S., why is a public diplomacy program necessary?

Brazil and the United States have a very good official bilateral relationship,although it has been aptly characterized as very broad but relativelyshallow.1The two countries have many commonalities most prominently, theyare both very large, geographically and ethnically diverse countries with complexcultural backgrounds. Though relations are considered to be positive overall, theUnited States has not been willing to put itself on the line for Brazil, most notablyin not supporting Brazils bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations SecurityCouncil. As Brazils economic success lends it more power in the way it is able tointeract with other nations, the United States must re-evaluate the lens throughwhich it views its largest southern neighbor. The notion that Brazil is here to stayis becoming a theme that sticks as their economy maintains its stability, andBrazilians are rightfully proud of the progress their country has made, botheconomically and socially, over the past 20 years.

This study concludes that there are very important reasons for a robust Americanpublic diplomacy program meant to enhance mutual understanding, whether ornot the Brazilian economy will be able to sustain the growth it has enjoyed overthe past decade. Public diplomacy (PD) has helped to encourage the currentpositive relationship, and there are several factors that suggest that PD programsenacted in the current environment will have a deep and lasting effect. First, theBrazilian government is willing and able to support American PD programming,both financially and with other available resources. Second, the Brazilian middleclass is growing rapidly, and as more people gain access to global news, it iscrucial that the American perspective is heard and understood. Third, Brazilsgrowing geopolitical relevance cannot be denied regardless of whether theireconomic strength continues at the same level, the United States needs a strongally in Latin America, and with continued attention and communication, Brazilcould be just that.

Brazilian Public Opinion Toward AmericaWhat does the foreign public think of the United States and of Americans? Thisquestion is the starting point for any effective public diplomacy program. Likepolicy matters between the U.S. and Brazil, public opinion could be characterizedas generally positive between the two countries in recent history. One difficult

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period stands in contrast the reign of the military dictatorship in Brazil, whichlasted from 1964 to 1985. Many people who lived through the dictatorship and sawthe lack of reaction (or perhaps the implicit support) from the United States arestill living and politically active today. U.S. Information Officer (IO) Sara Mercadonoted in an interview that much of the older population remain skeptical ofAmerican policies in Latin America, and many of them are still active scholars and

academics that make their opinions known.2Younger Brazilians who did not sharethese experiences do not have these biases, and tend to view the U.S. much morefavorably than some of their elders.

Considering the population as a whole, Public Affairs Officer (PAO) John Matel said,they feel good about themselves, so they feel good about us too.3The tripleeffect of the booming economy, their hosting of the World Cup in 2014, and thesummer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 gives Brazilians many reasons to feelgood about themselves and their place in the world. Unlike many other LatinAmerican countries, Brazilians view the United States much more warmly thansome of their geographic counterparts. The 2010 Pew Global Attitudes Projectfound that, for example, only 42 percent of Argentines held a favorable opinion of

the United States, as compared to 62 percent in Brazil and 56 percent in Mexico.In response to a question about whether or not they liked American music,movies, and television, 69 percent of Brazilians surveyed answered in theaffirmative.4Though it is not eminently clear why Brazilians do not criticizeAmerican culture, people, and politics to the level of much of the rest of LatinAmerica, it may be that they see many similarities and find shared values in thesecommonalities.

Common groundConsidering the commonalities between the U.S. and Brazil, a 2010 article in theEconomist says to think of two continent-sized countries built on gold rushes and

cowboys, on sugar and slaves both consist basically of big cities on the coastwhere most of the people live and in between, endless savannahs where all thefood grows.5It is easy to see the obvious physical resemblance one couldcompare cosmopolitan and gritty So Paulo with New York City, rural Gois withthe Midwest and their simple geographic vastness separates them from almostall neighboring countries.

Perhaps lending even more influence to the state of public opinion are thedemographics of the U.S. and Brazil. Both countries have huge, diversepopulations, which should not be underestimated as a factor in the feeling ofkinship. There are some differences Brazil does not define race as sharply as theU.S. does instead of white or black, Brazilians define themselves by

hundreds of different skin colors, with names like clarinha (very light)and canela (cinnamon). This ethnic diversity contributes to the sense ofexceptionalism that Americans and Brazilians share, where they exult in a culturebuilt on overcoming obstacles, of feeling fortunate and unique in a place wherethere are countless different types of people enveloped in one society.6

American Public Diplomacy Practice in BrazilWith a generally friendly and receptive public and a country enjoying the benefitsof international attention and a growing economy, Foreign Service Officers

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practicing PD in Brazil do not face the substantial obstacles that their colleagues doin many other countries. PAO Matel made note of the fact that Brazilians havemoney to spend on programming, and that they are willing to fund programs thatthe U.S. Embassy used to fund on its own. Programming has flourished along withthe economy as more Brazilians gain the means to attend college, often in theUnited States, and look to learn English to facilitate that journey. Mercado noted

that the missions first priority in Brazil is education, so their programs are tailoredin large part toward addressing educational exchanges and facilitating thatprocess. Considering their work as a whole, Matel said, I cant believe anybodycould be more tied in than we are Ive never seen this kind of connection before.Im not sure how it happened, but Im happy it did.7

Current PD StrategyAudienceAs in many countries, the easiest people for public diplomacy practitioners to reachare the elites, who are more prevalent in major cities where embassies arelocated, have greater access to media sources such as television, the Internet, andprint media, and are able to achieve a higher level of education. The growingmiddle class is important because of its ability to gain access to media directly,whether local or foreign.8As middle-class Brazilians become increasinglyconnected, their opinions are informed by many sources, and U.S. publicdiplomacy practitioners want to be one of them.9

The core group identified by mission Brazil is the younger population asBrazilians form their opinions on social and political issues, the public diplomacyprogram wants to help them build a connection with U.S. policy andculture.10 Younger audiences are also easier to reach through newer means ofcommunication like social media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook), both of which encourageand are improved by audience participation. As educational exchanges between

universities in both countries have flourished in recent years, an increasingnumber of young Brazilians have the opportunity to immerse themselves in U.S.culture and academia.

ProgramsUnlike public diplomacy missions in countries where there is a deeply rootedconflict, officers in Brazil work mainly to maintain the friendly attitude towards theU.S. and to foster deeper connections. One of the goals is to work with people whoeither are in a position to do things that will help the U.S. public diplomacymission, or with those whose actions could work against the U.S. public diplomacymission thereby enhancing the positive and minimizing the negative.11

Recent successful programs include a 9/11 remembrance campaign, the promotionand explanation of a more streamlined visa process, and the scholarship andexchange program Science Without Borders. The main focus of programming hasbeen to promote educational exchanges, which are currently extremely popularwith Brazilian students and have seen a huge rise in applications over the past fewyears. Science Without Borders (SWB) is a Brazilian effort that works with the U.S.government and universities, and is intended to promote involvement in the fieldsof science, math, and technology. The program collaborates with the FulbrightCommission approximately 150 million USD is sent through Fulbright to fund

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SWB in the United States, which is money that ultimately benefits not only thestudents but also the U.S. system of higher education.12

In addition to facilitating educational exchanges, other communicative effortsproved to be very effective. The 9/11 remembrance campaign, namedSuperao, or Overcoming in English, was intended to commemorate the 10-

year anniversary of the tragedy.13 PD officers created a website(www.superacao2011.org), and invited Brazilians to post thoughts and videosdealing with a difficult time in their own lives and relate it to the attacks of9/11.14 The program is considered a huge success over 265,000 messages ofsupport were posted on the site, and many of them were shared on other socialnetworks, reaching an even greater audience.15 The popularity of this program isindicative of the response U.S. PD programs are able to garner from the Brazilianpopulation.

AnalysisThe public diplomacy program in Brazil is operating in a favorable environment,

has significant funding from both governments, and is interacting successfullythrough multiple means of communication, and has one of the biggest budgets inthe Western Hemisphere. In an international climate where there are major publicdiplomacy challenges facing the United States, most notably in the Middle East,how can spending money in Brazil that could be spent in countries with a very highdisapproval rating be justified?

The case for continued funding of public diplomacy in BrazilBrazilian fundingMost of the budget for U.S. PD in Brazil comes from cooperative arrangementswith both Brazilian entities and private firms due to the strength of the Brazilianeconomy, programs enacted by U.S. PD in Brazil are able to attract investors

interested in fostering relationships between the two countries.16 Matel estimatedthe total budget to be around $10 million USD, specifying that the majority of theprogram funding comes from Brazil, not from the U.S. Government. Instead ofbeing limited by the amount of money allocated for them by the United States, thePD mission in Brazil, thanks to these partnerships with Brazilian entities, has fourto five times that amount to spend.17

The amount of money that is invested in programs like this has exponentialbenefits for the United States, and cannot be overlooked or taken for granted. Ifthe small part of the budget provided by the U.S. government were to besubstantially reduced, it would be even more apparent that Brazil is carrying aheavier part of the load, tarnishing the image of mutual cooperation required for

these programs to work to the best of their ability.

Strategic importance of Brazil in the Western HemisphereHistory has proven that no partnership will last forever, and Brazil is one ally thatthe United States will want to keep for the foreseeable future. As the two biggesteconomies and the two biggest populations in the Western Hemisphere, thepotential these two countries have to influence the region is huge. As long as

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Brazil maintains economic stability and continues to develop, it will be to thebenefit of the United States to maintain that rapport.

Brazil and the United States are not always on the most stable footing take, forexample, Brazils offer of assistance to Iran regarding their nuclear energyprogram. This action stood in direct contrast to U.S. directives in the region, but

Brazil saw Iran as a potential partner in development and disregarded the wishesof the U.S. government. Though a change in leadership in Brazil prevented thisplan from coming to fruition, it provides an example of how a sense of obligationdeep enough to prevent an action undermining U.S. interests does not exist.

The above example illustrates the fact that the partnership between the twocountries is imperfect, and the potential ramifications of a break in the relationsare large and could threaten the position of the United States in the WesternHemisphere. Public diplomacy in Brazil shows the population that the U.S. iscommitted to the partnership, and that the opinions of Brazilians are important tothe U.S. government. Maintaining a level of understanding in such a strategicallyimportant country is crucial to U.S. interests, especially as Brazil continues toincrease its profile internationally with trade agreements and participation ininternational organizations. Having a powerful ally in a region where the UnitedStates has struggled with public opinion in the past is critical it would assist insustaining partnerships in Latin America that are of high importance to the futureof U.S. policy.

Conclusions and RecommendationsA basic question for any government-funded program is how best to allocateresources so as to get the most out of a budget. Public diplomacy funding is anespecially sensitive issue in the U.S., as the majority of American taxpayers do notlike the idea of their tax dollars being spent overseas. The PD budget designated

for Brazil is one of the biggest in the Western Hemisphere. Considering all of theabove, does the spending in Brazil make sense given the dramatic issuessurrounding public perception that the United States faces in other parts of theworld?

In considering the efficacy of public diplomacy programs, much attention has beenplaced on the efforts in the Middle East for good reason. The United States isfacing a crisis of public opinion due to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, andthe focus, whether critical or complimentary, has been placed on that region. Thestark reality of the Middle East is that the policies of the United States havecreated severe obstacles for public diplomacy, and the situation will likely continuein that vein until troops are withdrawn and some level of stability is returned. This

is not to suggest that the focus on programs in the Middle East is unwarranted, butinstead that there is progress to be made by considering other countries of pivotalimportance with which the United States is building a relationship.

Rather than using the current situation as a reason to reduce the amount of focusand funding in Brazil, the United States should work to sustain current levels, asthe relationship between the two countries is at a point where every dollarinvested has significant returns. PAO Matel emphasized this, saying that Brazil isat a stage where it pays off big our influence now will shape relations for a

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generation because the Brazilians are ready and able to move ahead.18Thecurrent situation in Brazil is ideal for facilitating a dialogue about U.S. policy notonly is the public willing to engage with programs led by the U.S. PD efforts, butthe Brazilian business community and government has money to assist in theimplementation of these programs. This level of interest and willingness toparticipate in the process is not likely to continue indefinitely, supporting the case

for taking advantage of the current situation. As Brazilians increasingly move intothe middle class, their ability to engage with international news, both throughmore people learning English and more people gaining access to informationtechnology, will continue to increase dramatically. Brazils economicaccomplishments do not only have a domestic impact, however by improving itsinternal situation, Brazil has put itself in an even better position to be a LatinAmerican leader. Whether or not the recent economic growth can be continued atthe same level, the developments that Brazil has achieved along with its size andlocation give the country significant influence over its neighbors. If an issue in theregion were to arise, having Brazil on the side of the U.S. would be of undeniablestrategic value.

The success of the program in Brazil should not mean that it is disregarded as animportant place to implement public diplomacy. Instead of being used as abandage to try and patch over issues once they arise, public diplomacy shouldinstead be a constant presence to encourage consistent dialogue and promoteunderstanding over time. Successful programming has the ability build deeperrelationships that can withstand minor issues, so when a change occurs, theUnited States is not forced to try and implement a short-term solution. A countrywith growing geopolitical importance cannot be overlooked no matter how positivethe situation is perceived to be. The relationship between the United States andBrazil is essential, and there is no better time than now to focus on strengtheningthe connection between these two countries.

Alumnos: Mocciola Bruno; Zabala Ignacio

El motivo por el cual elegimos este texto es por el inters de las relaciones entreEstados, en este caso entre Brasil y Estados Unidos, debido a que somosestudiantes de la carrera de Relaciones Internacionales.

El texto nos servira para la materia de Introduccin a las RelacionesInternacionales en la cual profundizamos en el tema de las relaciones entreEstados y la diplomacia.

El titulo del texto es The Future of United States Public Diplomacy in Brazil;fuente: http://www.unc.edu; el autor es Blair Rapalyea (Massachusetts, EstadosUnidos), graduada de la universidad de Smith y estudiante graduada de primerao en la Escuela Fletcher de Derecho y Diplomacia de la Universidad Tufts. Ella seconcentra en Derecho Internacional Pblico y Estudios de Seguridad, y estudiDiplomacia Pblica de los EE.UU.

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El texto posee un titulo y luego 8 subttulos que contienen pequeos prrafos,posee fechas, diferentes tipos de letras para diferenciar el texto de los subttulos yel titulo, da a conocer la autora, carece de imgenes como tambin de copete yepgrafe, podemos marcar una introduccin, un desarrollo y una conclusin, poseecitas.

Es un texto informativo en el cual predomina la secuencia dominante expositiva-explicativa, la postura del autor es subjetiva ya que la autora interviene en larealidad del estudio que ha realizado y presente.

Recursos discursivos:

Citas indirectas: "muy amplio, pero relativamente poco profundas. "; "aqu paraquedarse " (refirindose a la posicin de Brasil)

Citas directas: "se sienten bien consigo mismos, para que se sientan bienacerca de nosotros." (Dicho por John Matel); "pensar en dos pases de tamaocontinental construidas sobre fiebres del oro y los vaqueros , el azcar y losesclavos ... ambos estn compuestos bsicamente de las grandes ciudades de la

costa, donde la mayor parte del la gente vive ... y en el medio, sabanasinterminables , donde toda la comida crece" (artculo de The Economist - 2010); "No puedo creer que alguien podra ser ms empatados en que nosotros ... Nuncahe visto este tipo de conexin antes . No estoy seguro de cmo sucedi, peroestoy contento de que lo hizo." ; "Brasil est en una etapa en la que vale la pena alo grande ... nuestra influencia ahora se forma a las relaciones de una generacin ,porque los brasileos estn dispuestos y son capaces de seguir adelante. " (Dichopor Matel)

Comparacin de porcentajes entre Argentina, Brasil y Mexico en cuanto a unaopinin favorable sobre los Estados Unidos; entre Sao Paulo y Nueva York.

1) nombre de los alumnos/as que lo realizaron2) justificar porqu motivo eligieron el tema desarrollado en el texto en ingls; tambin para qumateria les sera de utilidad.

3) ttulo del texto en ingls, fuente, nombre y breve resea bibliogrfica del autor.4) primer prrafo: organizacin del texto: caractersticas generales, por ejemplo, elementosparatextuales.5) Segundo prrafo: tipo de texto, secuencia dominante, postura del autor (presente/ausente,subjetivo/objetivo) Justificar.6) Tercer prrafo: recursos discursivos (definiciones, comparaciones, citas directas/indirectas, etc)Justificar.7) Cuarto prrafo: Aspectos gramaticales (tiempos verbales predominantes, voz activa/pasiva) yConectores (indicar su funcin) Excluir and/so/or

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8) Quinto prrafo: Resumen