New CPD Perspectives: The American Fortress Embassy

The latest issue of CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy this year is an article by CPD Research Fellow Mieczysław (Mietek) P. Boduszyński.

"Public Diplomacy and the American Fortress Embassy: Balancing Mission and Security" looks inside high-security, "high threat" American diplomatic posts and the ensuing impact on public diplomacy practice. Boduszyński finds an imbalance between securitization at heavily guarded missions in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the ability to achieve foreign policy goals through public diplomacy. 

The fortress embassy "represents a culture that is preoccupied with security, inward looking, suspicious of locals and unwilling to take any risks. The goals and operations of public diplomacy, by contrast, are outward looking and focused on engagement with local populations," writes Boduszyński. "The security-first mentality of fortress embassies makes it hard to argue for the value that comes from meeting with locals to increase situational awareness and cultural fluency." He adds, "Outreach to diverse audiences is not just a feel-good thing: it delivers results."

Read "Public Diplomacy and the American Fortress Embassy: Balancing Mission and Security" here.