U.S. Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy: A New Organization Needed?

Date:	July 22, 2008
Time:	12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m.
Speaker(s):	Featuring Keynote Remarks by: The Honorable Mac Thornberry (R-TX) Member, U. S. House of Representatives Followed by a panel discussion with: Dr. Michael Doran Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Support to Public Diplomacy Jeff Jones Senior Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton, and former Director for Strategic Communications and Information, National Security Council James Dickmeyer Director, Foreign Press Centers, U.S. Department of State
Host(s):	Tony Blankley Visiting Senior Fellow in National Security Communications, The Heritage Foundation
Details:
Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium In the war against violent extremism, the United States must do a better job at engaging the enemy in the battle of ideas. Current government efforts are marred by a lack of resources, interagency cooperation, and coordinated strategy. One option to address these shortfalls is the Defense Science Board Task Force on Strategic Communication’s recommendation for the establishment an “independent, not-for-profit organization responsible for providing independent assessment and strategic guidance to the Federal Government on strategic communication and public diplomacy.” Is a new organization necessary? If so, how would such an organization bolster current efforts to fight the ideological battle we face? What kind of roles, mission, and structure would such an organization require?

Heritage Foundation Leadership for America