|
 A
failure of PR
A
year after September 11,
everyone's speaking, while only a few are bothering – for better or
worse –- to put things in perspective.
By Tarek Atia
cairolive.com,
September 9, 2002
Governments'
diplomatic arms can be compared – in this age of globalization and
mega-communications – to PR and Marketing Departments in major
corporations. The World Trade Center and Pentagon disasters are the
clearest evidence so far that those departments – the world over --
are in need of a major make-over. Fixing the security and intelligence
failures the event brought into focus are certainly high on the priority
list right now, but this disaster should also be seen as a siren that's
screaming, "We're not speaking the same language anymore."
The people most
shocked by the events of Tuesday,
September 11, are surely
the diplomats. After all, it was their job not to let things get to this
– or at least be aware that it might happen and have a contingency
plan in mind. But in the aftermath of the tragedy, the confusing,
reflexive diplomatic scramble to re-align also makes clear that there is
no common language, no real understanding, between nations and people
the world over.
I'm not just
talking about the differences between Afghans and Americans, or Arabic
and English and any other language, but the basic message that each
country and its people are trying to send any other country at any given
time. Is it being understood properly, or has something quite vital been
lost in the translation? I'd say quite a few nuances, and a deeper
meaning or two, are often conveniently dropped from the equation.
After all, we
are still debating the meaning of the word terrorism.
We are still
doubting the intentions of the other.
And – perhaps
most importantly – we are still caught up in a complete mistrust of
the other's writing of history, the present and the future.
Still, with all
these differences, we talk. We talk about how close friends we are,
about how strong relations are, and about ambitious plans for the
future. We agree that we sometimes think differently, but also agree to
leave those differences (and the events that exacerbate them) simmering,
ready to explode whenever an incident like the World Trade Center
disaster occurs.
This incident
– however – is the mother of all of them. And it will be the test of
whether those skilled diplomats can do much more than what we – human
beings -- always do when we're in a bind. Tough it out. Smile and
grimace, do what we can, and give it our all.
And if the
problem is somehow solved, then it's time to go back to the old
"rest assured" posture, not bothering to deal with the same
old simmering differences between nations, societies and cultures. But
for the common man everywhere, this attitude has only made the situation
worse. Misunderstandings between nations take on even more complex
transformations, dragging the ordinary people of the world deeper into
the throes of a dangerous universal conflict.
The World Trade
Center disaster and its aftermath make it clear that the political,
economic, cultural, and strategic dialogue of diplomats can no longer
afford to ignore the realities of a new world where everybody can talk
to anybody else, anytime. There
can no longer be a monopoly on the communication of
a nation's sense of self to the other. In the old days, a country
was told they were going to war. They had no knowledge of their enemy
other than what was given to them by their leaders.
In some ways
– even in this age of
mega-communications – the
same thing is still happening today in America, with CNN et al,
practically beaming that one-sided medieval-like official point of view
to the general public.
But it doesn't
have to be that way anymore. With ample channels for a more democratic
dialogue now readily available, the voices of reason do have a chance to
prevail.
Today,
everyone's speaking, and only a few are bothering – for better or
worse –- to put things in perspective.
Now that wars
brew – sometimes for years at a time -- before our very eyes, slowly
gurgling to the surface through the lens of the TV camera, we need not
accept that that build up be a "clash of civilizations". The
voices preparing the world for war – both long and short term – beam
their thoughts and plans to the citizens on both sides of the conflict.
There are no secrets here. Nor is there anything hindering the voices of
peace from doing the exact same thing.
With the help
of the world's diplomatic corps, there should be no limit to
communicating what others feel, no matter where on Earth they are. The
differences between people, nations, belief systems and ideals should be
talked about, addressed, flung out into the open and dealt with from
every conceivable angle, producing a dialogue, rather than a clash, of
civilizations. The world -- in this age of mega-communications -- is
forcing us in that direction.
Diplomats
need to refocus their energies to connecting with the people, on every
side of the equation. Because there's so much talk out there now,
diplomacy worldwide must wake up to the realities of a world of
interconnecting webs. Otherwise, the envoys that carried messages back
and forth between nation-states are today merely glorified messengers,
with e-mail and private planes.
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DO YOU THINK?
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VOICE HEARD
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