U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice discussed the Bush administration’s transformational diplomacy initiative, the U.S. effort to help countries govern themselves democratically, yesterday in Georgetown’s O’Donovan Hall.
The mission will give American diplomats more resources for directly interacting with citizens in critical countries in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, she said. Through American Presence Posts, diplomats will live and work outside embassies to represent America in regions undergoing important change. Virtual Presence Posts will allow U.S. officers to interact digitally with private citizens worldwide.
Rice also emphasized the importance of empowering diplomats to work jointly with the military in reconstruction and stabilization efforts, citing the creation of the Office of Reconstruction and Stabilization as a major step in preventing post-conflict instability.
