Step Up the PR; Step Up the Outreach

Posted: Friday, June 26, 2009
Author: Adriana Piotrowska

President Obama is one of the few, if not the first US president to address Africa this early in his term. Johnnie Carson, US assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, outlined the Obama administration’s Africa policy agenda. The four key points that are to be focused on are: democratic institutions and rule of law, prevention and resolution of conflicts, long-term development growth, and addressing old and new challenges through cooperation with African nations.

Carson also stated the importance of “encourag[ing] those in civil society to be the voice and conscience of their countries”. The aforementioned statement is essential to the success of all missions run in Africa and should be echoing throughout all programs and plans, whether they be humanitarian or military related. The obligation of being the “voice and conscience” has far greater meaning attached to it than simply promoting the population’s watchdog responsibility.

Even with the continuation of the previous Bush administration’s Africa programs (such as PEPFEAR) and the continued institutional development of AFRICOM – the US’ Africa combatant command, there is a slight change in the approach and attention that will be given to the dark continent. There will be greater emphasis on education as well as microfinance (both of which promote the self-sufficiency of the African populace).

The CSIS’ (Center for Strategic and International Studies) book, U.S. Africa Policy beyond the Bush Years, comprehensively exemplified the Bush administration as focusing most of its concentration on health (particularly AIDS) and other aid programs. The question is, under Obama will civil society participation be encouraged on all levels – an act, which has not been performed as of yet by any US leader.

This method of incorporating the population into the domestic affairs of their country and raising their stakeholder position deepens their connection to those working to better improve their country’s situation as well as deepens their investment in witnessing those programs succeed; programs, which have been influenced by the vocalization of what is need and what is not, by those that are most knowledgeable and most affected by them.

For these reasons there are grounds for AFRICOM to further their outreach to the local communities in the areas that they are operating in. With a broad mission statement and a wide-range of goals, the community is better suited to offer advice into identifying more detailed and feasible tasks that are greater appreciated. A stronger partnership will also increase the acceptance and support for all current and ongoing operations.

Naturally knowledge of such operations is necessary for the community to have, but hard to come by. Internet usage in Africa is diminutive compared to the rest of the world; AFRICOM’s public relations campaign is largely through the internet. All documents, speeches, interviews, press statements and etc. are all accessible either through AFRICOM’s website, or a journalistic or academic site. A person to person approach with community leaders may just be a better way to get the information out there, garner support, and increase cultural and local current affairs intelligence.