my name is Dean Galen and today I’d like to talk to you about a issue that I find
to talk to you about a issue that I find
to talk to you about a issue that I find equally applicable to anyone in this
equally applicable to anyone in this
equally applicable to anyone in this auditorium and that concept is citizen
auditorium and that concept is citizen
auditorium and that concept is citizen diplomacy and so how many people in this
diplomacy and so how many people in this
diplomacy and so how many people in this room have traveled internationally in
room have traveled internationally in
room have traveled internationally in the past year
the past year
the past year so a reasonable man there’s a common
so a reasonable man there’s a common
so a reasonable man there’s a common misconception among the American people
misconception among the American people
misconception among the American people that our foreign policy and our
that our foreign policy and our
that our foreign policy and our international relations are only handled
international relations are only handled
international relations are only handled by those on Capitol Hill and by those in
by those on Capitol Hill and by those in
by those on Capitol Hill and by those in the White House and this simply just
the White House and this simply just
the White House and this simply just isn’t true and today I’ll be explaining
isn’t true and today I’ll be explaining
isn’t true and today I’ll be explaining to you why citizen diplomacy is the idea
to you why citizen diplomacy is the idea
to you why citizen diplomacy is the idea the concept that each and every one of
the concept that each and every one of
the concept that each and every one of us has the responsibility to promote a
us has the responsibility to promote a
us has the responsibility to promote a good outlook on the American people
good outlook on the American people
good outlook on the American people abroad and this can be done in many
abroad and this can be done in many
abroad and this can be done in many different ways through
different ways through
different ways through because we have 67 million Americans
because we have 67 million Americans
because we have 67 million Americans travel abroad every year 67 million
travel abroad every year 67 million
travel abroad every year 67 million people make contact with foreign with
people make contact with foreign with
people make contact with foreign with foreign peoples with foreign countries
foreign peoples with foreign countries
foreign peoples with foreign countries and FARC with foreign cultures and if we
and FARC with foreign cultures and if we
and FARC with foreign cultures and if we engage in proper conduct with those
engage in proper conduct with those
engage in proper conduct with those people in those cultures we could
people in those cultures we could
people in those cultures we could promote a better image of ourselves a
promote a better image of ourselves a
promote a better image of ourselves a Berliner not only that but the US
Berliner not only that but the US
Berliner not only that but the US Department of State brings millions of
Department of State brings millions of
Department of State brings millions of people to the US through different
people to the US through different
people to the US through different programs and through other other efforts
programs and through other other efforts
programs and through other other efforts with diplomacy to help promote otherwise
with diplomacy to help promote otherwise
with diplomacy to help promote otherwise otherwise engage them with American
otherwise engage them with American
otherwise engage them with American culture and by engaging with those
culture and by engaging with those
culture and by engaging with those people they would be able to go back to
people they would be able to go back to
people they would be able to go back to their own countries with a different
their own countries with a different
their own countries with a different outlook of how Americans interact
outlook of how Americans interact
outlook of how Americans interact this past summer I was offered an
this past summer I was offered an
this past summer I was offered an amazing opportunity from the United
amazing opportunity from the United
amazing opportunity from the United States Department of State to go abroad
States Department of State to go abroad
States Department of State to go abroad to South Korea while I was in South
to South Korea while I was in South
to South Korea while I was in South Korea I was engaged with the locals I
Korea I was engaged with the locals I
Korea I was engaged with the locals I engaged with their culture and I engaged
engaged with their culture and I engaged
engaged with their culture and I engaged with their country in general and I
with their country in general and I
with their country in general and I learned a great amount about the country
learned a great amount about the country
learned a great amount about the country and about its people and so if each of
and about its people and so if each of
and about its people and so if each of those 67 million Americans could travel
those 67 million Americans could travel
those 67 million Americans could travel abroad and learn a thing or two about
abroad and learn a thing or two about
abroad and learn a thing or two about the people and their culture
the people and their culture
the people and their culture the idea of citizen diplomacy is that
the idea of citizen diplomacy is that
the idea of citizen diplomacy is that that would trickle down into our foreign
that would trickle down into our foreign
that would trickle down into our foreign policy and into our foreign relations
policy and into our foreign relations
policy and into our foreign relations and as a democratic system formed the
and as a democratic system formed the
and as a democratic system formed the way that we interact with other nations
way that we interact with other nations
way that we interact with other nations in general
in general
in general while I was in Korea there was this
while I was in Korea there was this
while I was in Korea there was this amazing opportunity to live with a host
amazing opportunity to live with a host
amazing opportunity to live with a host family I went to school every day and I
family I went to school every day and I
family I went to school every day and I made a lot of great friends and through
made a lot of great friends and through
made a lot of great friends and through interacting with them their outlook on
interacting with them their outlook on
interacting with them their outlook on how Americans interact and my outlook on
how Americans interact and my outlook on
how Americans interact and my outlook on how great under the direct was greatly
how great under the direct was greatly
how great under the direct was greatly changed and so
if we were if each and every one of us
if we were if each and every one of us was able to go abroad as everyone who in
was able to go abroad as everyone who in
was able to go abroad as everyone who in this room who raised their hand if we
this room who raised their hand if we
this room who raised their hand if we were all able to go abroad and live like
were all able to go abroad and live like
were all able to go abroad and live like this
this
this it would create this huge effect this
it would create this huge effect this
it would create this huge effect this huge ripple effect and that’s the idea
huge ripple effect and that’s the idea
huge ripple effect and that’s the idea of this it’s changed on a small scale
of this it’s changed on a small scale
of this it’s changed on a small scale that trickles down into our entire fall
that trickles down into our entire fall
that trickles down into our entire fall or foreign-policy system as a whole so
or foreign-policy system as a whole so
or foreign-policy system as a whole so while I was in Korea I was there for
while I was in Korea I was there for
while I was in Korea I was there for seven weeks so I had lots of different
seven weeks so I had lots of different
seven weeks so I had lots of different interactions that might fall into under
interactions that might fall into under
interactions that might fall into under this umbrella topic of citizen diplomacy
this umbrella topic of citizen diplomacy
this umbrella topic of citizen diplomacy but there was one in particular that was
but there was one in particular that was
but there was one in particular that was really profound for me and that was one
really profound for me and that was one
really profound for me and that was one night where I was just I was taking the
night where I was just I was taking the
night where I was just I was taking the bus home from a dinner out with my
bus home from a dinner out with my
bus home from a dinner out with my friends and the bus was packed people
friends and the bus was packed people
friends and the bus was packed people were coming home from work we were
were coming home from work we were
were coming home from work we were coming home from other different things
coming home from other different things
coming home from other different things and so it was really packed I was
and so it was really packed I was
and so it was really packed I was sitting on one of the last seats in the
sitting on one of the last seats in the
sitting on one of the last seats in the bus when an older woman walked onto the
bus when an older woman walked onto the
bus when an older woman walked onto the bus the first thing to do under proper
bus the first thing to do under proper
bus the first thing to do under proper Korean etiquette would be to offer your
Korean etiquette would be to offer your
Korean etiquette would be to offer your seat up to this woman so that’s exactly
seat up to this woman so that’s exactly
seat up to this woman so that’s exactly what I did I stood up and before I could
what I did I stood up and before I could
what I did I stood up and before I could get a word in in Korea and she started
get a word in in Korea and she started
get a word in in Korea and she started stumbling over herself in English trying
stumbling over herself in English trying
stumbling over herself in English trying to tell me that she didn’t need the seat
to tell me that she didn’t need the seat
to tell me that she didn’t need the seat because she was getting off at the next
because she was getting off at the next
because she was getting off at the next stop and so it took us about a minute
stop and so it took us about a minute
stop and so it took us about a minute and a half to reach you know this mutual
and a half to reach you know this mutual
and a half to reach you know this mutual understanding of what was going on but
understanding of what was going on but
understanding of what was going on but at that point I figured it was there was
at that point I figured it was there was
at that point I figured it was there was no point in sitting back down and I
no point in sitting back down and I
no point in sitting back down and I stood there with this woman and we had
stood there with this woman and we had
stood there with this woman and we had this great exchange in Korean about what
this great exchange in Korean about what
this great exchange in Korean about what I was doing there and how I was learning
I was doing there and how I was learning
I was doing there and how I was learning the language and two minutes later that
the language and two minutes later that
the language and two minutes later that woman walked girl from the bus and I
woman walked girl from the bus and I
woman walked girl from the bus and I never saw her again
never saw her again
never saw her again but I think I was able to have a
but I think I was able to have a
but I think I was able to have a profound effect on the way that she
profound effect on the way that she
profound effect on the way that she thought
thought
thought it’s not uncommon with in Korean society
it’s not uncommon with in Korean society
it’s not uncommon with in Korean society for older people for the elderly to hold
for older people for the elderly to hold
for older people for the elderly to hold misconceptions and hold stereotypes and
misconceptions and hold stereotypes and
misconceptions and hold stereotypes and creat preconceptions about the American
creat preconceptions about the American
creat preconceptions about the American people do two atrocities that were
people do two atrocities that were
people do two atrocities that were committed during the Korean War and so I
committed during the Korean War and so I
committed during the Korean War and so I hoped that by interacting with his woman
hoped that by interacting with his woman
hoped that by interacting with his woman by showing her that I have respect for
by showing her that I have respect for
by showing her that I have respect for her culture that I was able to change
her culture that I was able to change
her culture that I was able to change the way that she thought about people
the way that she thought about people
the way that she thought about people about Americans and about our country as
about Americans and about our country as
about Americans and about our country as a whole and so we have all of these
a whole and so we have all of these
a whole and so we have all of these Americans going abroad every year and
Americans going abroad every year and
Americans going abroad every year and the problem with it is that we don’t
the problem with it is that we don’t
the problem with it is that we don’t engage with the with the with the people
engage with the with the with the people
engage with the with the with the people in general we don’t make these
in general we don’t make these
in general we don’t make these person-to-person connections that
person-to-person connections that
person-to-person connections that connect our nation’s globally and so if
connect our nation’s globally and so if
connect our nation’s globally and so if we can make ties between people we can
we can make ties between people we can
we can make ties between people we can make ties between nations and that’s the
make ties between nations and that’s the
make ties between nations and that’s the goal
you don’t have to travel abroad to get
you don’t have to travel abroad to get involved with citizen diplomacy it’s a
involved with citizen diplomacy it’s a
involved with citizen diplomacy it’s a cause that starts on the smallest of
cause that starts on the smallest of
cause that starts on the smallest of scales
scales
scales and so by interacting with people who
and so by interacting with people who
and so by interacting with people who come here by interacting with people
come here by interacting with people
come here by interacting with people from abroad by reading up and being
from abroad by reading up and being
from abroad by reading up and being informed about the world around us we
informed about the world around us we
informed about the world around us we can increase our retention of global in
can increase our retention of global in
can increase our retention of global in global education we can increase our
global education we can increase our
global education we can increase our respect for different cultures and we
respect for different cultures and we
respect for different cultures and we can maybe better understand how the
can maybe better understand how the
can maybe better understand how the world works and how our Foreign
world works and how our Foreign
world works and how our Foreign Relations and foreign policy work
the aim of this talk is to not to
the aim of this talk is to not to of this talk is to help start a
of this talk is to help start a
of this talk is to help start a grassroots movement the aim of this talk
grassroots movement the aim of this talk
grassroots movement the aim of this talk is to spread this message because a lot
is to spread this message because a lot
is to spread this message because a lot of people haven’t heard of this
of people haven’t heard of this
of people haven’t heard of this initiative and so my hope is that
initiative and so my hope is that
initiative and so my hope is that everyone in this room can walk out with
everyone in this room can walk out with
everyone in this room can walk out with a different understanding of this
a different understanding of this
a different understanding of this concept one where we see international
concept one where we see international
concept one where we see international walls less as international borders less
walls less as international borders less
walls less as international borders less as walls and more as bridges one where
as walls and more as bridges one where
as walls and more as bridges one where we understand the power that each and
we understand the power that each and
we understand the power that each and every one of us holds and one where we
every one of us holds and one where we
every one of us holds and one where we go out into our communities and change
go out into our communities and change
go out into our communities and change things for the better thank you
things for the better thank you
things for the better thank you [Applause]
”
Be First to Comment