Public Diplomacy and Social Media in Latin America

On March 29, 2011, NDN and the New Policy Institute co-hosted a forum with the Latin America Studies Program of Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) to discuss how social media and other new technologies are affecting diplomacy, politics and governance in Latin America. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale delivered a keynote address, which was followed by a panel discussion among scholars and practitioners.

A video of the full event is available here:

A transcript of Under Secretary of State McHale's remarks is available here.

The keynote speech by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Judith McHale addressed how the State Department is advancing U.S. foreign policy in Latin America through increased engagement, including constructive and meaningful people-to-people exchanges, local and regional media outreach and the use of multiple social platforms to establish direct relationships across the region.  

Following Under Secretary McHale's speech, a panel discussion explored the impact of social media and other network technologies on governance and civil society in certain Latin American countries, including Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico. Panelists:

• Christopher Sabatini - Senior Director of Policy, Americas Society & Council of the Americas
• Carlos Ponce - Reagan Fascell Democracy Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy
• Oscar Salazar - Founder & CEO, Citivox; Co-Founder, Cuidemos el Voto
• Ricardo Amado Castillo - Consultant & Researcher, Social Media in Latin-American Politics
• Sam duPont - Policy Analyst, NDN & New Policy Institute (moderator)

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