JBJohnson, Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] Council, March 5, 2019

Dr. Allan Goodman chats with attendees at “Making the Hard Case for Soft Power” at American University. Photo credit: Brittany Lynk.Exchange of persons programs “are a lot like dark matter.”That was Dr. Allan Goodman’s assertion at the “Hard Case for Soft Power” panel discussion at American University. They’re hard to see, but critical to U.S. “soft power.”Goodman and four other speakers filled a large conference room at the SIS on Monday, February 25 to discuss “Making the Hard Case for Soft Power.” Lynne Weil’s blog post offers an excellent summary, plus her valuable tips on working Congress.The “dark matter” analogy is so good that I’m going to steal it. I think the real dark matter is overseas, where Foreign Service Officers and locally-engaged staff advocate for U.S. interests every day.U.S. mission staff are the secret sauce that brings exchanges and public affairs together where the foreign audiences live. Few can..