Back in the early 1960s, when I was getting my first experience living outside the US, US Information Agency Director Edward R. Murrow, gave a speech in which he said, “The really crucial link in the international communication chain is the last three feet, which is bridged by personal contact, one person talking to another.” That, in a nutshell, is the role of Public Diplomacy.

Arab News reports on an effort exemplifying that thought, undertaken by Saud students at Indiana University in Bloomington. Faced with stereotypes of Saudi Arabia and Saudis in general, they have worked to show that most Saudis do not fit the stereotype:

Dispelling stereotypes
Laura Bashraheel | Arab News

While Saudi university students in the United States are concerned about Saudi Arabia’s image abroad, efforts to change negative and false stereotypes are being put together by a group of Saudi students at the Indiana University World Fair 2008.

The fair is an international event held annually at the state university with the participation of more than 22 international organizations on campus, presenting their cultures, traditions and cuisines.

Loay Al-Alfi, Osamah Feda and Heba Al-Khateeb, three of the 19 Saudi men and women who organized the event, said this was a good opportunity for them to represent Saudi Arabia’s people and culture.
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