Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DAKAR668
2006-03-15 15:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Dakar
Cable title:  

THE CONSULAR ROLE IN TRANSFORMATIONAL DIPLOMACY

Tags:  CMGT APER CASC CVIS KPAO PHUM PTER SG 
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VZCZCXRO9789
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0668/01 0741522
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151522Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4586
RUEHFSI/DIR FSINFATC
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAKAR 000668 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR CA, AF, AF/PDPA, AF/RSA AND AF/EX
STATE PLEASE PASS TO AFSA
FSI FOR DIRECTOR WHITESIDE, LMS, SLS AND SPAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CMGT APER CASC CVIS KPAO PHUM PTER SG
SUBJECT: THE CONSULAR ROLE IN TRANSFORMATIONAL DIPLOMACY

SUMMARY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAKAR 000668

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR CA, AF, AF/PDPA, AF/RSA AND AF/EX
STATE PLEASE PASS TO AFSA
FSI FOR DIRECTOR WHITESIDE, LMS, SLS AND SPAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CMGT APER CASC CVIS KPAO PHUM PTER SG
SUBJECT: THE CONSULAR ROLE IN TRANSFORMATIONAL DIPLOMACY

SUMMARY
--------------

1. This year Embassy Dakar devoted our Consular
Leadership Day (CLD) to exploring the consular section's
role in transformational diplomacy. Drawing on input from
several American citizen wardens, staff from the Public
Affairs Section (PAS),CA's PDAS, Charge and, most
importantly, the consular section's staff, we concluded
that consular employees play an central role in
transformational diplomacy. We identified several areas
in which the consular role is most important -- modeling
democratic values, providing and highlighting the
provision of citizen services, promoting mutual
understanding, and combating terrorism, especially through
the visas viper process. We discussed what additional
training consular employees need in order to be more
effective, focusing on public speaking, "beyond 3/3"
language training, cross-cultural training, mutual
understanding and demonstrating democratic values. END
SUMMARY.

APPLYING TRANSFORMATION DIPLOMACY TO CLD
--------------

2. Encouraged by the "think outside the box" nature of
transformational diplomacy, we decided to expand our 2006
CLD to include three American citizens who serve as
Consular Wardens and who have decades of experience in
education, cross-cultural understanding and Africa. We
also engaged the Charge, the Acting DCM and several
officers and FSNs from the Public Affairs Section (PAS),
who helped design and attended the training. In his
introduction, the Charge tied consular activities to seven
of the eight Mission Performance Plan (MPP) goals. CA
PDAS Wanda Nesbitt featured in a lively, well-received
digital video conference, providing the view from
Washington and responding to questions and comments
developed by the CLD attendees. As a result, we had very
fruitful discussions and generated several novel
approaches to consular-related public diplomacy that we
are already implementing here in Dakar. We also

determined how consular sections play a role in
transformational diplomacy and identified additional
training that would strengthen this role. Since
transformational diplomacy is still new, we wish to share
our conclusions and suggestions with the Department and
FSI.

MODELING DEMOCRATIC VALUES
--------------

3. CLD participants all agreed that the consular
section's most important role in transformational
diplomacy is to serve as a model of democratic principles
such as transparency, freedom of speech, rule of law,
fairness, equality and respect for individuals. Actions
often speak louder than words, particularly in traditional
societies such as Senegal. While many local nationals are
exposed to democratic values through the media and public
outreach, the consular section is one of the only places
most people will see these policies in action.

SERVING OUR CITIZENS
--------------

4. The way consular sections treat American citizens and
the type of customer service we provide to visa applicants
demonstrates how democratic governments serve their
citizens and how citizens have a voice in their
governments. Consular employees demonstrate this to host
government officials every time we intervene on behalf of
an American citizen in trouble. By including government
officials in our distribution of warden messages and
consular newsletters, we illustrate how a democratic
government assists its citizens through the provision of
information and how we strive to ensure there is no double
standard. Expanding consular newsletters to include
frequently asked questions and soliciting feedback on our
service would reveal how U.S. government officials are
open to questions from citizens and do their best to
provide appropriate answers.


5. CLD participants agreed that our greatest challenge is
balancing openness with security needs. We found that by
limiting the number of individuals who need to come to the
embassy (by encouraging online registration, shifting
inquiries to a user-pays visa information service and
responding to e-mails in a timely fashion) fewer people
are exposed to the embassy security procedures. By taking
the embassy on the road through public outreach on
consular issues, we can also display our openness and

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availability without our constituents having to visit the
embassy. For those who do visit the embassy, a welcoming
and well-trained consular employee can work at the embassy
entrance to direct those who need information to the
appropriate resource and authorize entrance only to
individuals who need to enter the consular section.

MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
--------------

6. Consular sections play a critical role in "mutual
understanding," which is a MPP goal and a key aspect of
transformational diplomacy. Consular employees interact
with more local nationals on a daily basis than any other
embassy staff. In order to make informed visa decisions,
consular officers are obliged to learn about the local
cultures and communities, ranging from commercial to
religious to political groups. Visa interviews, even
those lasting two or three minutes, provide excellent
opportunities to learn more about a local culture issue or
for a consular officer to demonstrate his or her own
awareness of cultural norms through the nature of
questions posed.


7. How we communicate with applicants, whether it's our
standard refusal letter or how we explain a decision, all
contribute to mutual understanding. When we explain our
application of U.S. immigration law in a way applicants
can understand, they are more likely to appreciate and
want to adopt our commitment to rule of law. We are
redrafting all of our written material, particularly our
214(b) refusal letter, to more accurately communicate our
policies to applicants. We are also developing standard
talking points that consular employees, and other embassy
staff, can use to explain visa refusals and other visa
policies.


8. By keeping American citizens safe and informed, we
expand the access local nationals have to American
culture. For example, Senegal has one of the largest
groups of university exchange students in Africa. By
being actively engaged in the student exchange program
through town meetings and outreach events, these programs
are encouraged to expand and bring even more American
students to Senegal. Our proactive outreach in this
regard will also, hopefully, favorably contribute to more
eligible Senegalese students choosing to study in the U.S.

OPEN DOORS AND SECURE BORDERS
--------------

9. A major aspect of transformational diplomacy is the
policy of open doors and secure borders, and consular
sections directly impact the implementation of this
policy. Every day, consular officers have to make
informed and timely decisions about who is and is not
eligible for a visa to ensure our doors are open to
legitimate travelers and closed to those who wish us harm.
Even in a two-minute visa interview, they can often detect
criminal or terrorist related issues that are passed to
the appropriate embassy officers and U.S. agencies for
follow up. By coordinating the Visas Viper Committee,
consular officers ensure that all embassy sections and
agencies are sharing information and cooperating on
counter-terrorism efforts.

MEDIA AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
--------------

10. Effective use of the media and public outreach is
critical to transformational diplomacy. Many embassy
personnel can gain access to an organization or senior
officials, or reward a key contact, by bringing along a
consular employee who will speak about U.S. visas. Media
events and interviews are excellent opportunities not just
to distribute information but to also reinforce values
such as honesty and individual responsibility. Consular
sections have access to an excellent network of American
citizens who often live throughout a country and can help
organize embassy outreach activities outside of the
capital.

TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FSOS
--------------

11. Since all entry-level generalists are required to
serve one consular tour, consular sections are literally
training the next generation of FSOs. By working in a
consular section, these FSOs develop a myriad of skills,
including interview techniques, representation and contact
development, language skills, decision making, public
speaking, leadership, crisis management, reporting and how

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to juggle multiple tasks and priorities. Consular
sections also teach FSOs to think outside the box. Given
our increased workload demands and limited resources,
consular officers are often forced to explore innovative
ways of doing business. We are often now at the cutting
edge of technology in areas such as call centers and
Internet based communication and applications. Hopefully,
FSOs will continue this culture of creativity throughout
their careers, even if they never work in a consular
section again.

TRAINING NEEDS
--------------

12. In order to maximize consular sections' contributions
to transformational diplomacy, CLD participants identified
several areas in which consular employees would benefit
from additional training: public speaking and working with
the media, superior language skills, cross-cultural
understanding and democratic principles.


13. Public speaking and media: We suggest that FSI
consider developing courses for consular officers on
public speaking and working with the media. Training on
making presentations, holding press conferences and
conducting radio and television interviews would encourage
consular officers to aggressively pursue outreach and
media opportunities that are key to effective
transformational diplomacy.


14. Beyond 3/3 Language Training: Having sophisticated
language skills is directly linked to the ability to
conduct outreach and work with the media. For example,
while a 3/3 in French is sufficient in Dakar to conduct
effective visa interviews, more advanced French skills are
necessary to conduct effective media interviews and
outreach activities, and to discuss complex consular
issues with local government officials. Unfortunately,
funding for post language programs is limited and rarely
available for language training for officers who already
have the minimum required proficiency in a language. We
suggest that CA consider providing MRV funding for beyond
3/3 language training for consular officers.


15. Cross-Cultural Understanding: Organizations, such as
the Baobab Center in Dakar, specialize in cross-cultural
training and place American students with local host
families. Consular sections could take advantage of this
expertise to train new consular personnel and arrange host
family linkages for newly arrived consular officers. We
suggest that CA consider providing MRV funds for cross-
cultural training programs for consular staff.


16. Modeling Democratic Values: It is hard to explain and
model democratic values without a good understanding of
what these values are. We encourage FSI to include
training on democratic values in its consular courses,
including FSN training courses.

Jackson