South Carolina Begins Putting Smart Power to Work
By Jordan Smith at 9 February, 2010, 12:38 pm
A who’s who from the military, business and faith-based communities of the state came together to discuss how important a smart power foreign policy approach is to South Carolina’s security and prosperity at a statewide event in Columbia, on January 28th. Co-hosted by the USGLC and the University of South Carolina, the event featured President of the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Haass, and served as the official launch of the new SC State Advisory Committee.
The Committee is chaired by former Governor and U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley and former Speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives and Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins. In announcing the Committee, Ambassador Wilkins said, “The world outside of the United States can seem very far away, but we live in an interconnected world. We must invest in a ‘smart power’ approach to foreign policy where we use our tools of development and diplomacy, along with a strong defense, to respond to the challenges we face abroad.”
During the interactive forum, Dr. Haass and Ambassador Wilkins, along with SC Chamber of Commerce head Otis Rawl and others, discussed just what smart power means to South Carolina. Dr. Haass said, “The great challenges of this era are global challenges . . . we need a full set of foreign policy instruments” to meet these challenges.
Dr. Haass described our development tools as efforts to stabilize countries and set them “on a trajectory where societies and economies can better provide for their citizenry.” Discussing how important it is for the U.S. to support capacity building around the world, he said “if countries can’t exercise sovereignty, we will pay a price whether it’s in diseases that spread or terrorists that strike out.”
Talking about how necessary this effort is for South Carolina, USC President Harris Pastides said, “I cannot overstate the critical nature of the importance of preparing our next generation of leaders to live in an interconnected world. I am very proud of the international education exchange programs we have here at the University of South Carolina, as immersing young people into other cultures is a key to building better relations between our country and those around the world.”
Secretary Riley and Ambassador Wilkins also wrote an opinion editorial in The State newspaper, addressing how smart power works for South Carolina.
To watch the entire South Carolina event, click here.
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