A small group of Bowdoin students participated in a video conference on US foreign policy with students from the Free University in Berlin last Thursday.
The discussion, organized and moderated by Bret McEvoy, the head of the Bowdoin chapter of Americans for an Informed Democracy, was one of several taking place across the country between US students and students in the Middle East and Europe.
According to Timothy Garton Ash, an advising board member for Americans for an Informed Democracy, the talks were designed to encourage the free exchange of ideas.
"Nothing could be more important at this critical moment in trans-Atlantic relations than that the younger generation on both sides of the Atlantic should talk face to face," he said.
The Bowdoin side of the discussion, which took place in Lancaster Lounge, was broadcast via a squat camera module which swiveled about by remote control.
Berlin appeared a bit more prepared than Brunswick. Having assembled around a brightly-lit conference table well in advance, the German students waited patiently while the Bowdoin students trickled in straight out of class or bed.
In response to comments that the picture was rather dim, the group elected to rotate the television 90 degrees and then shuffled their chairs about to face towards the window.
Once ready to begin, Sarah Atwood, an American exchange student at the Free University, introduced the first topic of discussion: US promotion of democracy overseas, should promoting democracy be an important part of the war on terror? The format consisted of two five minute presentations from each side followed by questions.
Niels Klabunde from the Free University spoke first (in flawless English) about the limitations to democratization as a means of fighting terrorism. He said it was true that the repressive governments of the Middle East foster a frustration in its citizens that often leads to terrorism, but he also pointed out that democracy must come from the inside, and that elections should not be the first step towards democracy. Klabunde emphasized the positive role that fighting poverty plays in promoting democracy.
The next speaker, Stephanie Mott, an American graduate student living in Berlin, explored more philosophic issues of diplomacy. She said that the Germans have two ways of translating "the war on terror"; the first meaning literally "a war on terror" and the second meaning "a fight against terrorism." German politicians, Mott said, use the latter when speaking about their own foreign policy, but will use the literal translation when referring to the policies of the US.
Jason Long '05 spoke first for Bowdoin, asserting the need for America to use "soft" (diplomatic) power to promote democracy overseas. This distinction between soft and hard (military) power, Long said, was drawn in an article by Joseph Nye, "Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics."
Nye's article pointed to the fact that spending 1% of the military budget on soft power would mean quadrupling our public diplomacy programs. Long ended with two critical questions: is it safe to assume democracy will produce allies, and will America support democracies that don't embrace their liberator?
Melanie Conroy '05, the last presenter, took a more positive view of democratization as a national security policy. America, she said, had a responsibility to make the world safe and democratic, the problem lay in its double standards. She pointed out that it was hypocritical for the US to demand transparency from governments overseas when it refuses to release information concerning human rights violations at Abu Ghraib.
For America to gain credibility, Conroy said, it must be more consistent in its policies, it cannot continue to condone totalitarian governments it is on friendly terms with while condemning those it perceives as threats. Total evenhandedness is a na?ve expectation she acknowledged, but the US must make considerable efforts to clean up its image.
Despite the small turnout, by which Jason Long was "less than impressed," Bret McEvoy characterized the talk as, "an excellent first step." Given Conroy's comments, it seems the first step America needs to take is a step into the light.