2026-05-25T21:19:38Zhttps://keep.lib.asu.edu/oai/request

oai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-1354962024-12-19T14:44:41Zoai_pmh:alloai_pmh:repo_items

135496 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.37562 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ 2016-05 71 pages eng Griffin, Brieanna Jontae Gallab, Abdullahi Ripley, Charles School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies School of Politics and Global Studies School of International Letters and Cultures School of Human Evolution and Social Change Department of English Barrett, The Honors College Text This study explores the effectiveness of citizen diplomacy and more specifically America's Unofficial Ambassadors as an international non-governmental organization focused on engaging more Americans in citizen diplomacy throughout the Muslim world. America's Unofficial Ambassadors is part of a larger trend to include citizen involvement in diplomacy through cooperation with international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). A questionnaire was created with 16 questions (see Appendix A&B) focused on measuring America's Unofficial Ambassadors effectiveness. All participants (N=33) were alumni of one of America's Unofficial Ambassadors' signature programs. They were invited via email to complete the questionnaire. Most participants were pursuing a 4-year degree or had completed a 4-year degree or more and were between the ages of 18-34. Each one of the participants' results showed that overall, America's Unofficial Ambassadors, is generally effective in conducting citizen diplomacy at a grassroots level. All participants reported making connections with locals while in country, while most participants reported that they felt a responsibility to share their experience as a volunteer with Americans upon return and felt that program required blogging and community presentations in their home communities were important parts of their experience. AUA's effectiveness as a program could be improved with better pre-departure information that included basic knowledge about Islam, as well as provide a book list that highlights important discussions in the Muslim world related to culture and practice. Further research needs to be conducted in host countries with partner sites to gain a more robust understanding of America's Unofficial Ambassadors effectiveness as a citizen diplomacy initiative and organization. Keywords: public diplomacy, citizen diplomacy, international non-governmental organizations, America's Unofficial Ambassadors, grassroots, Muslim world Citizen Diplomacy America's Unofficial Ambassadors (AUA) Muslim World Understanding American Public Diplomacy and the Role of the Private Citizen: A Case Study of America's Unofficial Ambassadors (AUA)