Teaching Culture: The Challenges and Opportunities of International Public Relations. (Focus on Intercultural Communication)‪.‬

THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, highlighted the importance of international and intercultural understanding in global politics. Americans learned about Osama Bin Laden and his vast international terrorist network, Al-Qaeda. They wondered why the terrorists could be so hateful as to execute the horrific crimes that are now etched into the nation's memory. US President George W. Bush vowed revenge on the terrorists and their supporters worldwide and presented his campaign to oust Iraq's Saddam Hussein as one step in curbing the terrorist threat. While the US won the military campaign, the war to win the hearts and minds of the international community is yet to be won. The war created rifts between America and such traditional allies as France and Germany and engendered strong opposition from Russia, as well as many Middle Eastern, Arab, and Islamic countries. Overcoming these rifts will require effective intercultural communication and international public relations. In this article, I focus on the challenges and opportunities for international public relations practice. The article begins with a brief look at current US-Arab relations as background for understanding the public relations issues in international crisis communication. It then discusses those issues, especially the role of culture and the media. Finally, the article proposes strategies, including a case study, that teachers can use to help students become effective businesspersons and communicators in an intercultural and international framework.