A Bit of Citizen Diplomacy Goes A Long Way

We never know how an act of kindness and sincerity can play out. In citizen diplomacy, person to person relations can really go a long way to strengthening relations between two societies. Herbet Soltman found this out while volunteering with Global Pittsburgh. The simple act of going out of your way can have major implications on foreign relations. Read Herbert's story below to find out what happened.

I have been a volunteer with PCIV (now Global Pittsburgh) since 1962, but I had an interesting experience in July of 2009 which really emphasizes the need for citizen diplomacy.

On July 3, 2009, I escorted a group of Japanese visitors on a tour of Pittsburgh, and then took them on a visit to a nursing home. When I met them at their hotel in the morning, I noticed that Professor Masahide Tanaka of Kanazawa Seiryo University in Japan was wearing a cast on his hand. I was informed that the group had been at a baseball game in Pittsburgh two nights before, and that Kosuke Fukudome,a former Major leaguer in Japan, who now plays for the Chicago Cubs, had hit a home run into the outfield stands where the group was seated. Professor Tanaka tried to catch the ball, but it hit his hand and broke a bone in it. He did not get the ball.

The irony, of course, is that the Professor had come halfway around the world only to have his hand broken on a hit by his countryman who is now playing Major League baseball in the US. When I heard this, I said to the Professor that I was going to get him a baseball autographed by Fukudome, because I know a scout for the Cubs, and I was sure that he would help me get it for him.

I contacted my friend, and within 10 days I had the ball, autographed, and in my hands. I was told by PCIV that I had to route it through the PCIV office in Pittsburgh, and that they would sent it to the office in DC, to then be sent to the US Embassy in Japan, and then,given to Professor Tanaka. I was not too happy with the route that the ball had to take, but I agreed to do it their way.

After several delays along the way, the ball eventually made its way to Japan, and was given to Professor Tanaka in the middle of December. It was my pleasure to do this for a visitor and to help to cement relations, not only between countries, but also by way of a person-to-person bit of diplomacy. It is impossible to know just when and how a bit of personal citizen diplomacy will end up having a positive outcome.

~Herbert Soltman

Posted Tuesday, July 13, 2010