Daniel Fennel – US Public Affairs Counselor
An effective public relations is critical to the operations of every people centered organization. It plays a vital part of maintaining the organization’s image and of communicating its message to the public. It is thus not surprising the US Embassy operates a very active and efficient Public Affairs Department headed by Daniel Fennel.
He tells Diplomatic Call his department is responsible for all press relations and media outreach initiatives of the Embassy. The department also handles all public messaging programs, outreach programs to non- governmental institutions, members of the public, students, civil society among others.
There is a cultural component to the work of the department which includes education and professional exchanges through the Fulbright Scholarship, the Humphrey Fellowship, Young African Leadership Initiative and other significant exchange programs. The Department further oversees the Information Resource Centre, a library at the Embassy.
Impact of Exchange Programs
Daniel Fennel, Counselor of the Public Affairs measures the successes and impact of America’s exchange programs in two ways. The first is through what he describes as personal stories from alumni of the programs where they give updates on their current professional standings some years after the program and how the program added up to that. “I have been running programs like this for several decades and it has a significant personal impact no those we select”, Mr. Fennel added.
The other we try to measure impact according to him is through political data to determine “how many of our grantees move on to higher positions in their fields”. He mentioned that, “around the world, our exchange programs have resulted in people becoming a president or prime minister or ministers and we have some deputy ministers in Ghana who have participated years before.”
Selection for Exchange Programs
Mr. Fennel tells Diplomatic Call a key component of the selection criterion is to choose people who have shown leadership, have the ability to get result, have an interesting career ahead of them and might not have had the opportunity to travel to the US or any other country in a big way. This in the opinion of the Public Affairs Consular gives a fresh and a strong personal experience to those selected.
Daniel Fennel’s Experience in Ghana.
“A lot of countries claim to be friendly and welcoming, but this is really true in Ghana” says Mr. Fennel who arrived in Ghana last summer. His 16 years’ experience in the US Foreign Service has taken him around the world for which he maintains Ghanaians are truly friendly and hospitable.
He is in love with local dishes which he describes as spicy and has “red red” and “kelewele” as favourites.
He has made an observation of a beautiful culture of local reference where words are repeated. For instance, “red red”, “fufu”,“trotro” and on the lighter side “dumsordumsor”. He the exclaimed”I wish we can repeat kelewele could be repeated”
US Ghana Relations in 10 years
Daniel Fennel is very optimistic about US Ghana relations in the years ahead. To him, there is a rise of Africa for which Ghana is at the fore front with its solid democratic credentials, good population, rich natural resources, strong ports and good trading partners in Asia and Europe and America. This leadership of Ghana on the continent will continue to be a strong basis for a flourishing US Ghana relations.
In consolidating Ghana’s position as a leader on the continent, Ghana would have to continue to forge strong and sustainable partnerships for strategic future growth. To this, what the US has is the knowledge, expertise, resources and ideas and in working hand in hand with smart partners and people in Ghana, the country will continue to be a leader on the continent.
By: R. AppiahKubi
