In a country, such as Zimbabwe, where young people are often ignored, making myself available to youth audiences on social networking sites has done more to undercut slanted government messaging than almost all of our other programs.
I answer their questions and sometimes ask my own; but, more importantly, I engage them in conversation and I listen to what they have to say.
The fact that young Zimbabweans are seeking us out at the rate of 25 — 40 new followers per day is testament to the effectiveness of this method of communication.
Even some younger government officials have joined our fan crowd.
By demonstrating U.S. values in direct and practical ways to a vast, hungry digital audience, we have changed the terms of the debate in our bilateral relationship immeasurably.
We're not just talking about the values of open dialogue — we are "walking the talk."
To quote my grandmother, the woman who raised me and shaped my own values, U.S. Embassy Harare's use of social media is proof that, "What you do speaks so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying."
And, it also proves that you don't have to be a member of "Generation X" or a "Millennial" to use these tools effectively!
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