SoftPower/FulStories

08/21/2026

OUT NOW: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

A routine trip to northern Thailand changed the course of Peace Corps volunteer Paul Strasberg’s life, even if he didn’t know it at the time. A simple request to help build a school became a successful challenge that, years later, would bloom into an NGO now called Thousand Currents, promoting interdependence and having a positive impact on tens of thousands of lives around the world.

08/14/2026

OUT NOW: "Do not get lost in despair." - John Lewis

During her 18 years with USAID, Keisha Effiom worked in environments that most people will never fully understand. But she was always deeply committed to the mission. And then it was gone. Not gradually. Not on her terms. Just gone. Yet when USAID was halted immediately, the teams across the world were still in place. And the team that Keisha led needed answers; they needed reassurance; they needed leadership. This is that story.

08/13/2026

"The habits of soft power aren’t complicated, just essential. First, listen. Then, act. Show up consistently. Reliability matters more than intensity. Treat people as partners, not projects. Follow the organization’s lead, and learn the local context instead of importing assumptions." - Stephen Callahan

Steve's piece, "American Bridges," is up on the SoftPower/FulStories Substack page now. I highly recommend it, and while you're there, please subscribe — all the SP/FS content is always freely available.

Article and subscription here: https://christopherwurst.substack.com/p/american-bridges?r=5d4kk8

08/10/2026

"A ship in harbor is safe. But that's not what ships are for." - John A. Shedd

New Substack piece by SP/FS guest collaborator Matt Brown, author of 'Star's War: George Clooney on the Frontlines of a Deadly African Conflict,' and this week's SP/FS storyteller.
Please subscribe to our new (free) Substack page here: https://substack.com/
And listen to Matt Brown's episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/51-matt-brown/id1819358728?i=1000780386246

08/07/2026

SP/FS #53 OUT NOW: When George Clooney decides to embark on a humanitarian mission to the frontlines of a deadly war in Sudan, it would normally take months of meticulous coordination to keep an A-list celebrity safe in a conflict zone. Matt Brown — our storyteller this week — had three days. Which is crazy. Thankfully, as a returned Peace Corps volunteer and seasoned journalist, he knew his way around Africa. But still--three days?!

08/01/2026

"People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

New Substack piece by SP/FS guest collaborator Ambassador Maria Brewer, who is also this week's featured storyteller.
Please subscribe to our new (free) Substack page here: https://substack.com/
And listen to Ambassador Brewer's episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/50-ambassador-maria-brewer/id1819358728?i=1000779216317

07/31/2026

OUT NOW: SP/FS #50 (!): What part of "yes" don't you understand? Growing up, Maria Brewer knew what it felt like to be othered, to be treated as an outsider. The memories of those feelings never left, and she spent her diplomatic career — which included two ambassadorships — looking for inclusivity and ways to get to 'yes.' In fact, we suspect that it was her aversion to the word 'no' that fueled her spectacular career. Stories this week that affirm the power of positivity!

07/30/2026

I am thrilled that tomorrow marks the 50th episode of SoftPower/FulStories. It started as an audio podcast, evolved into a community radio program throughout the United States, and a couple of weeks ago, added a Substack page to go deeper and to include even more stories and voices. The idea behind SP/FS is simple, and it has not changed: Positive U.S. engagement with the rest of the world is essential, and all of the soft power tools we have to deepen this engagement are vital. Our approach remains unique: First-person, human-centered stories from the practitioners of soft power over the last seven decades. This means that none of this would have happened without the numerous storytellers who were willing to give their time and share deeply personal stories. From ambassadors and agency directors with decades of experience to Peace Corps volunteers who, after two years, went on to do spectacular things, our guests’ timeline spans from someone in the first Peace Corps group who was asked to join by JFK to a former State Department subject matter expert (and former hostage) about the failure of diplomacy currently in Iran. In between, we have touched on every corner of the globe and work done by American Field Services, Centers for Disease Control, International Voluntary Services, Peace Corps, PEPFAR, USAID, US Information Agency, US Institute of Peace, US Department of State, Voice of America, and numerous amazing NGOs and educational institutions.
THANK YOU, storytellers and listeners! As ever, we are always happy to hear from you. Here’s to the next 50!
To find out more about SP/FS or to get in touch: https://www.softpowerfulstories.org/
To subscribe to our (free) Substack (or to pitch a contribution): https://substack.com/

07/24/2026

OUT NOW: Joe Lurie--a returned Peace Corps volunteer, former Executive Director of International House at UC Berkeley, and author--has a story, a proverb, or an eyewitness account for every occasion. Here's one from Ukraine: "You don't really see the world if you only look through your own window." From an early age, Joe has not only been seeking out new windows, but he has made it his life's work to open these windows for as many others as possible. This week, stories of cross-cultural understanding.
UC Berkeley

07/22/2026

New Substack piece out now. SP/FS summer production assistant Spencer Meyer's first essay in a series about the origins of the United States' soft power toolkit. This one covers the birth and influence of the Voice of America.

Please subscribe for what will be a diverse and fascinating platform. Coming soon: The first excerpt from the great "lost" tome 'The Reluctant Diplomat.'

Our first in a series of essays looking at how the current landscape of soft power developed. By Spencer Meyer