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U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., stressed the importance of citizen diplomacy and international volunteerism while denouncing the Iraq war Monday night to a full house in Memorial Union?s Great Hall.

Feingold appeared as part of the Wisconsin Union?s Distinguished Lecture Series, addressing Americans? position in a post-Sept. 11 world.

?Sept. 11, 2001, was a transformative date for me,? Feingold said. ?We have to engage with the world in new ways. What happens abroad now affects our lives.?

Many people abroad are not aware of Americans? interests, values and aspirations, and the American people are the most powerful tools in spreading these messages, Feingold said.

Wisconsin’s junior senator said one message he has heard through town hall meetings held across the state is the human cost of the Iraq war.

?Americans are suffering other causalities,? Feingold said. ?Polls are telling us that dislike for Americans is driven by the Iraqi war.?

Feingold?s speech came after President George W. Bush said Monday the soldiers in Iraq are laying the foundation for long-term peace in the area.

According to Feingold, however, American travelers are wearing Canadian flags on their backpacks where they used to wear the U.S. flag.

?Those kinds of narratives don?t sit well with me,? Feingold said. ?It is not reflective of who we are.?

Feingold criticized the current administration, saying their actions have spoken louder than their words.

?The war is being marketed as freedom and democracy, but it is being undermined by actions,? he said.

Modern diplomacy is a two-way street, and persuasion must come by means of a dialogue when sharing with each other, Feingold said.

?We must acknowledge building a democracy is an ongoing project and acknowledge that we?re not perfect,? he said.

Closer to home, Feingold supports study aboard programs but thinks not only students and young people should have international experiences.

He encouraged people who could not travel to reach out and welcome exchange students in their homes.

?The experiences of other cultures are seared into everyone’s memories; a little effort can have a powerful effect on people,? he said.

Feingold said he applauded Madison for its large contribution to international services like the Peace Corps, but said more programs with variety and flexibility are needed.

Dramatic increases in foreign service officers are needed in the field, especially in places that have previously been ignored, Feingold said.

?Currently there are twice as many lawyers as foreign service officers in the State Department,? Feingold said.

Max Bruner, a UW senior, studied abroad in Egypt for one year, and one of his chief interests is foreign service.

?This campus is remarkable considering its size and location, but we need more resources for more students to have an international experience,? Bruner said.