Experts Offer Public Diplomacy Proposals for New Administration

On March 27, experts in business, strategic communications, diplomacy and cultural exchanges presented a range of recommendations on the future of public diplomacy to the new administration at The George Washington University.  “Rebuilding America’s Public Diplomacy:  Proposals for a New Administration” was co-sponsored by the Public Diplomacy Council, GWU’s School of Media and Public Affairs and the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange.  The event took place at the Jack Morton Auditorium at 805 21st Street, NW, from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.  (Photo: Prof. Steven Livingston  of GWU's School of Media and Public Affairs welcomes the audience.)

The full forum schedule appears below. 

Two panels of speakers and many questioners expressed a variety of viewpoints, ideas and new thinking about how to strengthen U.S. public diplomacy efforts worldwide for the consideration of the new administration.  The Council feels this is a singular moment to fortify America’s uncertain image in the world with an appeal to action by the new leadership of our country.

The Public Diplomacy Council (PDC), a private, nonprofit organization, is dedicated to fostering greater public recognition of public diplomacy in the conduct of foreign affairs, promoting high standards in the professional practice of public diplomacy, and serving as a resource and advocate for the teaching, training and development of public diplomacy as an academic discipline.   The Council's membership includes experts with public diplomacy experience in government, public affairs, academia and nonprofit organizations. 

Among the PDC's principal activities are the periodic mounting of major forums to present and discuss issues in public diplomacy for both experts in the field and for a wider, interested audience.  In recent years, Council presentations have resulted in the books “Engaging the Arab and Islamic Worlds through Public Diplomacy,” “America's Dialogue with the World," and the latest volume, available on March 27, “Local Voices/Global Perspectives:  Challenges for U.S. International Media.” 

Conference Resources

Defense Science Board presentation by Mark Maybury
Recent Studies of Public Diplomacy compiled by the Council staff

Rebuilding America's Public Diplomacy:
 Proposals for a New Administration

Thursday, March 27, 2008

8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.  Welcome
Professor Steven Livingston
Professor of Media and Public Affairs & International Affairs
School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University
Chairman, Public Diplomacy Institute

Introduction
Robert Coonrod
President, Public Diplomacy Council

9:00 a.m. - 10: 30 a.m.   Panel I - New Directions for Exchanges
    
Moderator:  Robert J. Callahan, Public Diplomacy Fellow
The George Washington University

Panelists:

Ambassador Peter DeShazo, Director, Americas Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Ambassador Stuart Holliday, President
Meridian International Center
Foundation for International Understanding

Ambassador Kenton Keith
Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchanges
    
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Break

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Panel II - New Visions of Public Diplomacy

Moderator:  Ambassador Pamela H. Smith
Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service

Panelists:

Thomas Miller, Vice President
Business for Diplomatic Action

Mark Maybury, Executive Director
Mitre Corporation’s Information Technology Division 

Michael Canning
Public Diplomacy Council

12:30 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Concluding Remarks

Cynthia Farrell Johnson, public diplomacy instructor and former Foreign Service Officer
Tijana Milosevic, graduate student at George Washington University