Two Washington-based Organizations Merge On April 15, 2022, the Public Diplomacy Council merged with the Public Diplomacy Association of America to form The Public Diplomacy Council of America (PDCA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in the state of Virginia. The PDCA will combine programs of both organizations to offer an annual award for outstanding public diplomacy…
By Fidaa AlFakih and Raisa Dukas Traditional public diplomacy practices were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when—arguably—outreach and connections were more critical than ever. As the world retreated to their homes, it was imperative to grasp the adage of “meeting people where they are” by pivoting to virtual engagement. U.S. Embassy Beirut…
Donald Bishop, a Public Diplomacy Council past president and scholar at the Marine Corps University, sounded out two former ambassadors to Afghanistan on lessons for public diplomacy from the United States’ twenty-year engagement there. “Afghanistan: A Look Back at the Whole-of-Government Enterprise,” First Monday Forum for December 13, drew 73 attendees. It featured Ambassador Ryan…
We may differ on the withdrawal of United States forces from Afghanistan, but you may agree on this: What would we have done without Qatar? In the evacuation of American citizens and their allies from Afghanistan, the small Arab state stepped forward as a key enabler, accepting 40 percent of the 113,500 flown out since…
Following is the text of a letter from the Public Diplomacy Council and the Public Diplomacy Association of America to members of congressional foreign affairs committees regarding public diplomacy on the situation in Afghanistan. The Public Diplomacy Council and Public Diplomacy Association of America are non-partisan, non-profit organizations committed to promoting the professional practice,…
The Biden Administration’s nominee for a major part of U.S. public diplomacy received a favorable hearing from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Assistant secretaries for educational and cultural affairs are traditionally primus inter pares in State’s public diplomacy leadership circle. In 2019, the bureau’s budget was $700.9 million. Only the U.S. Agency for Global Media…
The largest activity of the Public Diplomacy Council is probably one that most members don’t know about. I refer to the Citizen Diplomacy Research Group. Formed in June, 2020 by PDC member and sociologist and nonprofit executive Paul Lachelier with assistance from the PDC’s Debbie Trent, this affinity group includes a good number of PDC…
The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy sponsored a “global conversation on how the US election is being explained to the world” on December 15 — the day after the United States’ Electoral College voted Joseph Biden as President-elect. Prof. Adam Clayton Powell III, chaired an eclectic panel of media experts from locations…
Public Diplomacy: Re-engaging the World While international faith in America’s global leadership is much diminished, there is residual affinity around the world for our values, goals, and democratic heritage. On that foundation, we must rebuild our credibility as a world leader and as a society worthy of emulation. The Biden-Harris Administration faces many global challenges…
Joe Biden’s election as president is prompting broad reexamination of the United States’ diplomacy under the glare of a skeptical world. The U.S. electorate voted for an improvement in relations with traditional allies as well as for greater respect around the globe, and President Biden’s experience and approach to governing will go a long way…