It is easy to be beguiled by the press of current events and neglect the important aspects of public affairs, building relationships that last. As I evolved in my PD career, I found that I moved from an emphasis on media to one of relationships built with exchanges and cultural events. I came to understand…
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On June 16, 2016 in Pudong, Shanghai, the Walt Disney Company opened its largest theme park ever. In his dedication speech, CEO Bob Iger described the $5.5 billion, 943-acre Shanghai Disneyland Park and Resort as a “happy place . . . created for everyone,” a world “of fantasy, romance and adventure,” a land of…
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By Donald M. Bishop – The death, earlier this year, of Michael Novak — philosopher, journalist, and diplomat committed to Public Diplomacy and international broadcasting – reminded me of an extraordinary five days I spent with him in Bangladesh in 1995. Here are some memories of his visit — and insights for Public Diplomacy. In…
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The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown directly damages US cultural diplomacy, and undermines the flow of transnational cultural content in ways at once parochial and potentially damaging to the US as a source of global inspiration over the long term. This is how once influential US soft power can become irrelevant. The Trump administration’s anti-immigration crackdown,…
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As a former public diplomacy officer, I approach the concept of place branding skeptically. Trying to brand the United States is futile — especially in our political environment. Yet a recent article in Public Diplomacy magazine opened new perspectives on the topic. Darius Udrys, Ph.D., was the founding director of Go Vilnius – an agency…
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There is room for optimism that Congress will reject the Administration’s proposed deep cuts to exchanges programs and to public diplomacy in general. However, if you want to defend these programs, now is the time to speak out.
Through our member Sherry Mueller, the Public Diplomacy Council joined major PD advocacy organizations to sponsor “Making the Case for Soft Power” on October 9, where Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) explained his view of the concept from an unusual angle: as a former businessman and diplomat. Now he represents many of our readers in Congress. Here’s his advice about advocating for exchanges.
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By: Amb. (ret.) William A. Rugh There is an unwritten code of conduct among American diplomats that says they should never say anything that is untrue or inaccurate. They are not required to say everything they know because they must also keep secrets. But it is central to their mission to be truthful—not as a…
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The Vietnam War in Retrospect: Four Lectures, Lecture “The Tet Offensive 1968” and “A Paradigmatic picture of the Offensive” Source: The Vietnam War in Retrospect: Four Lectures, Washington, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University Author: Martin Herz Date: 1984 A career Foreign Service Officer who was Political Counselor in Saigon, Assistant Secretary of State…
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The White House announced that it would nominate Irvin Steven Goldstein of New York to be the “Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Department of State.” This is not the last word. Further consultations and a congressional hearing will take place before the nominee starts work. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that Goldstein appears to be the first under…
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Remarks by Adam Clayton Powell III Broadcasting Board of Governors August 30, 2017 Thank you, Mr. Chairman; Governors, Director Lansing, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Adam Powell, and I am the President of the Public Diplomacy Council and Director of Washington Programs for the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center for Communication…
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