“What is needed most is an integrated public diplomacy structure, with clear authority and supervision from the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, who should be the ‘director’ of all public diplomacy budgets, personnel and operations, and should participate in assignments, training and officer evaluations.” That is the view of Ambassador Thomas K. Pickering, former Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the Department of State and Ambassador Henry E. Catto, former Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA), with David Hitchock, Stanley Silverman and Fred Coffey. Their letter broadly endorsing the views of Ambassador William A. Rugh, a Council member, appears in American Diplomacy which republished Rugh’s article listed below on this page.
Council Member Walter Roberts honored
During a ceremony celebrating the 50th Anniversary of “Special English”, Council Member Walter Roberts was honored as a member of the original Voice of America team of 1942. “He was there at the beginning”, said Dan Austin, the director of the Voice of America, as he presented Roberts with the Director’s Special Recognition Award “for his dedicated efforts on behalf of the Voice of America over seven decades.”
The Master of Ceremonies was John Stevenson, Director of VOA’s English Division. The Keynote speaker was Frank Sesno, the director of the School of Media and Public Affairs, The George Washington University, who early in his career was an intern in the “Special English” section at VOA. The ceremony took place on Monday, October 19, 2009 at VOA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Public Diplomacy Council meeting October 23, 10 am – 12 pm
Members: request details from pdc@publicdiplomacycouncil.org
“Culture’s Purpose and the Work of Cultural Diplomacy,” a conference on the campus of American University November 5th from 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Co-sponsored by AU and the Public Diplomacy Council. Click here for details.The latest edition of the Foreign Service Journal, focused on public diplomacy ten years after the end of the U.S. Information Agency, carries three articles by Council members. See the pieces by Ambassador Bill Rugh, Dr. William Kiehl and Joe B. Johnson at http://www.
At George Washington University's "New Approaches to U.S. Global Outreach" conference on October 5, Council member Bruce Gregory delivered remarks entitled "Mapping Smart Power in Multi-stakeholder Public Diplomacy / Strategic Communication." Click here to read his thoughts on the subject.
Students in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) visit the "Bird's Nest" Olympic Stadium in Beijing, China.
[State Department photo]
Since 2001, the Council has been affiliated with the Public Diplomacy Institute at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Council members will find discussion boards and personal contact information under "Member Services." (The page is presently in development.)
Everyone can see Council documents and information under Our Work.
Renewing America's Voices- Ideas for Reform
On the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, Council members Walter Roberts, Barry Zorthian and Alan Heil present eight ideas to guide a review of U.S. international broadcasting, which they recommend.
Enabling Public Diplomacy Field Officers to Do Their Jobs
Ambassador William Rugh observes shortcomings in the performance of public diplomacy at field posts, traces them to organizational flaws at the State Department, and offers recommendations for a "fairly simple" internal restructuring.
Basic Principles for Improving Public Diplomacy 2008
Twelve premises have gained broad consensus among the members of The Public Diplomacy Council as pillars for initiatives to strengthen U.S. public diplomacy. View them at the link above or under "Our Work," Occasional Papers.
Reforming U.S. International Broadcasting for a New Era Nov 25 2008
By broad consensus of its members, the Public Diplomacy Council strongly recommends to the new Administration and Congress an urgent reform of America’s publicly funded international broadcasting. View the paper at the link above or under "Our Work," Occasional Papers. The paper was revised and reissued on November 25.
The public affairs sections at U.S. embassies are the critical link in effective public diplomacy, according to a new paper by Council Member Michael Canning, an experienced practitioner. View his study The Overseas Post: The Forgotten Element of Our Public Diplomacy.
"Public Diplomacy Begins With You," in the Christian Science Monitor, counters five "myths." Read the article by the Public Diplomacy Council Member Sherry Mueller, who directs the National Council for International Visitors.
