"Cultural Diplomacy Gets a New Worldview," by Jacqueline Trescott - the Washington Post, 26 September 2006, p. C02 (registration required)
The State Department has enlisted four national cultural organizations to broaden exchanges between American artists and foreign audiences and share the country's arts management expertise.
Global Cultural Initiative, an effort to coordinate and expand many of the activities underway in cultural diplomacy, was announced yesterday by first lady Laura Bush. "One of the best ways we can deepen our friendships with the people of all countries is for us to better understand each other's culture by enjoying each other's literature, music, films and visual arts," said Mrs. Bush at a program in the White House East Room.
This is not new business for State. But in the past, cultural exchanges were built around a single organization or well-known person -- say, B.B. King does Argentina, or Yo-Yo Ma in Sri Lanka. This umbrella effort is taking a number of programs that federal cultural agencies and national organizations have underway that are more on-the-ground than marquee.
The primary partners in the new program are the Kennedy Center, American Film Institute, National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. Also participating are the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the Institute for Museum and Library Services....
In this updating of cultural exchange, the Kennedy Center will study what form of arts management training is needed in various countries. For the past six months Michael Kaiser, the center's president, has been working with Pakistan; the need there is for technical training in the theater. For the State Department program, the center will conduct a children's theater series and international arts festivals and produce programs with disabled artists through the VSA Arts organization. "Americans don't know enough about other cultures," Kaiser said. The center currently holds training programs in Mexico, China and Pakistan. "You learn they are not like us and so much like us. Through the arts you discover what they find beautiful, what they are frightened by," he said....
The NEA will broaden its literary exchanges. Right now the agency is building a translation program with Mexico, Russia and Pakistan. The agency will give grants to translate foreign works into English and U.S. writers into other languages. The publishing projects will be followed by artist exchanges. "We should make the culture of other nations more available in America and we should find chances for American artists abroad," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia.
For four years, the NEH has held workshops for American teachers at landmark sites, and this year the program will be extended to educators from other countries. The lessons on immigration, for example, are taught at Ellis Island, and civil rights courses are held in Birmingham.
"This shares perspectives on critical moments in American history and brings it alive in the classrooms," said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole.
Giving organizations like the Kennedy Center and the American Film Institute a role in cultural exchanges is a great idea. The problem with a lot of embassy-conducted exchanges is that they wind up being one-time events. U.S. embassies often don't have the personnel, resources, or commitment to maintain ongoing contacts with exchange participants, and without those continuing relationships the exchanges just fade into history. By contrast, these cultural institutions have the staff, the expertise, and the prestige to develop ongoing relationships with their exchange partners.