Cold War Exchange Diplomacy: still going strong?

Nicholas Cull discusses the idea of exchange diplomacy in his 2008 book ‘The Cold War and the United States Information Agency: American Propaganda and Public Diplomacy’ where he also outlines four other Cold War areas of focus for the government funded United States Information Agency (USIA) as listening, advocacy, cultural diplomacy and international broadcasting. The aim of this blog is to outline the impact of the Cold War exchange diplomacy strategy and how it has impacted contemporary public and cultural diplomacy efforts. While the Cold War saw state-led efforts of American exhibitions that demonstrated the affluent lifestyle of the US and the subsequent benefits of democratic life, the more integrated people-to-people aspects as illustrated by the Fulbright Program with a core theme of “peace and cultural understanding through educational exchange” (www.fulbright.co.uk 2011), have been seen to gain greater recognition from a wider audience. Fulbright covers a range of exchange programs from students, teachers, professionals and artists and operates in over 155 countries (www.exchanges.state.gov 2011) and has been deemed a successful method of exchange diplomacy. Such practices continue today outside of state-led efforts, as illustrated by Next Education Group and their recent request for host families in the US (www.timesherald.com 2011).

A recent development in exchange diplomacy is indicated by the introduction of a journalist exchange program between the US and Russia. Following meetings of 2-4 March 2011 in Boston, media leaders are launching the program to “confront stereotypes and increase mutual understanding” between the two countries (www.scoop.co.nz 2011). The program will focus on a variety of aspects including journalism ethics, young journalist exchanges and also introduce a collaborative platform called ARENA whereby all involved groups can contribute, share information and exchange ideas. The program will include traditional media organisations as well as more modern and non-governmental strands and is given as an outcome of the Mass Media meeting, a subgroup of the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission of 2009 (ibid). Three participating Russian delegates, themselves leaders of media outlets, all participated in exchange programs to the US previously and indicate this as a productive method of breaking down cultural barriers. The program, due to commence in 2012, will promote schemes such as pairing-up journalists from each country to report on a global issue, as well as news from each country being written by the guest journalist (ibid). The program plans to share business practices, see enhanced people-to-people interaction, encourage bilateral relations between the US and Russia and also to improve cultural cooperation via the realisation of shared interests.

In this manner, the Cold War hostilities between the US and Russia are placed aside and, although this particular method has strong governmental links, it also demonstrates the evolution of exchange diplomacy into the 21st Century whereby both countries are “dedicated to identifying areas of cooperation and joint projects that strengthen strategic stability, international security and the development of ties between the Russian and American people” (www.state.gov 2011). So to clarity if what Cull (2008) terms USIA exchange diplomacy is still going strong is to recognise the investment of the US and Russia into programs such as the journalism exchange as illustrated above. Hence, not only is it going strong but it has been globally implemented with increased levels of success.

Sources:

·Cull, N. J., The Cold War and the United States Information Agency: American Propaganda and Public Diplomacy, 1945-1989, Cambridge University Press 2008, New York

·Scoop World Independent News, Journalist Exchanges Promised from U.S.-Russia Conference, 23 March 2011 available at http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1103/S00809/journalist-exchanges-promised-from-us-russia-conference.htm

·Times Herald, Student exchange program is looking for host families, available as of 10 April 2011 at http://timesherald.com/articles/2011/04/10/news/doc4da22f75d8b79004314194.txt

·U.S. Department of State, Fulbright Program, available as of 7 April 2011 at http://exchanges.state.gov/academicexchanges/index/fulbright-program.html

·U.S. Department of State, U.S. Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission Working Groups to Meet in Moscow to Support Cooperation in Education, Science, and Innovation February 28 – March 5, 25 February 2011, available as of 8 April 2011 at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/02/157131.htm