Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Promptly at 8am until 9:30am
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
295 Lafayette Street, 2nd Floor Rudin Center
Free and Open to the Public
Doors Open at 7:45am - Coffee, tea and pastries will be served
This panel will examine the motivations, policies and strategies of states in an era of globalization and digital communication. Special attention will be paid to the public-private partnerships that foster the practice of cultural diplomacy and international cooperation, and the advocacy efforts shaping future action.
- Rachel Cooper, Director of Cultural Programs and Performing Arts, The Asia Society
- Rochelle Roca Hachem, Programme Specialist for Culture, UNESCO
- Frank Hodsoll, President and CEO of the Resource Center for Cultural Engagement and former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Art
- Eduardo Lago, Executive Director, Instituto Cervantes / The Cultural Center of Spain in New York
Over the past decade, the explosive growth in the internet and social networking technologies has created new opportunities for personal and cultural connections across the globe even as lowered costs of international travel have enabled more people to experience different cultures.
These real time and casual interactions among individuals and communities are helping form a new model of public diplomacy, in ways different from the state-sponsored cultural exchanges of the 20th Century. But there is still a robust role for governments and international organizations to play in investing in the arts and humanities to further international goals of security, peace-building, post-conflict reconstruction, education and economic development.
What does a cultural path towards “world peace” look like in a 21st Century context? What are the evolving roles of language and faith in cross-cultural mutual understanding? How do cultural institutions whose programs are supported in part by grants from governments promote sustained and meaningful connections between people across borders?
