Practicing Public Diplomacy

There is much discussion these days about public diplomacy-communicating directly with the people of other countries rather than through their diplomats-but little information about what it actually entails. This book does exactly that by detailing the doings of a US Foreign Service cultural officer in five hot spots of the Cold War - Germany, Laos, Poland, Austria, and the Soviet Union - as well as service in Washington DC with the State Department, the Helsinki Commission of the US Congress, and the National Endowment for Democracy. Part history, part memoir, it takes readers into the trenches of the Cold War and demonstrates what public diplomacy can do. It also provides examples of what could be done today in countries where anti-Americanism runs high.

Autorentext

Yale Richmond (1923-2020), was a retired cultural officer in the US Foreign Service. He practiced public diplomacy for thirty years, including postings abroad in Germany, Laos, Poland, Austria (Vienna), and the Soviet Union. A specialist in intercultural communication, his books have been translated and published in China and Korea.

Zusammenfassung

There is much discussion these days about public diplomacycommunicating directly with the people of other countries rather than through their diplomatsbut little information about what it actually entails. This book does exactly that by detailing the doings of a US Foreign Service cultural officer in five hot spots of the Cold War - Germany, Laos, Poland, Austria, and the Soviet Union - as well as service in Washington DC with the State Department, the Helsinki Commission of the US Congress, and the National Endowment for Democracy. Part history, part memoir, it takes readers into the trenches of the Cold War and demonstrates what public diplomacy can do. It also provides examples of what could be done today in countries where anti-Americanism runs high.

Inhalt

Foreword
Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1. Doing Democracy in Deutschland
Chapter 2. Nation Building in Laos
Chapter 3. Back to the Books
Chapter 4. A Voice to Vietnam
Chapter 5. Poland Russia's Window on the West
Chapter 6. Viennese Vignettes
Chapter 7. East European Exchanges
Chapter 8. Moscow and More
Chapter 9. Shafted by Shakespeare
Chapter 10. Doing Détente at the Department
Chapter 11. USIA + CU = USICA
Chapter 12. Helsinki and Human Rights
Chapter 13. Doing Democracy at NED

Selected Bibliography
Index
Photos