March 4, 2013
Association president Mike Schneider describes PDAA’s outreach campaign, coming events including a conference on the U.S. and East Asia in New Mexico and PDAA’s April 2 lunch program on Asia, as well as collaboration with NCIV. And Mike tells about the public diplomacy achievement awards, which will be announced at PDAA’s annual dinner on May 5.
Greetings friends –
Our effort to reach out to USIA/State PD alums and others in the broader public diplomacy community has led to very gratifying renewed contacts. Recollections of the past mingle with very interesting news of current involvements. PDAA members from Georgia, Hawaii and other far-flung places have suggested others, not necessarily graduates of USIA/State, who might be interested in our programs. Please keep the contacts coming.
And please let us know – especially those living beyond the Beltway – how we can help those in the community. If desired, we’ll gladly try other video- or audio-streaming experiments to convey the mid-day luncheon presentations. And we can partner with like-minded organizations in putting members in contact with regional events. Such is the case for an ambitious coming Santa Fe World Affairs conference [note: in deference to the memory of editor-supreme Marvin Stone who would rage at such semantic atrocities, I’ll never use ‘’upcoming”!] The conference, on Living in Challenging Times: The United States and East Asia, is another recognition of the importance of the U.S. “pivot” to Asia, as is our own luncheon presentation by DC-based East-West Center director Satu Lamaye, April 2.
We’ve talked with Jennifer Clinton, who succeeded Sherry Mueller as president of the NCIV about additional cooperation. No network better represents a significant dimension of public diplomacy. Undoubtedly many of our members are active in the NCIV. It is, “… a leadership network of 94 community-based non-profit organizations across the United States…. NCIV works to develop a more globally competent and engaged citizenry. NCIV members collectively mobilize over 40,000 volunteers who work at the local level to improve U.S. relations with other countries by building linkages between Americans and their counterparts around the world.” Some of their members have worked closely with USIA/State PD here and abroad. Likewise PDAA members are engaged with NCIV chapters. We delight in facilitating this collaboration.
The PDAA Board is beginning to receive nominations for the annual award for PD excellence from US Missions abroad and elements in D.C. We’re looking forward to exciting prospects who deserve recognition, and will share the results with the Association at our annual dinner May 5. We hope some of the awardees will be in town and can talk a little about their programs at the dinner.
PD practitioners are responding with great creativity to vital challenges around the globe. I hope to see you at the dinner, to catch up with old friends, make the acquaintance of new members, and learn more about this dynamic profession.
My best wishes
Mike Schneider
