bout de papier, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1999) — Summer 1999 // Été 1999, pp. 6–8
Ithough Public Diplomacy is a relatively new term, having come into the Department’s parlance as a “Business Line” through the amalgamation of Public Affairs and Culture and Communications a couple of years ago, it is by no means a totally new concept. For many years, DFAIT (or the old Department of External Affairs) has recognized the need to communicate Canada’s role in the world community to domestic audiences and to project Canada’s image and messages to key audiences abroad. At one time we had a “New Information Strategy” and there was an Information Bureau, stocked with publications, videos and other promotional items that conveyed Canadian messages. Indeed, the formal academic and cultural relations programs within the Department date back a quarter of a century, and were built on earlier ad hoc activities.
Public Diplomacy is also the stuff and substance of what many of our diplomatic staff abroad do on a daily basis, particularly at the Head of Mission level. Representation, advocacy, image-building, delivering messages, (both pointed and subliminal) and interpreting and explaining are activities that are inter-woven into the daily routine of missions abroad. A relationship needs to be developed and nurtured and the old saying of “building better understanding” still rings true. A relationship with a solid foundation is one that will better stand the stress when interests diverge. It is a relationship that will be more reliable when the chips are down. And one of the best ways to foster a relationship in a non-threatening way is to engage in public diplomacy. Indeed, public diplomacy becomes an investment in the future.
So if Public Diplomacy has been around so long in so many forms, what is new about today’s Public Diplomacy in DFAIT? The first point is that Public Diplomacy is here to stay as an integral part of our foreign and trade policy tool box. During the 1995 review of Canadian foreign policy, “Canada in the World”, the role of what was described as the “Third Pillar” was clearly brought forward. The need for Canada to be more active in projecting its voice and its image was eloquently put forth by a number of advocates — among them John Ralston Saul, the Honourable Serge Joyal and others. The cultural and academic programs, which were on their way out of DFAIT as the Department “slimmed down”, were retained Unfortunately, this occurred just at the time that Program Review was cutting a swath through government operations, and DFAIT was no exception.
Rather than growing, the issue became one of survival. But these programs did survive despite the pressure on resources. For example, Canada House in London and the Canadian Cultural Centre in Paris were refurbished and given new life. Despite the pressure to cut and eliminate, the Department’s cultural grants program was protected, given the priority accorded it by successive ministers. Today DFAIT administers a cultural program of approximately $4.7 million which assists both established and emerging artists and cultural groups to perform and display abroad, supports visits to Canada by curators, film and book distributors and agents and undertakes specific cultural projects that promote key foreign policy themes, such as the “Children and War” project. In the coming year, these funds will go to support 400-500 cultural projects abroad ranging from well-established musical and dance groups to lesser known individual artists.
DEAIT’s funding rarely exceeds 25% of’ the total cost of a tour and helps more established groups maintain a touring program so necessary to the building of an international reputation, while giving emerging groups the opportunity for international exposure. But, while helping Canadian artists to market themselves is a legitimate departmental objective (culture is, after all, a multibillion dollar business and a growing export, supporting over 50,000 jobs from exports alone), such support goes well beyond commercial objectives. It is an essential element in the projection of Canadian values and messages.
Many people in the world may not be able to name more than one or two Canadian political or business leaders, but chances are they will have read a Canadian novel or listened to a Canadian performer. Whether it is in pop, classical or Celtic music, novels, animation or film, Canadian culture is thriving and is a product that Canada can use to deliver its message; we are an ethnically rich, culturally diverse and technologically sophisticated nation that is very much a part of the world community. Indeed, it has been argued that in a world now populated by only one true superpower, Canada’s “soft-power” assets — its ability to pursue its objectives through persuasion rather than coercion, through attracting support rather than using economic, military or political levers, is more important than ever. Public diplomacy is an important element in developing these softpower assets.
Within Public Diplomacy, academic relations is one of the keystones. For almost a quarter of a century, DFAIT has worked with the international academic community to foster an informed knowledge of Canada and things Canadian. Today, more than 7000 “Canadianists” in over 30 countries participate in formal Canadian Studies programs, either as teachers, researchers or students. The International Council of Canadian Studies (ICCS) is made up of national associations in 19 countries, as wide ranging as the United States, China, Australia, Israel, India, France, Japan and Mexico, to name but a few. The ICCS, with Departmental support, administers Faculty Research and Enrichment grants, Library Support Programs, and a scholarly journal. Combined with the influence that Canada generates through scholarships and educational exchanges, also supported and encouraged by the Department, the Canadian Studies network ensures that knowledge and understanding of Canada reaches present and future elites and decision-makers abroad The scholarship programs have an added benefit of facilitating the study abroad of young Canadians, given the reciprocal nature of many of these programs. The broadening effect resulting from study abroad results in a better informed citizenry and a richer civil society. The $12 million spent annually on academic and education programs represents less than one percent of DFAIT’s annual budget, but is one of the best investments the Department can make.
Public Diplomacy can also be effectively used to complement other program objectives, whether these be to gain access to key decision makers or to help promote the export of Canadian goods, technology and expertise. Experienced Heads of Mission know well how to combine the attraction of a Canadian cultural activity with representational and promotional objectives. My personal experiences with “cultural diplomacy” range from the ground-breaking tour of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in China in 1978 to more recent manifestations where Canadian artists have been used to raise Canada’s profile as an attractive investment destination and an exporter of high quality goods and services. The TSO tour took place shortly after Mao Tse Tung’s death and at a time when China was just beginning to emerge from more than a decade of xenophobia and inward introspection. That tour, to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, helped open the doors to fresh breezes of new ideas and contact with the West. It was an important element in reaffirming Canada’s special interest in China and the Chinese people, a special relationship that has continued to this day. Other significant elements of our cultural diplomacy in China in those days were tours by the Cape Breton coalminer’s choir “Men of the Deeps” and master ballet classes by Celia Franca, Karen Kain and Frank Augustyn.
More recently, the combination of cultural, business, political and academic activities in a packaged operation to showcase Canadian capabilities has been mounted successfully by a number of missions. Whether called “Canada Week”, “Festival Canada” “Showcase Canada” or some other name (New York recently developed an integrated cultural and business promotion called “the Upper North Side” ’, putting Canada into terms New Yorkers could relate to), these promotions, exhausting though they can be for staff at posts, bring together the range of our interests to target specific audiences. Often it is the cultural element that provides the cornerstone of this promotion, and Public Diplomacy the glue that holds it all together.
While many of the cultural and academic elements of Public Diplomacy are focussed on foreign audiences, there is an equally important domestic constituency. Canadians are growing increasingly aware of the interdependent nature of global affairs and the impact of globalization on their lives. They want a voice in how Canada fulfils its role on the world stage. They need the opportunity to be exposed to foreign policy issues and to be informed about Canadian initiatives. Three years ago, the Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development (CCFPD) was established and since then has conducted 43 Ottawa roundtables, 75 co-sponsored seminars across Canada, with approximately 80 policy options and reports over the last two years. In the last three years, 18 meetings of the National Forum were conducted in 15 cities. Some of the results of the policy work are published regularly in Canadian Foreign Policy, Études Internationales and by the CCFPD in newspapers, and its own occasional papers. The activities of the Centre complement the Department’s own domestic outreach programs. These include speaking engagements by Departmental officers (from both missions abroad and headquarters) with business, academic and NGO groups, publication of CanadExport and the new Canada World View magazine aimed at the informed general public, maintenance of an up-to-date web site, video conferencing with contact groups and a broad program of media relations which includes reaching out to ethnic media and community newspapers. Use of modern technology — the internet, interactive information kiosks, video conferencing — is employed to reach audiences in a contemporary fashion, but more traditional means, media interviews, publications and public speaking engagements will continue to be important. In 1999, to the end of March, 89 departmental officers based in Missions or at Headquarters were involved in outreach activities in 46 cities across the country.
Last fall the Department held its first Open House. This allowed departmental employees to showcase for the public the many activities undertaken to serve Canadians and advance and protect Canadian interests. Between 2,500 and 3,000 members of the public visited over 50 kiosks set up throughout the Pearson Building, covering everything from consular services to the landmine initiative, Team Canada Inc. and other business development services to youth exchanges; from how a geographic desk works, to the Department’s rich history and heritage. This event also allowed us to mark the 25th anniversary of our accommodation in the Lester B. Pearson Building.
These outreach activities constitute an important element of Canada’s foreign policy strategy. A well informed, engaged civil society strengthens the will and ability to achieve foreign policy objectives; an active and vibrant projection of cultural expression can underpin and support an active foreign policy; and a network of academic and scholarly linkages can help build a network of comprehension and knowledge to build alliances of the like-minded in Canada and abroad. This is the essence of soft power, an asset that Canada has employed, most successfully during the Land Mines campaign, but more generally in support of an international order that respects the rule of law, tolerance of diversity, human rights, peacebuilding, open and fair trading systems; all values that reflect the fundamental elements of Canadian foreign policy.
Among Canada’s Public Diplomacy assets are not only jewels like the refurbished Canada House in London, the renovated Cultural Centre in Paris, and magnificent facilities in Washington and Tokyo, but also to greater or lesser degrees, the other 150 or so diplomatic points of service abroad, and, more important, the people that staff them, both Canadians and locally engaged. Effective public diplomacy is a combination of a clear vision, dedicated and creative people, adequate funding and, where appropriate, showcase facilities. We have the vision and the people, although funding still remains a challenge. Nevertheless, public diplomacy has survived the tough times and is rebuilding through local initiatives and centrally directed programs, cultural representations and academic networks, domestic outreach and media contact. In short Public Diplomacy is alive and well in DFAIT.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1999) — Summer 1999 // Été 1999, pp. 6–8. Read the rest of this issue →
