Introduction

The following Outlook is a compilation of the research undertaken by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy during the year 2011.  The Outlook takes both a vertical approach by analysing cultural diplomacy involvement through different sectors, such as public, private, and civil society, and a horizontal approach of how that involvement is carried out in different geographical regions and within various cultural diplomacy themes, such as nation branding, inter-religious dialogue, sports and the arts. 

Throughout the course of 2011, local developments, be they in markets, governments, civil society, or artistic contributions have had international implications as is evident in the continuing global economic downturn and the social protests, the unfolding of the Arab Spring, and Bollywood.  This interconnectivity and the overall concept of globalisation is not new, but its implications are continually discussed in every major sector of society be it public, private, civil or academic. 

It has become apparent that there is a global need to foster international relationships that are built on mutual understanding rather than military action and formal diplomatic engagement. That is not to say that these forms of hard power are disappearing, but soft power has reemerged onto the international stage and grown in relevance as an alternate, and often preferable, means of international interaction. 

While soft power is becoming an increasingly popular buzzword, it is still a relatively new field of enquiry and as such, there is often a dearth of research to inform and develop the discourse on the subject.  This is particularly true when it comes to the field of cultural diplomacy. The world of cultural diplomacy changes rapidly and as such, information and analysis of the subject must be continually updated.  

Thus, The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy has established itself as a formal research institute and administering academic programs to move the research on cultural diplomacy forward. Every year, the ICD will publish an annual outlook which will be a compilation of all the research conducted by the Institute for that year.

The following is the 2011 Cultural Diplomacy Outlook.

The 2011 Cultural Diplomacy Outlook

The 2011 annual provides information overviews and both qualitative and quantitative assessments of current activity in the cultural diplomacy field. These individual reports are unique as they provide a first look at the public and private sectors and civil society, including assessments of geographic regions, groups of societies, and individual actors that are engaged in cultural diplomacy but are often overlooked.

Within the Outlook, it is revealed that Germany and the Netherlands jointly receive the top ranking in terms of their commitment to cultural diplomacy, with three of the top five countries coming from Europe. Furthermore, it is found that India ranks most highly out of the developing nations which were included in the sample, coming in 10th place. The report on the European private sector finds that 11% of the top 100 companies achieve the top rating of A+. This includes BP, Vodaphone, GlaxoSmithKlein and Telefonica. However, the industry sector which performs the best overall is that of Automobiles & Parts. It also observed that there is no significant correlation between market value and a company’s engagement with cultural diplomacy, meaning that a smaller market value should not be used as an excuse for companies who fail to engaide with matters of cultural diplomacy.

In addition to this, the Outlook will show in its regional report that, whilst Europe and the Americas have a higher number of civil society actors according to population, Africa and Asia can be seen, in some aspects, to achieve more fruitful results from their civil society initiatives. In this way it is possible to suggest that their European and American counterparts could have much to gain from more effective engagement with civil society.

The sector reports constitute the most extensive portion of the Outlook:

• The report on the public sector examines the ways various states approach cultural diplomacy, providing a comprehensive group of regional perspectives and a statistical ranking of governments based on their cultural diplomacy initiatives. 
• The private sector report specifically focuses on top 100 European companies (from 10 different sectors) based on their market value. The ICD carefully developed its own methodology by which the report grades each of these companies on their cultural diplomacy involvement based on specific criteria. 
• Finally, the civil society sector report provides a summary of civil society involvement by region. 

The 2011 Outlook also includes an overview of cultural diplomacy activities within broad geographical regions including Africa, the Mediterranean and the South Pacific. These regions are highly relevant to the field, yet have been largely overlooked in current cultural diplomacy assessments. Within these regions case studies from individual countries have been included in order to demonstrate the level of diversity in each area and reveal little recognized practices of cultural diplomacy. Furthermore, individual country reports, written by nationals of selected countries around the world, aim to deepen and specify this research.

These country profiles provide an in-depth analysis from personal, first-hand viewpoints of the practices within each country, highlighting areas of cultural diplomacy involvement and offering recommendations for improved cultural diplomacy practices. Each profile has its own unique voice and insights. For instance, in the profile on Russia, cultural diplomacy takes on more of a domestic focus, which can be seen in initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue between ethnic groups within the federation. Argentina organizes help and networking opportunities for incoming international students. More international collaboration includes Guatemala and Mexico, who jointly run a program that explores their common pre-Hispanic history, and Australia and Indonesia, who foster exchanges between the Muslim communities in both countries.

Additionally, the report contains a comprehensive index of cultural diplomacy projects and programmes operating around the globe in 2011. The index includes a concise description of the aims and competencies of each project as well as a listing of contact details so as to act as an easy point of reference for those wishing to further engage with cultural diplomacy projects.

Uniting these practical examples of cultural diplomacy, the Outlook explores cross-cutting themes of cultural diplomacy. One such theme that spawns numerous initiates is “nation branding” and the Outlook includes an assessment of the different brand images which countries put forward.  Nation branding has generated a good deal of debate on whether these brands fully represent the country, or merely reinforce a stereotype to which this section of the Outlook could provide valuable insight.

Another cross-cutting theme is art as a form of cultural diplomacy. The research presented in this report analyzes how the roles of music, dance, and the visual arts can strengthen cross-border relations.  It includes salient examples of how the arts are used as a form of cultural diplomacy through international arts programmes and cultural exchanges centred around the arts.  As such, the research addresses the important role artists can play in this field.