Thinking About Culture

I am becoming more and more convinced that the long term approach to peace and social and economic development must be approached through the development of a culture of peace and a culture of development.

I have been running a blog on highlights related to the education and cultural programs of UNESCO.

I have also been contributing to the Culture and Development community resources on the Development Gateway.

So I was interested to come across three articles in The Washington Post, illustrating both the good and the bad aspects of cultural diplomacy:

* "The Good Old Days Of Selling Democracy: arshall Plan Films Offer History Lesson In Public Relations" By Philip Kennicott (January 27, 2007) The title says it all!

* "The Plot Thickens: A New Book Promises an Intriguing Twist to the Epic Tale of 'Doctor Zhivago'" By Peter Finn (January 27, 2007) CIA doing covertly what could have been done by the State Department overtly and better, with less negative fallout.

* "Can the U.S. Rebuild Its Image?" By Lyric Wallwork Winik in Parade magazine (January 28, 2007) Profile of Karen Hughes, the Czarina of State's Public Diplomacy initiative.