North Korea hosts U.S. Symphony in 2008
Cultural diplomacy is by no means a new concept. Government officials and diplomats have utilized this strategy for decades, and in many cases have found it to be quite successful. According to the American political scientist and author, Milton C. Cummings, cultural diplomacy may be seen as:
“the exchange of ideas, information, values, systems, traditions, beliefs, and other aspects of culture, with the intention of fostering mutual understanding”. (culturaldiplomacy.org)
This concept can be seen in the exchanges art, sport, literature, music, science and the economy. One specific example of such an exchange was the historic concert by the New York Philharmonic Symphony in North Korea in 2008. As the NY Times reported;
“It was the first time an American cultural organization had appeared here, and the largest contingent of United States citizens to appear since the Korean War. The trip has been suffused with political importance since North Korea’s invitation came to light last year. It was seen by some as an opening for warmer relations with the United States, which North Korea has long reviled.”
Considering the tense relationship between these two nations, the fact that this event was held illustrates the power of such soft power strategies like cultural diplomacy. This topic will be discussed further at the discussion of fine arts in government during the Oct 27th Symposium held by the Syracuse APDS. To read the NT Times article on the Symphony trip to North Korea click the link below:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/world/asia/27symphony.html
To learn more about cultural diplomacy follow this link to the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy’s website:
