Tuesday, October 10, 2017

A distinguished public diplomacy professional reminisces ...



image from



Facebook entry by Philip C Brown 
[posted here with his kind ok]; see also John Brown, "The Paradoxes of Propaganda: The effective forms don't appear as if they're Intentional," San Francisco Chronicle (2007)
My wife Roberta K. Brown and I NEVER argue but when we do, it sometimes has to do with how we describe my professional career. I want to say that I was in the Foreign Service (being careful to make sure that someone does not understand "Forest Service").
Bobbi likes to say that I (or we) worked for USIA [JB -- see]. That's true but today's interlocutor may hear CIA and/or probably has never heard of an agency that was folded into State Department 20 years ago -- after I retired.
All that as a way of commending this wonderful article [JB -- see below link] about USIA exhibits program -- its impact on US/Soviet relations and on several generations of Russians and Americans.
I was not a guide but I interviewed many who became guides and during two tours at AmEmbassy Moscow, including PAO [Public Affairs Officer - JB] 1987-1990, I visited exhibits everywhere from Dushanbe to Tbilisi to Magnitogorsk to Donetsk to Kishinev to Leningrad to Moscow.

Image from, with caption: Exhibit guides Kaara Ettesvold and Kathleen Rose trying on Russian school girl uniforms

Just looking at the people who are mentioned and whose photos are used -- Paul Smith Margot Mininni Thomas Bolling Robertson John Beyrle, Bill KiehlRick A. Ruth -- brings back memories. Public diplomacy at its bestJohn KatzkaFrank ToniniIan KellyGil CallawayMichael J. HurleyJack Matlock Margo Squire Alec Guroff Kathie Guroff Conrad TurnerMorris E. Jacobs

No comments: