Germany creates "House of Science" to promote its Cultural Diplomacy

During our talk about German public diplomacy we touched upon the issue of Germany's intention to re-frame its image as a country with scientific and engineering achievements. What we discussed two weeks ago seems now to be an official part of Germany's public diplomacy strategy. With the overall goal to expand the cultural diplomacy, Germany has opened its first "House of Science" in Sao Paolo.

Berlin - Germany is to expand its cultural diplomacy abroad, reaching out to academics by building a series of missions to highlight German scientific and engineering achievements, officials said Thursday in Berlin. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the offices were part of a push to invest more in cultural diplomacy. The first such House of Science has been opened in Sao Paolo,Brazil, and more are planned in Moscow, New Delhi and New York.

Staff at a house of science can inform local academics about German scientists who are doing research in the same specialties. The houses are in addition to the chain of government-funded Goethe Institutes around the world which showcase the arts in Germany and offer German-language classes. Berlin also funds German-language schools in many nations.

Steinmeier said cultural diplomacy offered new ways to gain influence in a world of cultural and religious conflicts. "It offers others the chance to see the world through our eyes," he said. In the three years since Steinmeier became minister in late 2005, Berlin's cultural diplomacy budget rose more than 30 per cent, reaching 658 million euros (862 million dollars) last year. Steinmeier did not disclose the amount of further increases. A key planned project in Turkey is the establishment of a German university in Istanbul. (seen on Earthtimes)

Given the oftentimes event-driven attitude German public diplomacy takes, establishing Houses of Science can help focus the country's PD more on long-term achievements and relationships rather than creating campaigns around specific dates. Integrating the local public in a pull-attitude just like the successful Goethe-Institut does, is to my impression more promising than a rather pushy campaign-style approach that might create interest for a specific period of time but does not primarily focus on the long-term goals.

I am interested to see how the American audience will react to the House of Science in New York. Given that Germany is often seen as a competitor when it comes to technology and engineering, I am curious to see to what extend the American audience will accept the House as a resource.

Playing Nation Branding

The Cinderella Castle in Bavaria, Germany. Is this all that brands Germany? photo by: Storem

In the scope of our nation branding discussion in class, we learned that images of nations don’t change from one day to another. On the contrary, the images are very persistent. Over the last century there are only two countries that have experienced a tremendous change in image: Japan and Germany.

One way to at least influence the depicted image a bit and to learn about a country such as Germany are games. Yes, the good old board games. The German game company Ravensburger is known for its puzzles and parlor games for all age groups. One of the famous games is “Germany Pairs,” a card game in which 104 cards are laid face down and two cards are flipped face up over with the goal to turn over pairs of matching cards. The “Germany Pairs” shows 52 different pictures and photos of what is typically and descriptive for Germany.

The first version of the game was launched in 1985, a second updated version was introduced in 1992 and in 2006 Ravenburger introduced the latest one. The 52 images used for the game have changed a lot over the years, partly because of historical events such as the end of the Berlin Wall, partly because of a changed perceived image of Germany.

Only six images have made it through all three versions of the game and therefore are the most persistent images others have about Germany. Among these images are a photo of a German shepherd, the Cinderella Castle and a freshly tapped bear. New photos in the latest version include a photo of the ICE 3, a German high-speed train, and a photo of Dornfelder grapes, a vine typically grown in Germany.

From a nation branding perspective I would argue that there has definitely been effort put into reshaping the perceived image of Germany and reframing the country as a technological-savvy and wine growing country. I think it is interesting that even games targeted towards kids all over the world can influence the way people think about a country.

For more infos: http://einestages.spiegel.de/external/ShowTopicAlbumBackground/a3926/l0/l0/F.html#featuredEntry (in German)

Is Germany ready for the new Tarantino movie?

The new Quentin Tarantino movie “Inglorious Basterds” will start in theaters in August 2009. The film sets in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. A group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.



While watching the trailer I started thinking about the impact this Hollywood movie can have on the German public. Given the sharp tone throughout the film, I am sure that some, if not many, Germans will be offended by the way the film depicts the German culture.

Please don’t get me wrong, I do not intend to downplay any aspect of the cruel genocide. However, I feel that the film does not make a clear distinction between the Germans in general and “Nazis.” To my impression both terms are used interchangeably throughout the trailer and I am sure that the German audience will not respond well to this fact.

The film was already a great deal of discussion in 2008 when Quentin Tarantino and his Hollywood actors including Brad Pitt were in Berlin shooting the film and a part of the script leaked. The media were debating whether today’s Germany is already ready for this kind of depiction of the past. I don’t think so. Even the youngest generation, who only learns about the Third Reich in history class, still is confronted with prejudices and stereotypes when traveling to other countries. A film like Tarantino’s reinforces these stereotypes and helps them to survive.

From a public diplomacy perspective, I think that Hollywood movies, no matter how praised the directors are, definitely impact the way foreign audiences think about the US, especially if they are dealing with such a delicate issue. The impacts might not inverse a positive impression into a negative one; however, the images remain in the heads of the public – at least for a short period of time. Of course, Germans will still look up to the US and dream about Route 66, New York and San Francisco, but there will be a damper on the positive image. Cultural sensibility might be the way out of this dilemma. And yet, it is questionable to what extend this is applicable, given that first and foremost Hollywood movies are tailored to the American culture.

I am interested in what you think. Do you think this film can impact the image Germany has of the US?

Leitmotif : Accessible Foreign Policy for Everybody

While researching on Germany’s international broadcasting Deutsche Welle I came across this interesting Web site called Atlantic Community. It is conducted by Atlantic Initiative - a non-profit organization based in Berlin, Germany, that aims at promoting the transatlantic cooperation and strengthening the German foreign policy culture.

The Atlantic Community is an open think tank where members (you have to sign up, but it is free) can discuss and debate on recent policy issues. The founders of the project “recognized the need for a new English-language venture that would strengthen European-American ties and thus reinforce the idea that today’s transatlantic agenda is global.”

In detail the goals of Atlantic Initiative are:

• Spread the message that today's transatlantic agenda is global: International challenges like terrorism, the energy crisis, and the rise of new powers in Asia demand a unified Western policy.
• Promote frank debates and collaboration between Europe and North America on issues of globalization and foreign policy.
• Cultivate and improve intellectual exchange across the Atlantic through increased networking opportunities between decision-makers, senior experts, as well as a new generation of students and future policy professionals.
• Promote and advance the future generation of decision-makers.
• Analyze foreign policy and the challenges of the twenty-first century in such a way that everybody can understand them. Our leitmotif is: Accessible Foreign Policy for Everybody!
  (source: http://www.atlantic-initiative.org)
  

The issues dealt with are in direct relation to our course discussions and the contributing authors include Rüdiger Lentz, the head of the Deutsche Welle Washington office (he is also the head of the Atlantic Initiative in the US) and scholars who research in the field of transatlantic relations.

What I liked about the Web site is the approach to open the discussion to a wider public and make the issue of foreign policy accessible to those who are not as much engaged on a regular basis, but have their own visions and opinions.

The fact that such an online portal enters the foreign policy discussion is also characteristic for the current stage of public diplomacy. As discussed in class and described in the Gilboa reading "Searching for a Theory of Public Diplomacy," more and more new players engage in international affairs, investigate PD activities and become active themselves.

The Next Step

In my blog post A new Era of Transatlantic Relations? two weeks ago, I focused on how President Obama’s election raises hope for an improved transatlantic cooperation. However, I concluded, that there are more steps to follow in order to have a continuous impact.

At the security forum in Munich, Germany last week, we saw one next step in this direction. As already mentioned in YuanYuan’s post We will engage. We will listen. We will consult. "--Joe Biden, Vice President Joe Biden not only attended the conference in Munich on behalf of the new U.S. Administration, he also gave a keynote speech, emphasizing the new perspectives of the U.S. public diplomacy, the ways to improve relations between NATO and Russia, nuclear proliferation, and the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea.

I think it was crucial for Biden to attend the Munich conference for three core reasons: First, Biden’s appearance at the conference is a visible effort by the U.S. administration to show engagement and the will to change transatlantic relations. Second, Biden was able to address the new U.S. foreign policy direction in his speech, thereby signaling that the lack of cooperation, which has been vividly criticized by Europeans in the last years, will have an end.

And third, the fact that key politicians with a high interest in learning about the new directions of U.S. foreign policy were among the 300 guests of the conference provided an opportunity for a dialogue and therefore also underscores the importance of Biden’s appearance and speech. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheff all came to Munich. Eventually, it is a dialogue and a cooperation that has to be aimed at when it comes to transatlantic relations.

A New Era of Transatlantic Relations?

Barack Obama speaking in Berlin, Germany (7/24/08)

President Obama’s inauguration on January 20 has been well received in many European countries – including Germany. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, the image of the U.S. among the European public has suffered. A survey on transatlantic trends conducted by the German Marshall Fund shows that the number of Europeans viewing the U.S. as a desirable global leader dropped from 64 percent in 2002 to 36 percent in 2008.

The wide-spread popularity of President Obama in European countries literally raises hope of an improved transatlantic cooperation. John K. Glenn, director of foreign policy at the German Marshall Fund, sees potential in President Obama. However, he points out that electing Obama as the 44th President of the U.S. does not immediately reverse the U.S. image and improve the transatlantic relations.

In his POLITICO article “Obama to Europe: Ich bin ein listener,” Glenn underscores the need of Obama to listen to European allies and reshape the public opinion of Americans as a country not seeing Europeans as essential partners.

According to Glenn, one of the main reasons for the negative public opinion among Europeans was caused by a lack of cooperation with European countries in terms of dealing with terrorism. It is therefore not surprising that Angela Merkel attached the claim for better cooperation and communication between Europeans and Americans to her congratulating message for President Obama, stating that “no single country can solve the problems of the world.”

From my perspective as a European native, Obama’s election can be seen as the first step to improve transatlantic relations. Yet, there have to be more to follow. Appointing the two renowned foreign policy experts George Mitchell and Richard Holbrook to special envoys has definitely been another step in the right direction, underscoring Obama’s intention to find a new strategy when dealing with the Middle East and Afghanistan and Pakistan.

As John K. Glenn states: “Obama’s great promise is that he has the potential to make collaboration with the United States not just politically possible but politically desirable.”