Authorized by Congress and PL 107-228, the Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy (ACCD) was appointed in March 2004. It was charged with advising the Secretary of State on programs and policies to advance the use of cultural diplomacy in .S. foreign policy, paying particular attention to:

1. Increasing the presentation abroad of America's finest creative, visual, and performing artists; and
2. Developing strategies for increasing public-private sector partnerships to sponsor cultural exchange programs that promote the national interest of the United States.

Cultural diplomacy is the linchpin of public diplomacy; for it is in cultural activities that a nation's idea of itself is best represented. And cultural diplomacy can enhance our national security in subtle, wide-ranging, and sustainable ways. Indeed history may record that America's cultural riches played no less a role than military action in shaping our international leadership, including the war on terror. For the values embedded in our artistic and intellectual traditions form a bulwark against the forces of darkness.

The ideals of the Founding Fathers, enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and the Bill of Rights, take on new life in the vibrant traditions of American art, dance, film, jazz, and literature, which continue to inspire people the world over despite our political differences. But in the wake of the invasion of Iraq, the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib, and the controversy over the handling of detainees at Bagram and Guantánamo Bay, America is viewed in much of the world less as a beacon of hope than as a dangerous force to be countered. This view diminishes our ability to champion freedom, democracy, and individual dignity - ideas that continue to fuel hope for oppressed peoples everywhere. The erosion of our trust and credibility within the international community must be reversed if we hope to use more than our military and economic might in the shaping of world opinion. Culture matters.

The erosion of our trust and credibility within the international community must be reversed if we hope to use more than our military and economic might in the shaping of world opinion. Culture matters.

Cultural diplomacy reveals the soul of a nation, which may explain its complicated history in American political life: when our nation is at war, every tool in the diplomatic kit bag is employed, including the promotion of cultural activities. But when peace returns, culture gets short shrift, because of our traditional lack of public support for the arts. Now that we are at war again, interest in cultural diplomacy is on the rise. Perhaps this time we can create enduring structures within which to practice effective cultural diplomacy and articulate a sustaining vision of the role that culture can play in enhancing the security of this country. And if, as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggests, AmericaÆs involvement in Iraq requires "a generational commitment," then our cultural diplomacy efforts require a similar commitment of funds, expertise, courage, and time.

Cultural diplomacy:

• Helps create "a foundation of trust" with other peoples, which policy makers can build on to reach political, economic, and military agreements;
• Encourages other peoples to give the United States the benefit of the doubt on specific policy issues or requests for collaboration, since there is a presumption of shared interests;
• Demonstrates our values, and our interest in values, and combats the popular notion that Americans are shallow, violent, and godless;
• Affirms that we have such values as family, faith, and the desire for education in common with others;
• Creates relationships with peoples, which endure beyond changes in government;
• Can reach influential members of foreign societies, who cannot be reached through traditional embassy functions;
• Provides a positive agenda for cooperation in spite of policy differences;
• Creates a neutral platform for people-to-people contact;
• Serves as a flexible, universally acceptable vehicle for rapprochement with countries where diplomatic relations have been strained or are absent; Is uniquely able to reach out to young people, to non-elites, to broad audiences with a much reduced language barrier;
• Fosters the growth of civil society;
• Educates Americans on the values and sensitivities of other societies, helping us to avoid gaffes and missteps;
• Counterbalances misunderstanding, hatred, and terrorism;
• Can leaven foreign internal cultural debates on the side of openness and tolerance.

The Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy urges the Secretary of State to consider the following recommendations:

1. To increase funding and staffing for cultural diplomacy and, in a larger sense, for public diplomacy.
2. To provide advanced training and professional development opportunities for FSOs, who are public affairs officers and have responsibility for public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy throughout their careers, with particular attention to research, polling, and the uses of new media.
3. To create an independent clearinghouse, in the manner of the British Council, to promote the national interest; support missions in their efforts to bring the best artists, writers, and other cultural figures to their audiences; develop publicprivate partnerships; and raise funds, with separate housing from the embassies so that cultural events can attract wider audiences.
4. To set aside funds for translation projects, into and out of English, of the most important literary, intellectual, philosophical, political, and spiritual works from this and other countries.
5. To streamline visa issues, particularly for international students. To implement the recommendations issued by the Center for Arts and Culture in Cultural Diplomacy: Recommendations and Research (www.culturalpolicy.org).
6. To revamp Al Hurra, the Arabic-language television station, in keeping with the highest traditions of American broadcasting.
7. To expand international cultural exchange programs, inviting more Arab and Muslim artists, performers, and writers to the United States, and sending their American counterparts to the Islamic world.

Effective cultural diplomacy requires a long-term commitment to winning the hearts and minds of reasonable people everywhere. Now is the time to create a cultural diplomacy infrastructure and policy for the twenty-first century.

The full report is found online.