Upcoming Event in DC on the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948

A Symposium on the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948
January 13, 2009

Strategic Communications consultant and blogger Matt Armstrong has organized this upcoming symposium on the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, in Washington, D.C:

The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 was passed as the U.S. was beginning a 'war of ideology... a war unto death,' as America's Ambassador to the Soviet Union described it at the time. But, beginning in the 1970's, instead of promoting international engagement through information, cultural and educational exchanges, the law was distorted into a barrier of engagement. From its propaganda and counter-propaganda intentions, it transformed into an anti-propaganda law for reasons that had little to nothing to do with concerns over domestic influence and far removed from the original intent of the law. The resulting firewall has never been extensively explored or debated, the effects of which are broad and deep. The Smith-Mundt Act is believed by some to cover the activities of the State Department, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the Defense Department, the Agency for International Development, and more. It is time to put the law into its proper context, especially in today's global information environment.

This symposium brings together practitioners, academics, media, and Congress for a first of its kind discussion of the sixty-year-old law that anchors America's informational, cultural, and educational engagement with the world. This subject is critical to the future of America’s public diplomacy, and as such the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Jim Glassman and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Support to Public Diplomacy Mike Doran will give keynote addresses.

Registration is free, open to the public, and required to attend. The event will be on the record with a transcript available following the event. A public report based on the proceedings will be produced.

Date: January 13, 2009

Location: The Reserve Officer's Association in Washington, D.C., at the intersection of First Street and Constitution Avenue, NE.

AGENDA
Four 90-minute panels will be moderated with no PowerPoint or opening statements.

7:00 - 8:00 Continental Breakfast / Sign-in
8:00 - 8:15 Welcome and Opening Remarks
8:15 - 9:00 Keynote by Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs James K. Glassman
9:00 - 10:30 First Panel: History of the Smith-Mundt Act
10:30 - 12:00 Second Panel: America's Bifurcated engagement
12:00 - 12:15 Break
12:15 - 1:45 Lunch / Keynote by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Doran
1:45 - 2:00 Break
2:00 - 3:30 Third Panel: Rebuilding the Arsenal of Persuasion
3:30 - 3:45 Break
3:45 - 5:15 Fourth Panel: The View from the Hill
5:15 - 5:30 Closing Remarks

To register, go to http://mountainrunner.us/symposium/registration.html.

An electronic library will be made available to the registered guests to supplement the discussion (PowerPoint, papers, possibly some New York Times articles, etc). If you would like to contribute relevant material, contact Matt Armstrong (contact information below).

Organizer and point of contact: Matt Armstrong, matt@mountainrunner.us, (310) 926-1942

For updates via RSS or email: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Smith-Mundt/