The “purpose of the concert was to showcase the culture of Turkey while at the same time raise money for earthquake victims. “At the same time, it is also an act of cultural diplomacy... we hope to build bridges by showing the more human side of our identities.”

The U.S. government’s public diplomacy institutions are running on autopilot. While other nations, such as China, are ramping up public diplomacy and soft-power capabilities, the attention of the political leaders in this country is focused elsewhere: the budget deficit, the economy, the presidential election, etc.

It is that environment that has seen “political oversight” of U.S. International Broadcasting become “political inference” — something the Broadcasting Board of Governors is powerless to stop since their jobs as well as the USIB budget are dependent on Congressional approval.

During the past several years, Chinese audiences have flocked to see American movies such as Kung-Fu Panda, much to the alarm of China’s political leadership, which has recently made clear that it is not inclined to surrender any terrain on the global cultural battleground.

Several weeks before, in Algiers in December 2010, the U.S. State Department had launched the North African Partnership for Economic Opportunity (Napeo), bringing together over 300 entrepreneurs from Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.

During the past several years, Chinese audiences have flocked to see American movies such as Kung-Fu Panda, much to the alarm of China’s political leadership, which has recently made clear that it is not inclined to surrender any terrain on the global cultural battleground.