While recently on a cultural diplomacy adventure across Central Asia on an American Music Abroad tour—the State Department’s flagship musical exchange program that American Voices administers—with the bluegrass band Della Mae, I had the opportunity to encounter the public diplomacy space that are the State Department’s American Corners.

While recently on a cultural diplomacy adventure across Central Asia on an American Music Abroad tour—the State Department’s flagship musical exchange program that American Voices administers—with the bluegrass band Della Mae, I had the opportunity to encounter the public diplomacy space that are the State Department’s American Corne

While the Fulbright educational program celebrated its 40th anniversary in Russia on April 10, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine, took the opportunity to drop in on the American Center in Moscow. She delivered a speech on the importance of soft power and how it can be used to cope with and minimize political differences.

Over a long day of diplomacy in Beijing, Mr Kerry warned Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping that the stakes were high as China's erratic ally North Korea threatens a missile launch that would extend a weeks-long crisis. The region has been engulfed by threats of nuclear war by Pyongyang in response to UN sanctions imposed over its recent rocket and nuclear tests, and Mr Kerry stressed that China has a unique sway over North Korea.

I met Renee Lee in the Spring of 2010 when she was an MPD student in my Corporate Diplomacy class. The next year Renee graduated with her MPD and I encouraged her to apply to the Presidential Management Fellowship as I was one and it truly was a defining moment in my career.

By: Cari E. Guittard, MPA & Renee Lee, MPD 2011

Background

As you heard, I am Tara Sonenshine and I’m Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. And I am delighted to join you at this special time – the 40th anniversary of the Fulbright program in Russia. The program is very important to all of us – Russians and Americans. As I’ll explain in a few moments, it’s also important to the work of public diplomacy. So what better way to pay tribute to 40 years of Fulbright than to acknowledge the contributions of the people who have made it – and continue to make it – so vibrant and effective?