In Kolkata, Another Lesson about Cultural Diplomacy

After John Brown's visit to our class last Thursday, and our discussion about the US's continued ineptitude in cultural diplomacy, reading Patricia Sharpe's piece about the American exhibit at the Kolkata Book Fair was all the more telling. The exhibit, which according to Sharpe was way too big compared to the others and had the attractive lighting of a bat cave, was meant to showcase American literature. However, it aimed to do so almost entirely via computers, which, as she notes, "aren't exactly novel, even in India, and...weren't set up to entice interaction from the uninitiated or the jaded." A book fair via computers--I don't think this is a bad thing per se, but it depends what's actually on them and what they are presented with. In this case, there actually were books lurking on shelves in the background, but in the dim light, of course, they would have been very difficult to read. She also notes that at the end of the exhibit, a big flat-screen TV set above eye level hawks the benefits of joining the American Center (which in and of itself is good news, as there aren't many anymore)...for a "cut rate." I was shocked. If the United States wants to attract visitors to its American Centers and Corners to expose them to American values and culture, should they really be charging them to walk in? Especially in a developing country like India? Correct me if I'm wrong, but in my previous studies of American Centers--which had an especially robust presence worldwide during the Cold War--I don't recall reading about membership rates or fees.

The less-than-enticing exhibit layout--Sharpe observes that most people didn't even look up at the TV on their way out, so far above eye level was it--and the idea that cut rates to the American Center would inspire great enthusiasm are another indicator, as Brown noted last week, of the US's ignorance about cultural diplomacy and intercultural relations in general. For example, the big Capitol dome replica that housed the exhibit--which stood in contrast to the more to-scale exhibits of other countries like the UK--simply confirmed many international audiences' ideas of the US's need to do everything bigger and better than everyone else. In perhaps the strongest echo of our discussion with Brown last week, though, Sharpe discusses the exhibit's lack of focus on high culture, which to her lessens America's credibility in India: "I'd been told that the American public diplomats currently posted to Kolkata aren’t interested in purveying literature or lecturers or any kind of boring intellectuality. Just fun stuff for cool Under Thirties...Anyway superficiality is the order of the day, it seems. Although India has great writers and world class universities along with a vibrant print and electronic press employing courageous editors and many fine investigative reporters, the recently hired top local for the PD section in Kolkata used to head.... a fashion magazine!"

Like Russians--the focus of Brown's discussion--Indians place great value on their culture, including their food, literature, and film industry. By not instituting more "intellectual" programming in the country, American public diplomats are making it harder for Indians to understand US culture and thus decreasing chances for tolerance and acceptance of that culture. Yes, computers and more specifically social networking may be the new trend in public diplomacy, and I don't see anything wrong with using them as a tool to promote cultural diplomacy. But when the intellectual meaning of that cultural diplomacy gets lost in an attempt to create a slick exhibit with mood lighting, flat-screen TVs, and free T-shirts for those who sign up for the American Center membership (yes, T-shirts...not books, oh no), the US loses a perfect opportunity to really influence hearts and minds in India, and across the world.