Participants

In addition to supporting our shared mission, PD Collaborative partners — representatives from academia, government, the private sector, NGOs, media, and other fields — gain other benefits:

  • Academia. The PD Collaborative cooperates with other centers of public diplomacy teaching and scholarship such as the University of Southern California, George Washington University, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Our focus is on practice and measurement of results, and thus we see our role as complementary to those institutions, which are training future public diplomacy leaders. Partner universities gain access to the data provided by field components and suggest best practices.

  • Think Tanks. Organizations like Brookings and the Public Diplomacy Council use the Collaborative as a forum to test policy prescriptions and publicize their own valuable contributions.

  • International Educators. PD Collaborative members are currently engaged in providing workshops to international educators on subjects such as coaching exchange students to become more effective citizen diplomats. The PD Collaborative has been instrumental in founding a committee on public diplomacy within NAFSA, the largest international education trade group, and working with related organizations such as the National Council for International Visitors the Forum on Education Abroad and the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy.

  • Diplomats. The PD Collaborative maintains a close relationship with the US State Department and other Diplomatic services. The PD Collaborative helps the US State Department and other Foreign Services to network with practitioners in other fields, to develop projects with civil society partners, to meet on neutral ground with other government agencies, and to exchange best practices with their foreign counterparts. Scholars such as Rasmus Bertelson of Denmark and Shay Attias of Israel have partnered with the Collaborative to develop tools to improve measurement of government-sponsored public diplomacy efforts. British, Canadian, Danish, Finnish, German, Israeli, and Swedish governmental public diplomacy teams have all offered support and/or sought participation, often at the highest levels.

  • Defense. From the outset, the PD Collaborative has been in close cooperation with the US Defense Department, including the armed services' Information Operations proponents and Regional Commands' PD initiatives. Working with what is in actuality the largest US public diplomacy operation, the partnership with Defense provides access to countless sources on the ground around the world. Defense, meanwhile, enjoys the opportunity to meet on neutral ground and share information and best practices with other government agencies and, especially, non-governmental organizations.

  • Aid. International Development activities are arguably the most powerful public diplomacy instrument in a government's arsenal. Aid and development workers in the field have a broad presence and an in-depth understanding of the needs and values of the communities they help. Increasingly, governmental aid organizations are becoming more cognizant of their public diplomacy role, a process encouraged by the PD Collaborative through coordinating organizations such as the Building Bridges Coalition.

  • Corporate Sector. The US business community, especially multinational corporations and consulting groups with large international presences, are increasingly aware of both the impact of America's declining image on their operations and of their own role in influencing opinions around the world. Businesses in other countries face similar challenges, and have developed models studied and reported by the PD Collaborative. Participation in the PD Collaborative facilitates development of public relations, marketing, and corporate social responsibility strategies, in cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organizations.

  • NGOs. Non-Governmental Organizations engaged in aid, development, and the promotion of democratic governance possess extensive knowledge of the communities in which they operate worldwide. NGOs have tapped into PD Collaborative resources via networks such the HELP Commission. Participation in the PD Collaborative allows them to develop constructive relationships with groups that have been distant from them such as the military and corporate sectors. These relationships are increasingly necessary in a world of complex challenges that require multidisciplinary, comprehensive solutions. The PD Collaborative also provides a forum for NGOs to shape discourse on matters relating to the international involvement of their respective governments abroad.

  • International Volunteers. In cooperation with the Building Bridges Coalition, the PD Collaborative works with International volunteers to develop best practices and training programs to turn volunteers into citizen diplomats, and to tap into their knowledge upon return from overseas.

  • Hollywood. American movies and television programs are the most prominent determinant of international public opinion regarding the US. Meanwhile, as more and more American TV shows appear overseas subtitled rather than dubbed, speaking to a younger foreign audience with reasonable English fluency the conventional wisdom about what sort of content can "travel" slowly evolves. By collaborating with the other sectors involved with the PD Collaborative, producers gain a better understanding of new markets and insight to tailor content to new audiences . Other PD Collaborative participants, such as diplomatic services, can help Hollywood produce and market content respectful of other cultures, and foster initiatives to market national images with greater credibility domestically and internationally.

  • News Media. Local and international news channels are perhaps the most widely cited mediators of public opinion. The PD Collaborative adds value to a number of media outlets by providing non-government-filtered access to willing spokespersons in various sectors and by affording reporters access to useful data.

  • New Media / Games. Virtual communities, interactive games, and other digital media are increasingly influential media for international communication. Some game producers are already aware of their growing impact as international influencers, and are actively working with the PD Collaborative to improve and broaden their scope.