Meridian Launches Center for Cultural Diplomacy
September 2, 2014
Media Contacts: Monique McSween | Phone: (202) 939-5882
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, DC: Meridian International Center is pleased to announce the launch of the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy (MCCD), building on over 30 years of experience in the cultural diplomacy arena.
Meridian International Center has been a leading provider of innovative cultural diplomacy programs to the U.S. Department of State, as well as governments around the world. This work has included exhibitions that reflect important aspects of American and international culture that have traveled to over 365 host venues in 44 U.S. states and 56 countries, and reached millions of people.
The vision for MCCD is to be a premier partner of the State Department, U.S. and foreign embassies, and the private sector in creating and implementing effective cultural diplomacy programs that engage people and foster international understanding.
Headquartered at Meridian’s Washington, D.C. campus, MCCD will also be an integral part of Meridian’s overall mission of promoting effective global leadership and U.S. international engagement through the power of exchange.
MCCD offers a full range of culture-based programs and services, including:
- Content Development: MCCD curates exhibitions and develops presentations that showcase unique stories from a specific region or country.
- People-to-People Exchanges: Using diverse elements of culture, such as the visual and performing arts, MCCD organizes and implements exchanges that connect current and emerging leaders, advance professional networks, and create dynamic opportunities for experiential learning between U.S. and international counterparts.
- Cultural Diplomacy Summits: These Summits are high-level forums at which international and domestic cultural leaders collaborate with policy makers, corporate and diplomatic representatives, academics, and members of the media to address global challenges through collaboration and cooperation.
- International Museum Capacity Building: Through customized training programs and tailored instructional sessions, MCCD shares more than 35 years of experience in world-class exhibition development, partnership and coalition building, museum education, community outreach, collections and facilities management, conservation and historic preservation, security, museum ethics, and sustainability.
- Cultural Intelligence Training: MCCD offers tailored coaching programs and country-specific briefings to companies, organizations, and leaders who need the tools to effectively navigate their international operations. Upon course completion, participants are better able to bridge cultural differences with sensitivity and agility towards realizing business goals.
Recent achievements – including exhibitions, such as Jam Session: America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World and Past Forward: Contemporary Art from the Emirates; exchanges, such as Arts for Social Change Exchange (Pakistan); and partnerships, such as the American-Chinese Cultural Initiative (ACCI) – have played a critical role in:
- Forging bilateral partnerships across sectors at the highest levels, including in China, India, Mexico, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates;
- Helping national policymakers – on education, trade and commerce, immigration, security and youth outreach, among others – to reach new audiences using culture as their filters;
- Supporting the U.S. government with its outreach to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America;
- Developing cultural programs to highlight key bilateral anniversaries and historic moments – including Turkmenistan’s independence and the normalization of U.S. relations with China and Vietnam – for corporate clients to build relationships in these important world markets; and
- Engaging underserved youth through ancillary education activities, fostering a new generation of global-minded citizens.
According to Ambassador Stuart W. Holliday, President and CEO of Meridian International Center: "The Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy builds on our wealth of experience to bring culture to the forefront of U.S. efforts to engage the world, understand other countries, and promote international cooperation."
For more information about the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy, please contact Terry K. Harvey at 202-939-5566 or send an email to tkharvey@meridian.org
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About Meridian International Center
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Meridian International Center is a premier global leadership organization that delivers a suite of exchange, cultural, and educational programs that prepare U.S. and international leaders to meet shared global challenges.
