Nigerian Cultural Diplomacy In The Twentieth Century

Recent studies on the meaning of cultural diplomacy in the twentieth century often focus on the United States and the Cold War, based on the premise that cultural diplomacy was a key instrument of foreign policy in the nation’s effort to contain the Soviet Union. As a result, the term “cultural diplomacy” has become one-dimensional, linked to political manipulation and subordination and relegated to the margin of diplomatic interactions. This volume explores the significance of cultural diplomacy in regions other than the United States or “western” countries, that is, regions that have been neglected by scholars so far—Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. By examining cultural diplomacy in these regions, the contributors show that the function of information and exchange programs differs considerably from area to area depending on historical circumstances and, even more importantly, on the cultural mindsets of the individuals involved.

Nigeria matters. It is Africa’s largest economy, and it is projected to become the third most populous country in the world by 2050, but its democratic aspirations are challenged by rising insecurity. John Campbell traces the fractured colonial history and contemporary ethnic conflicts and political corruption that define Nigeria today. It was not—and never had been—a nation-state like those of Europe. It is still not quite a nation because Nigerians are not yet united by language, religion, culture, or a common national story. It is not quite a state because the government is weak and getting weaker, beset by Islamist terrorism, insurrection, intercommunal violence, and a countrywide crime wave. This deeply knowledgeable book is an antidote to those who would make the mistakes of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq—mistakes based on misunderstanding—in Nigeria. Up to now, such mistakes have largely been avoided, but Nigeria will soon—and Campbell argues already does—require much greater attention by the West.

This book explores the role of national theatres, national cultural centres, cultural policy, festivals, and the film industry as creative and cultural performances hubs for exercising soft power and cultural diplomacy. It shows how can existing cultural and non-cultural infrastructures, sometimes referred to as the Orange Economy, open opportunities for diplomacy and soft power; ways by which cultural performance and creative practice can be re-centered in post-colonial Africa and in post-global pandemic era; and existing structures that cultural performers, diplomats, administrators, cultural entrepreneurs, and managers can leverage to re-enact cultural performance and creative practice on the continent. This volume is positioned within postcolonial discourse to amplify narratives, experiences and realities that are anti-oppressive especially within critical discourse.

Music has long played a prominent role in cultural diplomacy, but until now no resource has comparatively examined policies that shape how non-western countries use music for international relations. Ethnomusicology and Cultural Diplomacy, edited by scholars David G. Hebert and Jonathan McCollum, demonstrates music's role in international relations worldwide. Specifically, this book offers "insider" views from expert contributors writing about music as a part of cultural diplomacy initiatives in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Syria, Japan, China, India, Vietnam, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Nigeria. Unique features include the book’s emphasis on diverse legal frameworks, decolonial perspectives, and cultural policies that serve as a basis for how nations outside “the west” use music in their relationships with Europe and North America.

We were in the mids of 2019 when we decided to organize a young researchers conference as the most important transnational event, subsequent to the inauguration of the UNESCO Chair of Culture Policy and Cultural Diplomacy of Istanbul Bilgi University established in 2018, held together with the chairs working in the same field. While deciding on the method, content, and form of participation of the conference we consulted with UNESCO chairs, with which we have been in cooperation for a long time. As a result, we decided to invite “young” researchers who are in the early stages of their academic career, irrespective of their age, and who have had their master’s degree and/or conducting doctoral studies. Our purpose was to ensure that they would start a dialogue with their colleagues in similar statuses and benefit from the comments of reviewers having experience in the profession, through the assessment of their presentations. We wished the conference that we planned to last two days to address the main themes of cultural policy. Hence, we projected holding of five sessions on the themes of “Culture as Agent in International Relations,” “Managing and Sharing Cultural Heritage,” “Cities: New Actors of Cultural Policy,” “Cultural Industries: Film as a Case,” and “Culture and Arts in all Their Forms.” Our call for applications has been welcomed with considerable interest. At that time, another thing happened as well. We wanted those young researchers would meet face-to-face, get to know each other, and exchange their views outside of the conference. However, the pandemic broke out and we were faced with the choices of postponing the conference or acknowledging to hold it online, due to travel prohibitions and lockdowns. As a result, the second alternative prevailed to maintain the excitement of the studies of the researchers. Our conference was held online, while Covid-19 was reigning with all its severity, on 21-22 August 2020. At the conference, papers of a total of eighteen researchers in charge at universities or working professionally in the sector in four continents took place. The fact that almost all of the researchers included the original features of the practice, which emerged from the theoretical literature in different subfields of cultural policy, but which they followed closely or were a part of directly, in their analyzes, was attention inviting. At the same time, it was possible to see in the presentations the traces of the (mostly negative) impacts of the international political environment, which continues with tensions, hot or cold conflicts, and inequalities, in addition to the oppressive political environment prevailing in the countries of today, on cultural policy. On the other hand, the lack of presentation and discussion of enough examples concerning cultural policies at the city scale was noteworthy. However, the quest of the young ones working in these disciplines, for new concepts and different methodological approaches, was extremely clear.

From the mid-1950s to the late 1970s, jazz was harnessed as America’s "sonic weapon" to promote an image to the world of a free and democratic America. Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington and other well-known jazz musicians were sent around the world – including to an array of Communist countries – as "jazz ambassadors" in order to mitigate the negative image associated with domestic racial problems. While many non-Americans embraced the Americanism behind this jazz diplomacy without question, others criticized American domestic and foreign policies while still appreciating jazz – thus jazz, despite its popularity, also became a medium for expressing anti-Americanism. This book examines the development of jazz outside America, including across diverse historical periods and geographies – shedding light on the effectiveness of jazz as an instrument of state power within a global political context. Saito examines jazz across a wide range of regions, including America, Europe, Japan and Communist countries. His research also draws heavily upon a variety of sources, primary as well as secondary, which are accessible in these diverse countries: all had their unique and culturally specific domestic jazz scenes, but also interacted with each other in an interesting dimension of early globalization. This comparative analysis on the range of unique jazz scenes and cultures offers a detailed understanding as to how jazz has been interpreted in various ways, according to the changing contexts of politics and society around it, often providing a basis for criticizing America itself. Furthering our appreciation of the organic relationship between jazz and global politics, Saito reconsiders the uniqueness of jazz as an exclusively "American music." This book will be of interest to students and scholars of international relations, the history of popular music, and global politics. The Introduction of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.