NATO Strikes Back

     On Wednesday, The Atlantic Council of the United States hosted a discussion about the the role NATO will play in the changing political environment of today. Moderating the discussion was the President of the Atlantic Council, Mr. Frederick Kempe. And while the group of participants was small, they had some clout. Klaus Scharioth, the Ambassador of Germany, and Pierre Vimont, the ambassador of France sat on either side of Kempe as they first gave their points and then participated in a Q&A.

     Scharioth lead off with a list of 10 points concerning everything from Russia to Afghanistan, laying the ground work for questions concerning many vital topics. He spent a significant amount of time discussing the issue of theater missile defense and Russia's growing importance after being out of the NATO limelight for some years. 

     Vimont had 3 points he wanted to talk about, saying that in France, if you can't say what you want to say in 3 points, there's no point in saying anything at all. He spoke in much the same rhetoric as Scharioth, but kept his points to those that hadn't been mentioned by his German counterpart. Vimont was much more soft-spoken and sometimes I had trouble interpreting his speech, even in the face of his well-spoken English

     After both ambassador's finished making their points, Kempe opened the floor for questions from the audience. I perked up as a familiar name, Robert Beecroft, started the discussion. Beecroft, a former ambassador himself, has been to other events I've participated in and always leads off with thoughtful, rather than stabbing questions as was the case with some other participants in the discussion.

     The discussion went very well, and Russia dominated the subject matter, and it's no surprise. With their announcement last week of their plans to modernize their aging military,  other clashes over the European gas supplies, and the war in Georgia from last year, Russia is quickly reasserting its dominance over the Eastern Bloc. The question of an American missile defense shield based in Poland and the Czech Republic has long raised the hackles of many in the Kremlin, but maybe with Obama's purported deal, they could solve the problem without raising a finger.

     Russia has long objected to the proposed missile system, placing missile interceptors in Poland, and a Radar system in the Czech Republic. They claim it infringes upon their own defense systems, and would allow the US to spy on Russian activities. The US claims the system is merely a safeguard against rogue states like Iran and N. Korea, who could launch missiles against allies in Europe and the Middle East. Obama's letter to Russian president Medvedev, released in early March, inferred that Russian cooperation over Iran might loosen the locks on the proposed system.

     While Russia has recently been acting in a very aggressive way, they haven't received a lot of criticism from the international community. The hope is that NATO along with the EU can help bring Russia back to the forefront in a constructive way that allows all parties to benefit. This is especially important after the gas crisis in January, when Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine, which is responsible for gas distribution to Western Europe.

     Afghanistan also came up frequently, and the main concern was European commitment to the mission there. A particularly scathing question came from the representative from the German Marshall Fund of the US, who asked whether or not Afghanistan was basically a US mission and the dedication of Germany and France to the mission itself. Both ambassadors responded well, Germany reaffirming its extra commitment of troops for the upcoming elections, and France keeping its commitments as long as they were necessary.

     Overall, the discussion went extremely well and everyone left with a greater sense of European feelings on the Russia issue and hope for Afghanistan's future. 

     I was particularly happy to have talked to a representative of the News Hour with Jim Lehrer, even if the conversation was merely about my camera and lens combinations. The one thing I really noticed was the recording device he brought with him. Much beefier than my simple tape recorder, he tapped directly into the microphone system, allowing for clear recording of the speakers. Not only was my system less advanced, the batteries died mid-speech and I probably lost half of Vimont's comments. No good. 

     Once again, many of the people attending the event knew each other and conversed afterwards. I wish I could have joined in with the talks, but elected to make my way home, to relax and upload the photos I had taken at the event on my computer.  Overall, being in the same room with two such important ambassadors, and hearing discussion about the future of the 20th Century's most important military alliance was a treat. I won't be attending any events next week, since my supervisor is on vacation, but I hope April will have many more events for me to attend and write about, until then....

     Patrick, out.

Changes....

So today I received word that my art exhibit post from Wednesday has been picked up by another blog written by a Georgetown University professor! I'm a little overwhelmed by that, and by the fact that this blog has been read by people that are actually important. Anyway, Here is the link to yesterday's posting of the Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review. My article is located pretty close to the top.

Still Lost....

So, to pick up my previous line of thought.....Wait, I lost it almost three months ago. I'll admit, I get an idea about a blog or podcast, and then if I feel no one is reading or listening to said media, I quit. Maybe from now on I'll assume the world wide web loves and adores me and I will write to my heart's content on whatever subject comes to mind. 

The subject that just so happens to be doing that now is an event I attended last night in service to the publication I currently labor for. The Meridian International Center is a widely recognized institution dedicated to public diplomacy and international outreach. They fulfilled their duties in conjunction with these dedications yesterday, with the opening of their art exhibit "Metropolis Now!" an exhibit exclusively featuring Chinese artists of all creeds and disciplines. Walking up the driveway to the front door, I was confronted by metallic rainbow-colored ants, the works created by artist Chen Zhiguang, who was actually in attendance at the debut. 

The Press Conference was filled mostly with Chinese media and diplomatic corps, with myself as one of the handful of caucasians scattered about the room. Even Xinhua Television, a prominent Chinese news agency was in attendance, and the presenter they brought with them was quite the adorable Chinese girl. As the press conference was kicked off, the President of the MIC Ambassador Stuart Holliday discussed the importance of international diplomacy and bilateral cooperation during these difficult economic times. He introduced the Vice President for Arts and Cultural Programs, Dr. Curtis Sandberg.

Dr. Sandberg was a very knowledgeable fellow, having visited Beijing and other sections of China recently with another MIC official whose name is lost to me. He could barely contain his excitement as he described the process of getting the works from China to the U.S. (apparently the Art arrived on Sunday, only 2 days prior to the exhibition's opening!). Finally, with an endearing goofy smile on his face, he introduced Fan Di'an, the director of the National Art Museum of China.

The director does not speak English, although I was impressed with his translator's ability to clearly voice what the director could not in our native tongue. After expressing his happiness and excitement about the exhibit's opening, he introduced the two artists who were in attendance as well. They simply stood, waved, bowed, and sat back down sheepishly. 

Finally, with the press conference over, the staff at MIC began quickly working to prepare for the gala happening an hour later. The conference room was transformed as the guests mingled amongst the art work spread among several rooms, with metallic ants crawling over every wall. After wandering the exhibition, I took some time to sit and take notes, since I had not seen my supposed compatriot from the paper at the event. 

the exhibition opened to the public at 6:30, and people of all walks streamed into the center to view the artwork and socialize. It seemed to me that the DC social crowd is a very exclusive group, as I wandered from room to room, taking the occasional awkward photo. I couldn't have felt more out of place in the midst of the beautiful women, poshly dressed men, and Chinese visitors. 

It was overwhelming, really, being there amongst the crowd. Not one to be a socialite, I felt a little weird wandering the crowd, seeing friends, colleagues, and acquaintances chat. Supposedly, two other writers from my paper were in attendance, but where they were, or even who they were in this crowd was lost to me. Honestly, I felt more at home being around MIC's secretaries and interns, since they seemed to be the only people located in and around my age group. That, and they were some very attractive ladies. Very.

Womanly woes aside, One I knew for sure: free beer and tasty snacks made this event especially nice. Beer has been absent from many of the events I've attended, and it is a welcome respite from the wine and liquor found there so often. On this night, they even had Baijiu, Chinese liquor with a sickly-sweet smell and an even weirder taste, the smell is almost enough to turn my stomach.

Another thing is for sure, if I return to this city, I hope I find a job like this one. Photography, writing, and food rank among my top 5 favorite things, and having all of them thrown in the mix of politics and international relations makes my heart beat a little faster. This is the kind of job most people dream about.

If only I had known some people there. The feeling of loneliness as I walked the halls was palpable. While everyone there knew someone, I knew nobody. Striking up a conversation with the lovely staffers seemed like a good option, but every time the idea came forward it was struck down at its very creation. 

I guess it comes down to the fact that I'm slightly antisocial. Photography is my respite from the chatting masses, hiding behind the lens a safe haven. 

    Pat out.