MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF 20THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 12 20PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 12 5 Letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs 6 Public diplomacy Key instruments and activities of public diplomacy 11 12 Cultural diplomacy 15 Economic diplomacy 19 Language and education as tools of public diplomacy 21 Historical diplomacy 23 Polish-Jewish dialogue 27 Development cooperation 30 Joint measures with Polish diaspora in the area of public diplomacy 32 Cooperation with local government and Non-Governmental Organisations 41 Poland up close – study visits 43 Working with the media 46 New image of Polish diplomacy on the Internet Priorities for 2012 49 50 Poland for children’s rights – Janusz Korczak Year 55 Eastern Partnership 57 Support for democratic transition in North Africa and the Middle East 59 European Football Championship Euro 2012 62 Foreign Service Day Selected projects 67 Ladies and Gentlemen, The contemporary world poses new challenges for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It requires modern methods of communication and promotion. Public diplomacy, which helps create an atmosphere of understanding even where political interests are at odds, is growing in importance. Every measure in the field of public diplomacy is aimed at furthering the national interest. We reinforce the positive image of Poland by cooperating with global media, maintaining a presence on the Internet and in social media, as well as by undertaking activities in the area of economic diplomacy and deve- lopment assistance. We promote Polish culture in many different ways, using various means of communication. We share the Polish experience of democratic transition. We encourage others to respect civil rights, in particular children’s rights, as exemplified by our participation in the 2012 celebrations to mark the Janusz Korczak Year. It is my pleasure to present to you the report on our activities in 2012. RADOSŁAW SIKORSKI Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Public diplomacy The significance of public diplomacy increases every year. Apart from traditional diplomacy, based on a traditional dialogue between political decision-makers, it has become crucial to search for means of communi- cation that allow us to reach societies and opinion leaders directly. Creat- ing a propitious environment around Poland and its interests and work- ing in favour of strengthening the positive image of our country are the most important challenges facing public diplomacy tasks conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. collaborate in this regard with an increasing number of allies, both We in Poland and abroad. We develop programmes with the support of local governments, NGOs and Polish diaspora organizations. By way of public tenders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs finan- cially supports hundreds of projects whose objec- tives are in line with its policy and serve to enhance international cooperation. The subsidies are awarded mostly to civil society organizations, which then implement the projects. The range of interests of public diplomacy is also expanding. Apart from cultural diplomacy, Polish diplomacy pays ever more attention to measures that In Porto (Portugal) at the promote Polish business and support and secure the Serralves Foundation, interests of Polish companies operating on interna- President Bronisław tional markets. Foreign visits of senior officials from the Komorowski inaugurated Ministry of Foreign Affairs are usually accompanied the Polish Culture Days in by economic promotion components. Several dozen the presence of Portugal’s commercial missions were organized in 2012, mainly Presidential Couple to non-European countries. Priority areas include the markets of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Asia and Latin America. Another important element The Council for the Promotion of Poland, an inter- of public diplomacy is the popularization of knowledge ministerial body appointed by the Prime Minister and about the concepts, measures and actions that helped chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, serves to Poland become the country least affected by the crisis ensure synergy in public-funded efforts to establish that our continent has been struggling with for five and strengthen the Polish brand abroad. The Council years. determines the relevant priority joint measures, their directions and formats. 6 Development cooperation is another important ele- ment in building the positive image of our country. Last year, assistance projects in which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved covered 20 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, and contributed to a consider- able boost of our country’s prestige in these regions. Public diplomacy is never one-sided; it requires part- ners both at home and in target countries. These include non-governmental organizations, the media, cultural institutions and the business community. Apart from the Ministry itself, tasks in the area of public diplomacy are carried out by nearly 160 Polish diplomatic missions abroad, including 23 Polish Insti- In his speech at the University of Oxford in tutes. Active cultural diplomacy remains the main September 2012, Minister Radosław Sikorski sphere of activity of the Institutes. Their objective is called for a substantive discussion on the above all to organize Polish events in the most impor- benefits related to Britain’s membership tant and most interesting cultural institutions in the of the European Union host countries; to ensure that Polish art, ideas and concepts are present at significant international festi- vals and retrospectives; and to reach local social and cultural media. The role of the institutes as the emis- saries of the most important trends in contemporary Polish culture is invaluable. The opening of a Polish Institute in New Delhi in 2012 – the second diplo- matic mission of this kind in Asia, alongside the one in Tokyo – demonstrates that we care about the pres- ence of our country on the Asian continent and its increasing significance in Polish foreign policy. Bear- ing in mind that Polish Institutes play a specific role in the establishment of close relations between Polish and foreign authors, cultural elites, civil society and the most important art and culture institutions, the Ministry will continue to extend this network. Opening of the Polish Institute in New Delhi, June 2012: Jerzy Pomianowski, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Anna Tryc-Bromley, Director of the Polish Institute; Professor Piotr Kłodkowski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to India Concert on the occasion of the opening of the Polish Institute in New Delhi: Jerzy Pomianowski, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Gaurav Mazumdar, sitar master 7 Poles and people of Polish origin on all continents are our natural allies in the development and reinforce- ment of the favourable image of Poland around the world. There is often a direct correlation between, on the one hand, the perception of Poles and Polish communities in the country they live in, their social status and political power, and, on the other hand, the prevailing opinion about Poland in that country. Aware of this correlation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strives to engage active Polish diaspora groups and Poles living abroad in image-building activities. The fact that budget funds allocated to support Polish diaspora activities have been assigned to the Minis- Official hoisting of the Polish flag on the try of Foreign Affairs provides the perfect conditions occasion of the Independence Day in front for the best possible development of these relations. of Toronto City Hall, organized by the Toronto chapter of the Canadian-Polish Congress Diversity Day at the US Air Force Los Angeles, April 2012. Legends of Polish Base in Los Angeles, August 2012. cinematography – Barbara Krafftówna, actress, Performance of the Łowiczanie and Barbara Sass-Zdort, director – during the group from Yorba Linda, California annual film lunch hosted by Yola Czaderska- -Hayek, organizer of the Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles The methods used in historical diplomacy by Polish diplomatic missions abroad have recently changed significantly. Apart from the popularization of the rich and multicultural heritage of our country, we now focus on the promotion of knowledge about our most recent history, in particular about the success of our systemic transformation. These types of meas- ures form part of the so-called Democracy Agenda and provide an opportunity to support the freedom- minded aspirations of other nations and to develop political systems based on democratic values and a free-market economy. Baku, promotion of Euro 2012 during a football tournament for diplomats. 8 In mid-2012, Polish diplomatic missions abroad mon- itored media coverage – not only sport-related – of one of our country’s most important image-building undertakings: the co-organization with Ukraine of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship. During the visits of football supporters and journal- ists, the atmosphere created by the Polish hosts was well received and publicly acknowledged in Europe and beyond. Beijing, presentation of Chinese translations of brochures about Poland It is also worth noting the considerable involvement of Polish diplomatic missions abroad in the celebra- tions to mark Janusz Korczak Year. In 2012, approx. 400 projects were implemented, which – apart from the promotion of knowledge about Janusz Korczak and his innovative pedagogical methods