THE American Embassy is, as far as we are aware, the only one to answer our challenge of some six or nine months ago to all foreign representatives and their officers. Their challenge? Give some meaning to that diplomatic platitude that invariably appears in chummy documents signed by friendly nations.
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WE’RE talking about the one that refers to “cultural exchanges”. Great idea – but the number of exchanges that has taken place in recent years between PNG and the rest of the world is pitiful. There was a time when the Australians sent opera singers and string quartets, circuses and comedians and even on one occasion, a full Spanish ballet company to perform in PNG.
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THEY also funded painting and sculpture exhibitions and arranged for PNG performers to appear in Oz capital cities. The National Theatre Company, of fond memory, danced at Darling Harbour in Sydney; PNG actors appeared at the Adelaide Festival and as a result, in professional productions in Sydney.
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BUT not in recent times. No – the pursuit of power and glory by the Australian government and its pre-occupation with creating hegemony throughout the Pacific has meant that gentler issues such as arts exchanges have gone to the wall. Which, you must admit, is a bit of a downer.
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SO what have the Yanks done? Well, thanks to their energetic Ambassador Leslie Rowe, the renowned Art in Embassies programme has arrived in PNG, and Ms Rowe has invited members of the media to the American residency to view the collection. The programme began in 1964 and features paintings by US artists; the art is rotated through some 180 embassies globally.
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THE media reps will join Ambassador Rowe at 10 this morning; while some may regret that this is a private function, they can view the art by accessing the internet at http://aiep.state.gov. We can only hope that the American Embassy will find it possible to sponsor some of PNG’s outstanding artists to exchange ideas and skills with their US counterparts.
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THE US ambassador deserves credit for this and other moves that have lifted the profile of the American Embassy several notches since her appointment. Cheers!
– Dee Nesenolis