[2] Exchange programs played a vital role in official and unofficial relations between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War.
One of the earliest cultural exchanges to be considered part of U.S. Public Diplomacy occurred when Nelson Rockefeller, named coordinator of Commercial and Cultural Affairs for the American Republics, encouraged journalists from Latin America to visit the United States in 1940 as part of the exchange of programs program with Latin America.
[3] Leading musicians from the region were subsequently invited during the decade to CBS's broadcasting studios in New York City in order to perform on the Viva America radio program for the State Department's Office for Coordination of Commercial and Cultural Relations (OCCCRBAR) and the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs.
One of the most significant moments in the formalization of exchange programs as tools of American Foreign Policy came under U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Soon after this meeting, Eisenhower said, "The subject that took most of my attention was the possibility of increased visits overseas by the citizens of one country into the territory of the other nation.
[9] Exchange Programs from the United States played a vital role during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
George Kennan, a key figure in the Cold War known as the father of containment, viewed culture as a way to decrease negative sentiments between countries.
Examples of cultural exchange programs between the United States and the Soviet Union include theater, museum, and opera expositions.
Although not political on the surface, cultural exchanges like these helped alleviate tensions and "humanize" the West in the eyes of the Soviets who witnessed them.
The Alliance's activities include formulating specific recommendations to support public policy regarding educational and cultural exchanges.
Many of these individuals enter into positions that directly affect the foreign policy of the United States,[15] such as Margaret Thatcher and Anwar Sadat.
The program is vital to expanding communication between the people of the U.S. and the partner countries in the interest of promoting mutual understanding and respect".