Diplomacy 101 with Ghazanfar Hashmi

Ghazanfar Hashmi is a well-known writer, poet, columnist, translator, researcher, and media person currently based in the USA. He is the President/CEO of the International Academy of Letters USA, which works to build bridges between Pakistan and the USA through cultural and public diplomacy. This non-profit think-tank helps create an understanding and friendship between the two countries through dialogue on literature, arts, and culture. As President/CEO of IAL USA and the World Dialogue Forum, his efforts to advance cultural and trade partnerships between Pakistan and the USA are being recognized by different circles. His interviews with American writers, historians, diplomats, politicians, and members of Congress and the Senate are viewed as instrumental in creating a soft image of Pakistan. He started a number of public diplomacy initiatives and organized international literary events in USA which helped create soft image of Pakistan and investment linkages between the two countries. He has been organizing Annual Pakistan Conference on the ‘Pakistan-USA Relations’ in Washington DC in partnership with ‘Wilson Center’ and an International Conference on ‘Diplomacy for Development’ in Houston on regular basis for the last five years. He is the founder of Pakistan Literature Festival in North America. He organized first-ever 2-Days Pakistan Literature Festival in Houston which featured by the presence of renowned Pakistani writers, thinkers, diplomats, artists and authors. This festival helped in showcasing Pakistani heritage and creating soft image of Pakistan through sessions on art, culture, politics, diplomacy, literature and Pakistan affairs.  He is a prolific writer covering range of topics from poetry to international relations. He is author of six books. His book ‘A Nation Imprisoned in Myths’, deals with American Exceptionalism, is considered one of the important books on the subject. Renowned literary critics continue to explore the depth of his literary work through articles and interviews. His poetic work has been the subject of two research thesis in the Urdu departments of Pakistani University. He has participated in different international literary events, seminars and forums as guest speaker and chair.  As a renowned broadcast journalist and columnist, he wrote and spoke to highlight the positive image of Pakistan in and outside the country.