“So we have Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain — and Wisconsin?!”
--from @OHNewsroom; image from
"Ask Facebook."
--Reply of Wael Ghonim, the "Google Gandhi" of the Egyptian revolution: "First Tunisia, now Egypt, what's next?" to a question from CNN's Wolf Blitzer
MAPS
Mideast protests: real-time tweet mapping
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Pause in U.S. Pakistan strikes seen linked to U.S. prisoner - Mohsin Raza, Reuters: "The United States has halted drone attacks on militants along Pakistan's western border in a development analysts believe is linked to U.S. attempts to secure the release of a jailed U.S. consular employee. ... Many analysts believe Washington has stopped the attacks to avoid further inflaming anti-American fury in Pakistan just as it pressures a vulnerable Islamabad government to release Raymond Davis, a U.S. consulate employee imprisoned after shooting two Pakistanis last month during what he said was an attempted robbery.
'This in itself raises a number of questions regarding the U.S. Pakistan strategy as it struggles to balance counter terrorism ... with its 'public diplomacy,' said Simbal Khan, an analyst with the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad. The decision to halt a campaign that is the centerpiece of U.S. efforts to root out militants launching attacks on its soldiers in Afghanistan also raises questions, Khan said, 'about how chasing after terrorist and al Qaeda targets can be suspended to save the fate of a single U.S. national.'" Image from article, with caption: A supporter of the religious and political party Jamaat-e-Islami chants slogans next to an image of American Raymond Davis during a rally in Lahore February 20, 2011.
Fallout of the Davis case - Huma Yusuf, Dawn: "To most westerners, putting Raymond Davis, Aafia Siddiqui, COIN ops in Afghanistan, and drone attacks in the same context is incoherent. But to Pakistanis and others across the Muslim world, these things are all part of the same political and emotional continuum. ... It is no wonder that the Davis case is igniting the anti-American sentiment that has smouldered in the region for decades now. As the standoff between Washington and Islamabad over Davis`s fate continues, any recent gains made by US public diplomacy officers to alter the Pakistani public's perception of America have been lost. ... What becomes clear is that televised anti-Americanism — or, more accurately, strong reservations about US foreign policy — is not merely a media marketing strategy. Instead, it is a reflection of the position held by the 'key influencers' themselves. More research is now needed to determine whether the influencers within the media industry create and drive broader anti-US sentiment, or if they are participants in a pre-existing social phenomenon."
The speech he needs to make - Syed Talat Hussain, Dawn: "When almost everyone expressed deep worries over the growing drone strikes and the unlimited access that US officials, from lowly counsellor to intelligence operatives, had to Pakistan's entire leadership, Mr Qureshi [former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi] did not raise the red flag. In fact on his watch Ms Hillary Clinton held a school headmistress-like briefing in the Foreign Office, complete with charts, chalk and coloured pencils on the great things that the US was doing for Pakistan.
The visitor was allowed any number of opportunities to have dialogue with 'the people of Pakistan' — which comprised people the US embassy here handpicked — in what really was a brazen attempt at bypassing official channels to conduct US public diplomacy. These — there are many more — are concessions that Islamabad has made on every step of its way forward with the US in the last many years, and whose grimmest consequence is the present gridlock over Raymond Davis." Image from
Tweeting To Iran - by Reza Aslan, newsweek.com: "By now, it’s clear that social media has played a critical role in fomenting and sustaining public protests across the Middle East. The Facebook page set up by Google executive Wael Ghonim—which racked up nearly 400,000 followers before a single protester entered Tahrir Square—has been credited with almost single-handedly starting Egypt’s revolution. An overstatement, perhaps—but as Hillary Clinton warned a group of U.S. ambassadors at the height of the Egyptian protests, 'social media is going to change things.' If the U.S. isn’t on top of driving the message,
she said, 'we are going to be left behind.' In that vein, the State Department has just launched a new Farsi Twitter account, USAdarFarsi. Its first tweet: 'US State Dept recognizes historic role of social media among Iranians. We want to join in your conversations.' Unlike in Egypt, where State’s Arabic tweets urged mutual restraint on both sides, the Farsi tweets have taken a firm stance against Iran’s government. Last week, when tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest the regime, USAdarFarsi urged Tehran to allow people to peacefully assemble, Cairo style. Not surprisingly, Tehran has blasted the Farsi feed as evidence that Washington is organizing opposition forces. The response from the Persian Twitter community, meanwhile, has been mixed." Image from article, with caption: An Egyptian woman views the Facebook page created in honor of Khaled Said, who was beaten to death by Egyptian police.
IIP: A Bureau Playing with Fire – Or Maybe Not - Patricia H. Kushlis, Whirled View: "For the past decade, the Washington-based unit [The State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs] that handles America’s overseas information efforts has been underfunded, understaffed, poorly led, questionably effective and, for the most part, not surprisingly, anemic. It has been a bureau in search of a post-Cold War mission. ... [O]n the one hand, the State Department seems to be limiting – and targeting [-] its offerings to foreigners not through necessity, but through its own volition while on the other hand, it seeks to expand its people-to-people contacts through greater reliance on information and cultural centers operating outside Embassy walls. ... Sure, increase topically based IIP Twitter feeds with the one caveat: Be careful what you Tweet and remember Twitter is not a conversation: it’s a one way headline series. Increase the number of high quality Facebook pages too. IIP seems to be doing them very well. Maybe cut back on some of the less popular or influential others managed elsewhere. But understand, both Twitter and Facebook are restricted networks that operate within larger networked universes."
Empire: Social Networks Revolution? - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "These new technologies [social networks] - although quite impressive - cannot provide the panacea for all social ills and foreign policy headaches. And in terms of public diplomacy itself,
although such tools can provide an additional and very important component to complement the overall efforts, they cannot - on their own - replace genuine face-to-face efforts to converse, cooperate, and trust..." Image from
US Internet declaration bugs China - Peter Lee, Asia Times Online: "Many of the causes, consequences and implications of the popular unrest sweeping the Arab world and Iran are topics of heated debate. However, one outcome is without dispute: the 'freedom to connect' has become the newest, high-profile irritant in United States-China relations. [T]here are indications that 'freedom to connect' is not taken particularly seriously - nor are its implications and consequences being taken seriously. ... The events in Tunisia and Egypt raise an important issue, one that is exhaustively chewed over in a timely new book, The Net Delusion, by Evgeny Morozov, a morose cyber-skeptic hailing from Belarus. Morozov's point is that the Internet is neither universally beneficial nor neutral, censorship circumvention is not a panacea, and authoritarian regimes can often effectively exploit the Internet as a tool against dissent, rather than simply blocking it. As Morozov worries, invocations of 'freedom to connect' seem more like a feel-good slogan than a careful strategy. ... Judging from recent events in Washington, what is taken particularly seriously is the danger of lost funding and clout when public diplomacy is in political and fiscal retreat. 'Freedom to connect' offers the chance for a political and public relations counter-attack."
Reception Honoring the National Council of International Visitors During its 50th Anniversary Year -- Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Benjamin Franklin Room Washington, DC - U.S. Department of State: "[W]e are celebrating two big milestones tonight – the 50th anniversary of the National Council, which now has more than 90 chapters connecting leaders from around the world with their American counterparts, and the 70th year of the International Visitor Leadership Program, the State Department’s premier professional exchange program, through which 80,000 American hosts – or we like to call you citizen diplomats – have cultivated relationships. And every year, 200 international visitors, either individually or in a group, come to the United States for programs designed to reflect their professional interests, from business entrepreneurs, aspiring politicians, civil servants, human rights activists, teachers, and so much more.
And you know so well that our visitors are able to learn about American Government at the national, state, and local levels; they visit very representative American institutions from the Library of Congress to Walmart. And while – (laughter) – our visitors are experiencing America firsthand, Americans learn about their countries. Now, this is all part of our larger effort to broaden the reach of our diplomacy. I believe very strongly that in the 21st century, statecraft cannot just be government-to-government. It has to be government-to-people, and most importantly, people-to-people. So we are always looking for opportunities to engage civil society, women, youth, and everyone else. And that’s why the work of the International Leadership Program and the National Council are so vital. I really think diplomacy is a conversation, and the conversation needs to go on around the clock." Image from article
National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) 50th Anniversary Luncheon - Remarks Judith A. McHale Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Washington, DC February 17, 2011: McHale U.S. Department of State: "American relationships with the world must reach beyond leaders and government officials, to engage directly and seriously with a broad range of women, men, and young people – business leaders and entrepreneurs; social activists and civil society figures; teachers, students; artists, writers, and media professionals. When we engage with these individuals, we quickly realize that there are commonalities that can bring us closer together, even when we hold differing views on specific issues. From Indianapolis to Islamabad, people everywhere share the same aspirations for their families and communities. ... It is the power of leveraging human commonality that drives our work at the State Department as we endeavor to carry out President Obama and Secretary Clinton's vision to renew and expand America's engagement with the world. Secretary Clinton has said that solving today’s foreign policy problems requires us to think both regionally and globally, to see the intersections and connections linking nations and regions, and to bring countries and people together to jointly address our concerns. As we have seen time and time again, nothing can replace the power and impact of personal experience. That is why exchange programs such as the International Visitor Leadership Program have been a vital component of American public diplomacy, and why we are committed to sustaining and strengthening them."
Photo of the Week: Community Building in the Philippines - Ethiopian Review: "The United States sponsors a multitude of activities meant to form closer bonds and create better understanding between Americans and the people in the Asia-Pacific region. For example, working with the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and partner governments, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) supports
some of the longest running Fulbright exchange programs in the world, such as Thailand and the Philippines with more than 60 years of involvement. Read more about the U.S. a deep commitment to public diplomacy efforts within East Asia and the Pacific over the last century, as EAP celebrates its 100th anniversary. ... -- U.S. Department of State[.]" Image from
Civil Society: An Idea to Believe In - Thinking Outside the Box: "As some of you may know Secretary of State Hilary Clinton gave a speech last wednesday (February 16th) on her project for the empowerment of civil societies as a new American foreign policy. I had a chance to watch the speech live in my Public Diplomacy class and to discuss it with a staff member from the American embassy in Dublin; even though I was entirely agreeing with H.Clinton’s vision of what society, and although I was hugely enthusiastic about the discussion that unfolded after the debate, I caught myself thinking later that day: now that’s all great but is a world in which civil society interact with governments to make a better world actually something that is going to happen? ... I'm a 21 year-old French Grad student at University College Dublin, Ireland."
Nominations Sent to the Senate, 2/17/11 - Office of the Press Secretary, The White House: "Ryan C. Crocker, of Washington, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2012, vice Penne Percy Korth, term expired. Sim Farar, of California, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2012, vice John E. Osborn, term expired. William J. Hybl, of Colorado, to be a Member of the United States Advisory
Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2012. (Reappointment). Anne Terman Wedner, of Illinois, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2013, vice Jay T. Snyder, term expired." See also (1) (2). Image from
Lugar Report Underscores Chinese Public Diplomacy Strengths - Philip Seib, allvoices.com: "Within the U.S. Congress, the most thoughtful and persistent champion of public diplomacy is Senator Richard Lugar, ranking Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In a report released February 15, Senator Lugar noted that 'in the same way that our trade with China is out of balance, it is clear to even the casual observer that when it comes to interacting directly with the other nation’s public we are in another lop-sided contest.' This matters because inadequate public diplomacy is a fundamental flaw in the American effort to compete with China and, argues Lugar, 'our nation is not doing all it can to prepare for the increasingly prominent role China will play in our economic and foreign policy.' ... Most impressive (or frightening, depending on your outlook) is the apparent coherence of the Chinese public diplomacy strategy. The Chinese know what they want to accomplish and they have decided that they will do what it
takes to reach their goals. The United States is far behind in committing both the economic and intellectual resources needed to compete effectively in public diplomacy. Perhaps Senator Lugar’s sounding the alarm about this will grab the attention of Congress, the White House, and the State Department and help revitalize American efforts in this crucial field." Obama/Lugar image from
A Foreign Policy for the Tea Party - Jon Basil Utley, Right Side News: "Overseas, the State Department's 'public diplomacy' effort (also known as 'winning hearts and minds') is a notorious failure, as one might expect given that, for example, the department has only two or three diplomats who speak Arabic well enough to debate our foreign policy on local television. Meanwhile, tens of billions in foreign aid programs also show incredible waste, with some of this aid from the U.S. taxpayer being used to prop up dictatorships."
BBG Chairman reviews book on Socrates - John Brown, Notes and Essays: "It is indeed heartening to see a review ... of a new book on Socrates [The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life By Bettany Hughes] by Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Walter Isaacson, the distinguished author of acclaimed biographies of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, considered by many America's first 'public diplomacy' envoy. (The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), according to its website, 'encompasses all U.S. civilian international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio and TV Martí, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN)—Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television.') Isaacson's perceptive review of a work on Plato's mentor suggests that, among the many who serve the US government, an admirable few find the time for thought and reflection. His piece may also be an inadvertent expression of what Mr. Isaacson may on occasion wish to do -- employ the 'pause that refreshes' --
when faced, as BBG Chairman, with relentless criticism from Congress and BBG's own employees." Image from
On day of Sec. Clinton's internet freedom speech, Sen. Lugar calls for anti-censorship funds to be moved from State to BBG - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
BBG chairman says that "iMovie in the cloud" is the future of international broadcasting - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Republicans' proposed 10-percent budget cut might force US international broadcasting to improve its performance - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "A ten percent budget cut might be the best thing that ever happened to US international broadcasting. Eliminate the duplication that exists because two US international broadcasting entities transmit in 20 languages. The resulting concentration of resources would actually improve performance. It would also eliminate layers of US international broadcasting management. This would require reform of US international broadcasting, which, legislatively, would be even more difficult to accomplish than the budget cut."
Re plan to drop VOA Mandarin shortwave: "So do you just want me to apply for a job at Xinhua?" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Rep. Rohrabacher suggests plan to cut VOA Mandarin shortwave is part of Obama deal with China - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Chinese media comment on proposed elimination of BBC and VOA Mandarin radio broadcasts - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Survey in Egypt shows 65% viewing Al Arabiya, 25% Alhurra, 22% Al Jazeera during uprising - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Reaching out to a billion hands India through a different prism (Capital Buzz) - indiatalkies.com: "When American Ambassador Timothy Roemer was coming to India, President Barack Obama asked him if he knew how much was India’s population. When he replied that it was over a billion, he said ‘I want you to shake hands with every one of them.’ Thus began a hand-pumping campaign that has been taking Roemer, a former politician from Indiana,
all over the country in an unprecedented public diplomacy campaign. Recently a little boy walked up to Roemer when he was travelling by train, and thrust his hand for a shake, demonstrating that his campaign was indeed working and reaching out to the ordinary Indian. In fact, ‘Shake the Ambassador’s hand’ here is a popular post on the American embassy blog as ‘website communication’ becomes an important element of American public diplomacy globally." Image from
Assessing Changes in the Middle East: A Conversation with John Moran - There are few Americans who are able to learn as much about the Arab world as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer who is posted in places like Riyadh, Kuwait City or Manama. So it is a special opportunity to talk with an American diplomat who has served in seven diplomatic assignments in the region as well as three jobs in Washington related to the Middle East and South Asian. That’s the resume U.S. Senior Foreign Service Officer John Moran
brings to his tour as Distinguished Diplomat in Residence at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations in Washington. ... Moran: ... This is the United States, not the Soviet Union, and word gets around on everything eventually. Having an open and unfettered media debate about all issues affecting a country is vital to a democracy. That’s why we did so many public diplomacy programs during the Cold War on the subject of 'a free and fair media.' ... SUSRIS [Saudi-US Relations Information Service]: There is of course a major debate on U.S. efforts supporting democracy in the Middle East, never more so than now. Have you as a public diplomacy officer been involved in this outreach, and how would you describe its effectiveness? Moran: Yes, I have, and it’s a complex subject with many components. First of all, in the interest of full disclosure I should admit right away that I’m an adherent of the 'Realist' school of foreign policy and tend to have a much narrower definition of what constitutes U.S. interests than some others might have. That said, U.S. government democracy initiatives and policies are nothing new and have not been confined to the Middle East. My personal opinion is that they have a poor record of success and often make us look hypocritical when our policies are interpreted as contradicting what we’re preaching as a government." Moran image from article
The Way Forward: Panel Discusses Next Steps for Fostering U.S.-Cuba Engagement - Rebecca Tollefson, blog.nafsa.org: "Earlier this week I attended an event at the Brookings Institution called 'U.S.-Cuba Relations: Moving Policy forward in 2011 and Beyond,' that was organized in light of the Obama Administration’s move to expand academic, religious and people-to-people exchanges between the United States and Cuba earlier this year. ... Kilbride [Patrick Kilbride, the senior director of the Americas Department at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce] said that establishing democracy and rule of law in Cuba can only be realized through an initial engagement, and that 'more contact between the two countries would act as a catalyst for change.' NAFSA and international educators would agree, as we know that public diplomacy has been one of the most effective tools in U.S. history for engaging with closed societies and encouraging the transition to openness and democracy. Already, study abroad providers and universities in the United States are contacting institutions of higher education in Cuba to begin the process of establishing new avenues of academic exchange to help pave the way for what will hopefully be the dawn of a new era of expanded relations between the United States and Cuba."
Ambassador and Americas’ Regional Web Manager visit Los Angeles represent FCO at Digital Diplomacy Conference - ukinusa.fco.gov.uk: "February 11-13, leaders in digital diplomacy met in Los Angeles area to speak about the influence of social media in government and business. The keynote speaker, John Duncan, UK Ambassador for Multilateral Arms Control and Disarmament, delivered a speech about the FCO’s use of social media. The Ambassador focused on the question of whether Gov 2.0 (government use of Web 2.0)
was transparency or propaganda. He explained that social media allows the government to communicate with the public in a conversation rather than simply pushing out a message. As an active blogger himself, Ambassador Duncan offered a unique perspective on successful governmental use of social media. ... Regional Web Manager for the Americas Gina Evans also participated in the conference. ... Gina spoke about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s use of public diplomacy through social media, or as it is becoming known, digital diplomacy. She explained that that the UK methodology consists of four ideas: listen, publish, engage, evaluate." Image from
Russia Today (RT) expands into San Francisco and claims ratings success in Washington and New York - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Ustadz Abu Menjadi Target Ustadz Abu Become Targets - Islam Is the Way of Life: [Google translation from Indonesian] "To fool the target, then the Americans use public Diplomacy term to substitute the term propaganda, and country-country implementation unit that became the target of this propaganda is called with the United State for Information Services (USIS). Secara kelembagaan, USIA ini dalam menjalankan propagandanya menerima dana pertahun hingga US $ 1 Milyar. Institutionally, this AGE in running propaganda receives funds annually up to U.S. $ 1 billion. Ironisnya banyak rakyat Amerika yang tidak mengetahui sama sekali keberadaan badan ini, karena memang keberadaan badan ini dirahasiakan secara ketat dari pengetahuan publik. Ironically, many Americans who do not know at all the existence of this body, because it is the existence of this body are strictly kept secret from public knowledge. Bentuk propaganda yang paling menghasut biasanya dilakukan dengan cara saling mempertentangkan dan mengkonfrontasi pernyataan-pernyataan para pemimpin masyarakat dan umat, sehingga menjadi sensasi di media massa dengan siaran nasional dan internasinal serta diperluas oleh jaringan media massa yang berada satu sisi secara ideologi dan politik dengan leberalisme sekulerisme. Form the most inciting propaganda usually done by confronting each other and confront the claims of community leaders and people,
so that a sensation in the media with national broadcast and internasinal and expanded by the mass media networks that are one-sided political ideology and secularism leberalisme. Dalam menjalankan mesin propagandanya, AS menggunakan badan intelijen CIA dan institusi USIS / USIA. In carrying out its propaganda machine, the U.S. uses the CIA's intelligence agencies and institutions of USIS / AGE." Image from
In the warm atmosphere of the enemy - Szczecin: [Google translation from the Russian] "Ogonyok sent its author into NATO. Автор вернулся разочарованным The author returned disappointed. ... The portfolio, which I brought from NATO, the inscription: Public Diplomacy. Я, конечно, несколько иначе представлял себе европейский стандарт общественной дипломатии. Of course, I somewhat differently imagined a European standard of public diplomacy. Зато теперь у меня есть своя натовская история. But now I have my own a NATO history. В отличие от истории Славы Ли это совсем не героическая и довольно унылая история. In contrast to the stories of Glory Lee is not a heroic and rather sad story. Это история о том, что миром правят вовсе не герои, как нам казалось во времена подпольных просмотров “Рембо” и бравых баек от дембелей ВДВ. This is a story that the world is ruled not heroes, as it seemed at the time of the underground hits "Rambo" and brave tales of Dembele Airborne. Судьбы мира вершат бюрократы. Fate of the world heard by the bureaucrats. Закрытые на семь замков, упрятанные за десяток табу. Enclosed by seven locks, locked up dozens of taboos. Сделать мир справедливей и безопасней у них не получается, но они интенсивно над этим работают. Make the world a fairer, and safer for them not, but they are actively being worked on."
Energy security is one of the top topics of Bratislava's Forum - fuu.sk: [Google transaltion from the Slovak]: "One of the themes of this year's top security forum in Bratislava
will GLOBSEC energy security from the perspective of the V4 countries. ... Event in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Slovakia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NATO Public Diplomacy Division organized by the Slovak Atlantic Commission. Záštitu nad podujatím prebral minister zahraničných vecí SR Mikuláš Dzurinda. Patronage over the event took over the Foreign Affairs Minister Mikulas Dzurinda." Image from
India’s soft power is unclear - posted at duckofminerva.blogspot.com: "Indian soft power becomes significant if it has effects on the behaviour of other states or on public opinion towards India outside its borders. Have there been any effects or signs of effects? How would those in the Indian government be able to tell? First, we need to examine the foreign policy decisions of those India is trying to affect. Is there any evidence that China, the EU or the US have modified their actions because they have bought into an Indian narrative? Second, we need to see whether India’s story is indeed viewed positively. State departments in the US, UK and Canada have tools to measure the impact of their public diplomacy initiatives using a variety of digital, survey and face-to-face methods. While embryonic, these tools allow governments to track public responses around the world to its statements at summits, treaty negotiations and so on. This makes it possible to begin to evaluate not just whether 'other people like us' but also why. If India is spending money on projecting its soft power, we might expect the Indian government to have a way to find out whether its efforts are having any impact."
Israeli President: Iran will be stopped by its own people -todaynewsline.com: "The President [Shimon Peres]... referred to the peace process with the Palestinians and said: 'All the people that are extreme, fanatic and hateful use Israel as an excuse
and they are gaining ground. There is a tendency to delegitimize Israel and we have to treat it seriously. Not everything can be done by Hasbarah (public diplomacy). The only way we can do it is by making peace with the Palestinians and let the world see how we do it. I believe the gaps were narrowed.'” Peres image from article
Foundation Expo '88 Response re: Australia at Yeosu Expo 2012 - World Expositions Snapshot: "A rambling diary of World Expositions thoughts - from an Australian perspective: The following is an email sent to my local member of Federal Parliament, the Honourable Mr Graham Perrett MP, for forwarding on to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Mr Kevin Rudd MP. ... '3-month Expositions give developing nations, and smaller cities the opportunity to host an Exposition, at a considerably smaller financial footprint, also for the participant. Nonetheless, the smaller Expositions still represent a unique opportunity for nations to participate at a World Expo and further their nation's public diplomacy objectives in a targeted, and compact manner. They are still important, especially in terms of furthering Australia's bi-lateral relations, as World Expositions. Australia should not 'give up' on the 3-month Expositions simply because they are 'smaller', and hence perhaps viewed - wrongly - as 'insignificant'."
Iranian FM Spokesman Calls for Development of All-Out Ties with Zimbabwe- english.farsnews.com: "Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast
in a meeting with Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi stressed the necessity for the further consolidation of ties between the two countries in all fields. 'The two countries' deep interest (in the expansion of bilateral ties) necessitates new atmosphere and grounds for cooperation in cultural and economic arenas, and one of the most important grounds is the promotion of cooperation in area of public diplomacy,' said Mehman-Parast who has traveled to Zimbabwe at the head of a media delegation. During the meeting, he also described the relations between Iran and Africa as good, and the bilateral ties between Tehran and Zimbabwe as excellent." Image from article See also.
21st-Century Statesman: In the age of Twitter-shortened attention spans, fame is an increasingly powerful weapon of diplomacy. How George Clooney is helping to bring change—and a hefty dose of hope—to Sudan - John Avlon, newsweek.com: In January, Clooney was back in South Sudan, directing his star power toward helping its people peacefully achieve independence from the northern government of Khartoum after two decades of civil war. With five years’ involvement in Sudan, Clooney
has begun to define a new role for himself: 21st-century celebrity statesman. ... Clooney’s strategy for public diplomacy is informed by film. 'You have to get people in the theater first,' he reflects. “The trick is to be really concise—it’s a one-liner on a poster, right? You have to make it clear. ‘You can stop a war before it starts’ [or] ‘If you had a chance to prevent the next Darfur, what would you do?’'You cannot sustain people’s attention seven days a week, for a long period of time. Actors have an advantage, because you do a movie and then you disappear for a while."
CULTURAL DIPLOMACY
Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences, Established by American Academy of Arts and Sciences - prnewswire.com: "The President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Leslie C. Berlowitz, today announced the creation of a national commission to bolster teaching and research in the humanities and social sciences, fields that are critical to culture, education, and to America's economic competitiveness. The Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences will be chaired by Richard H. Brodhead, President of Duke University, and John W. Rowe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Exelon Corporation, and includes prominent Americans from the humanities, the social sciences, the physical and life sciences, business, law, philanthropy, the arts, and the media. The Commission was formed in response to a bipartisan request from United States Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Representatives Tom Petri (R-Wisconsin) and David Price (D-North Carolina). Congress asked the Academy to respond to the following charge: What are the top ten actions that Congress, state governments, universities, foundations, educators, individual benefactors, and others should take now to maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education, and to achieve long-term national goals for our intellectual and economic well-being; for a stronger, more vibrant civil society; and for the success of cultural diplomacy in the 21st century? ... The American Academy Commission
will draw on past research efforts, data from its Humanities Indicators, and the experience and expertise of a multidisciplinary group of national leaders to recommend specific, actionable steps to maintain the nation's excellence in the humanities and the social sciences. The Commission will focus on education, research, and the institutions critical to advancing the humanities and social sciences in the nation. The Commission expects to complete its work over the next 18 to 24 months. Further information about the initiative can be found at www.amacad.org." Image from
Hard power and soft power - Jayantha Dhanapala, island.lk: "Text of Keynote Address titled Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power- Sustainable Smart Power at the Opening Plenary of the South and Central Asia Fulbright Regional Workshop, Hilton Hotel, Colombo, 26 January, 2011. ... So the plan of my presentation is to talk about the eclipse of hard power. I ought to then talk about a few of the declinist theories and the tectonic shifts of global power. I would like then to move on to identifying some of the elements of what I think is the soft power of the United States which can be converted into smart, sustainable power and discuss the existing programmes which are being used and which can be developed in the future. And, finally, to bring the different skeins of my argument together in some, hopefully, coherent conclusions. ... The enormous diversity of the American population and the way which America continues to attract immigrants from a wide variety of countries. I think this must remain one of the important elements of the soft power of the United States which has to be used wisely and well. And the existing programmes, of course, include the Fulbright programme. In many ways you in this workshop, participating in the administration of the Fulbright programme are the harbingers of a shift to smart power. ... [A]fter having exhausted hard power, my hope and my plea is that the United States will now make the transition to soft power because that is the smart and sustainable thing to do in order to continue to wield its very beneficial influence on the world as we now know it and as we face so many challenges together."
Take five: Marc Thayer talks about cultural diplomacy - Nancy Fowler, St. Louis Beacon: "The meaning of a smile transcends language. So does a hug. So do music, dance and visual art. With this in mind, violinist Marc Thayer wants to help local arts organizations reach out beyond their own cultures. His St. Louis Arts Roundtable event, 'Cultural Diplomacy in your Neighborhood and Abroad' taking place Saturday, Feb. 26, offers a number of guest speakers with experience in cross-cultural pursuits. Thayer has played with symphonies in Bolivia, Iraq, France and Germany, among others. ... But for Thayer, cultural immersion is a 24/7 commitment. Every year, he provides a home for two Iraqi music students who come to the United States through scholarships to Saint Louis University and play with the symphony's youth orchestra. One of last year's students remains with Thayer while continuing his education in St. Louis.
In a conversation with the Beacon, Thayer talked about the never-a-dull-moment pace of a home enlivened by a mix of cultures, cooking and musical talents, and the importance of cultural diplomacy. Marc Thayer: ... 'People in management in any branch of arts administration; we're also trying to interact with art educators, music teachers, art teachers, those in professional development, marketing people and education managers with arts organizations, both big and small. The goal is cultural diplomacy and interacting with other cultures whether it's here in St. Louis or elsewhere, and abroad. We'll talk about how to get it started, and how to develop a program and find funding. And we're also talking about how to interact with U.S. diplomats and arts programs overseas through embassies, the State Department and other sources.'" Thayer image from article
Dance in our DNA - Saira Kurup, Parakram Rautela, Times of India: "Along with classical forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi etc, India has community dances, harvest dances, martial arts and festival dances. All of these are linked to people's lives. 'Indian classical dance for example originated from our folk dances, which in turn originated from our word-of-mouth stories,' says Shobha Deepak Singh, director and chairperson of the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra. Might this make for an especially Indian appreciation of dance — Indian or foreign? And are foreign governments and exponents of cultural diplomacy catching on? No one says a definitive 'yes' but then there's the evidence. On a cool November evening last year, Project Bandaloop, an American dance troupe, floated like butterflies on the glass walls of Delhi's Jeevan Bharati building. They were defying gravity with rare grace and Delhi was transfixed. ... The performance, sponsored by the US government, had no narrative and no peppy Bollywood songs, but it visibly struck an emotional chord. ... Y L Rao, programme director at the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), admits that dance has a unique advantage among the arts — even the layman can enjoy it. 'A jazz concert is meant for a niche audience, for instance,' he says. To that extent, dance is an important medium for countries aiming to build cultural ties with India. Nitesh Gurbani, cultural affairs coordinator at Spain's Instituto Cervantes in Delhi, says, "We held a three-day flamenco workshop, a couple of years ago, which received good response." But he admits that a major constraint is the enormous cost entailed in bringing foreign dance troupes to India."
S. Korea envoys in Seoul for annual discussions - The Korea Herald: "South Korea opened an annual conference of its diplomatic mission chiefs Monday, with hundreds of senior diplomats gathering in Seoul to discuss “business diplomacy” plus other topics prepared to familiarize them with the nation’s foreign policy objectives this year. ... The conference opened with a briefing on inter-Korean relations and participants are scheduled to move
to a training center out of Seoul later in the week to discuss foreign policy objectives for the year. The goals include regional security, energy cooperation, green growth, free trade cooperation and cultural diplomacy, the Foreign Ministry said." Image from article, with caption: Heads of overseas diplomatic missions salute at the opening of their five-day annual conference at the Foreign Ministry on Monday.
21st Century Asian Soft Power - Ulara Nakagawa, the-diplomat.com: "Asian states continue to embrace various soft power initiatives. Just yesterday in Vietnam, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved the country’s strategy for cultural diplomacy through 2020, which will focus on promoting Vietnam’s country, people, and culture to the rest of the world. In Taiwan, President Ma Ying-jeou has also spoken out, saying that for his country, tourism is the key to effectively exercising soft power. If this is the case, then according to Radio Taiwan International the island could be on to a good thing—last year the island broke its previous record, with 5.56 million visitors. Meanwhile, according to one recent opinion piece in the Jakarta Post, Indonesia, ‘currently lacking in soft power in terms of having a positive presence in other countries,’ has something to learn from China’s ‘soft power charms.’ Here, it’s suggested that China’s success with its Confucius Institutes is one of the best endeavours Indonesia might learn from. China’s Confucius Institutes are indeed the result of a fascinating modern soft power initiative that has made a significant impression around the world in just under seven years. Combining a certain practicality with culture and the arts, China has found a formula that has allowed it to expand the reach of the institutes quickly and beyond expectations. At present, with 322 Confucius Institutes and 369 Confucius Classrooms in 96 countries—and serving almost 400,000 learners—the Confucius Institutes of China are a real topic of interest in a wide range of circles, academic as well as political."
Confucius says school's in, but don't mention democracy - Justin Norrie, Sydney Morning Herald: "China will pay NSW schools more than $200,000 to promote its language and culture in a move hailed by second-language advocates but seen by others as part of a Chinese 'soft power' offensive. Senior figures from the state Education Department say the venture plays a large part in pushing better literacy in Asian languages. But they concede that situations could arise where it was 'best [for students] not to engage in' discussions about controversial subjects such as the massacre in Tiananmen Square or China's human rights record, raising questions about China's influence over the program's content.
The newly formed Confucius Institute, funded largely by China and based at the Education Department's Ryde office, is set to open in April. It will provide teachers from China to help oversee 'Confucius classrooms' for more than 3000 students in seven schools from the second half of the year, and has plans to expand the program to more schools. Since 2004, China has spent millions of dollars establishing Confucius institutes in universities across the world, including Sydney, to support language and culture studies. Dr Phil Lambert, regional director of the department's Sydney branch, said the NSW partnership was the first to be formed with a school body. The sudden proliferation of institutes worldwide has prompted concerns that the Communist government is using the non-profit public centres as a tool to scrub clean its image abroad. In an academic paper published last year, the Queensland University of Technology research student Falk Hartig said that 'when it comes to certain sensitive topics, Confucius institutes turn quiet or even silent'. It would be best to understand them not as 'propaganda tools' but as 'one instrument of China's cultural diplomacy to wield and bolster Chinese soft power globally'." Image from article, with caption: Great leap forward ... Rouse Hill Public School Mandarin students with teachers Ginny Lim (left) and Lily Fang, a volunteer from China.
Confucius Institutes: Beware =UPDATED= - michaelturton.blogspot.com: "Confucius Institutes have two, and only two, functions: one is propaganda, and the other is intelligence on the academic community. Watch out for the one in your neighborhood; its presence is entirely inimical to the development of robust critical views of China, academic freedom, and democratic politics. Nathan notes in the comments that the Confucius Institutes are supervised by the PRC's education ministry. He also passed me this link to this article on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee report which says basically that US public diplomacy is woefully underfunded."
Rising China Bests a Shrinking Japan - Chester Dawson, Wall Street Journal: "Japan now is more focused on different, less-quantitative, ways of defining success. Its influence
abroad remains extensive, and in some ways has grown. But it is more low-key, less directed in contentious areas of strategic technology and more in the realm of cultural diplomacy. The notion of Japan as a center of creativity and innovation—in hybrid-engine-powered cars or 3-D videogames—contrasts with its image 20 years ago as a copycat that mimicked design and technology pioneered elsewhere, and then outpowered the original makers with superior manufacturing. That label is now attached more to China." Image from
President Triet appoints 22 ambassadors - english.vovnews.vn: "Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet handed over the decisions on February 14 to appoint 22 Vietnamese ambassadors to foreign countries. ... President Triet advised them to be modest, courteous and to actively gain good experience from other countries with the aim of developing the homeland. He said they should be flexible
but also resolute in protecting the legitimate interests of the nation, especially in the fields related to democracy, human rights, and religion. In addition, the president also told the diplomats to pay more attention to economic and cultural diplomacy." Image from article
PM approved cultural diplomacy strategy - vovnews.vn: "Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved Vietnam’s strategy for cultural diplomacy until 2020 to promote the international community’s understanding of Vietnam’s country, people, and culture. The strategy aims to win the trust of other nations in the world, develop and strengthen Vietnam’s relations with other countries on a stable and sustainable basis and raise its position in the international arena. Through its cultural diplomacy, Vietnam will absorb the cultural quintessence of humankind to diversify its own cultural values. The combination and interaction of cultural, economic, and political diplomacy - three pillars of a comprehensive diplomacy - will promote the implementation of the Party’s foreign policy."
On a mission to produce masterpieces of greenery - Anil Radhakrishnan, The Hindu: "[A]rtists from abroad, mostly first-timers to the country, have flown down for the eight-day 'Kerala Green' South Asian Artists Camp organised by the Union Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in collaboration with Seher. Modelled on the lines of 'Jaisalmer Yellow' and 'Puducherry Blue', the Kerala Green is part of the initiative aimed at bringing people closer through increased people-to-people contact between these nations. ... The External Affairs Ministry [of India] had been taking active
steps in the South Asian and SAARC neighbourhood countries since 2007 when India was the Chair of SAARC and when the summit was held in the country. A Cultural Charter was signed at the Summit wherein Cultural diplomacy was given due importance and series of Cultural Festivals began with India taking the initiative." Image from article, with caption: Captuting the beauty of God's Own Country: Kyi Win from Myanmar engaged in painting at the ongoing "Kerala Green" South Asia Artists camp at Poovar near Thiruvananthapuram on February 18, 2011.
V&A buyout by locals leaves a sweeter taste - iol.co.za: "South Africa, and Cape Town in particular, will benefit from closer ties with Singapore as a result of a visit next month by a high-powered delegation of 150 people, made up of business people in search of opportunities, business students and artists. Representatives of Spotlight Singapore, an organisation formed to forge cultural and business bonds with other cities, intended at first to connect with Johannesburg, known to it as the financial capital of South Africa, but decided on Cape Town instead, mainly because of resemblances between the two port cities, which attract tourists as well as trade. The result will be a visit next month by business people looking for opportunities in trading and investment in the Western Cape, performing artists and musicians, some of whom will put on the premiere of a musical epic, Selamat, by Singapore composer Iskandar Ismail and poet Edwin Thumboo, and business students from Singapore’s Nanyang Technology University and Temasek Polytechnic, who will link up with the University of Cape Town. Singapore has already formed similar relationships with Hong Kong, Tokyo and Moscow. One of the reasons for coming to South Africa is that South Africa is about to join the Bric grouping of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The impetus for all this comes from Spotlight Singapore, originally started to showcase Singapore artists and their work, which has been expanded to an organisation using cultural diplomacy to open a market for business development. It will announce its next target country next month, which seems likely to be Brazil, with which Cape Town is already developing ties as a result of hosting Brazilian soccer fans during the World Cup and the revival of the Cape to Rio yacht race."
Nobel Peace Prize 2011: World Academy of Arts, Literature and Media Nominated - jollofnews.com: "The World Academy of Arts, Literature and Media (WAALM), has been nominated for the 2011 Nobel
Peace Prize. The United Nations-affiliated organization, ACUNS, is noting this incredible honor and WAALM due to their role in promoting cultural diplomacy, encouraging the use of soft power instead of hard power." Image from
Mellon Fellow Kiddle Honored for Doctoral Thesis - Eric Gershon Wesleyan Connection: The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs has presented its annual award for best doctoral thesis on Mexican foreign relations to Amelia Kiddle, the Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow in Latin American Studies at Wesleyan’s Center for the Americas. Kiddle is the first winner to have completed her doctorate outside Mexico. The prize is worth about $8,000 and includes a commitment to publish the Spanish-language version of her dissertation, 'La Política del Buen Amigo: Mexican–Latin American Relations during the Presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas, 1934-1940.' Kiddle, now in the first year of her two-year fellowship, considers her receipt of the award a sign of Mexico’s 'desire to promote international cultural exchange,' and of Mexican intellectuals’
interest in 'dialogue with English-speaking scholars of Mexican history.' She plans to revise the dissertation for English-language publication while at Wesleyan. The project examines cultural diplomacy and Mexico’s relations with other Latin American nations during the administration of Cárdenas, whom Kiddle regards as 'the most revolutionary of the post-revolutionary presidents' because he championed the organization of workers, spearheaded an unprecedented agrarian reform, and expropriated foreign oil companies operating in Mexico, creating the national oil industry PEMEX." Kiddle image from article
The Holland Bureau: The perils of engagement - Giles Scott-Smith, dutchnews.nl: "A few weeks ago I received an invitation for a reception at the Iranian Embassy in The Hague. Unusual, to put it mildly. Since the Ahmadinejad regime came along, cultural outreach from the Iranians has been somewhat limited. Being a diplomat of a pariah regime can’t be an easy business. My initial reaction was positive – I generally have no problem in establishing dialogue with those who seek it. And there is obviously some curiosity involved to see how the Iranians might go about such an event. And – what is on everyone’s mind in this kind of situation – the urge to see who else would show up. Yet there was a major catch that made me uneasy. The reception wasn’t called for the Ambassador’s birthday or something fairly neutral, but to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Now, I am pretty open
to different viewpoints. I invited the Cuban Ambassador to give a lecture to students a couple of years ago, and he did, with some style (main security threat to Cuba, according to him? The fall-out from drug flights coming up from Latin America towards the US market). But the Iranian Revolution? A lot of people have died in recent years at the hands of an Iranian state determined to preserve their power in the name of that very Revolution. The violent police clamp-down following the presidential elections in June 2009, which have temporarily flattened any hope of change, is still lingering. With all my interest in cultural diplomacy, I have no wish to support any of that."
Dreaming of 'A Different World' - Nico Lang, Washington Post: "As Egypt dreams bigger, this moment is a challenge to Americans that support Egyptian democracy, a challenge to use that cultural diplomacy to create a better society for Muslims at home. ... We are living in a moment where the varied medias of our era give us the extraordinary opportunity to start conversations and unite people on a seemingly limitless scale. Last Friday, Egypt proved it can be better together, but their nation cannot prove it alone. If we are to continue to stand with them, we can only do that by standing up for our Muslims at home and by inviting their families into our living rooms each week."
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Increased U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan killing few high-value militants - Greg Miller, Washington Post. Image from
Egypt's media undergo their own revolution - Jack Shenker, The Guardian: Image from article, with caption: Jaw-dropping videos are circulating of state TV bosses being chased out of their offices, writers at state newspapers are striking, and age-old bastions of regime propaganda are improbably restyling themselves as cheerleaders of radical change. Amid the turmoil,
many are asking whether, as the new, post-Mubarak Egypt takes shape, state media will have a long-term role to play. Image from article, with caption: Read all about it … A young boy tries to read a newspaper in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
People's Daily embarrassingly gushy North Korean propaganda - shanghaiist.com: People's Daily reporter Zhou ZiranChina is the closest thing that North Korea has to a friend at the moment and we get that the People's Daily is the CCP's official mouthpiece, but they were just asking for it when reporter Zhou Ziran posted up a gushy article on the wonderful state of things in Pyongyang.
Azerbaijan distorts history to get Nagorno-Karabakh back, historian says - news.am: Azerbaijani historians have combined their efforts to distort all the historical facts about Armenia for the purpose of getting Nagorno-Karabakh back, Doctor of History, Professor Babken Harutynyan told journalists Feb. 21.
The Armenian side does not respond to most of the distortions. However, when one side repeatedly distorts historical facts, while the other is silent, the international community may "take everything its face value." "Europeans, who do not know the history of Armenian people, will not go deep into the situation. They will think the Armenian side has nothing to answer," professor Harutyunyan said. The level of Armenian propaganda leaves to be desired. "Yes, some work is being done. But it is not enough. Government assistance is needed," Professor Harutyunyan said. Image from article
Azerbaijani propaganda again proved its incompetence - aysor.am: "'February 17 morning the subversive act initiated by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces turned to be their usual adventurism which apparently performed their incapacity. This subversive act that was condemned to failure from the very beginning proves once again the incompetence of propaganda about Azerbaijani Army,' commenting on the subversive act initiated by the Azerbaijani armed forces on February 17 noticed the spokesman of the RA MoD Davit Karapetyan."
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