November 27

by Mr. Fish

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

A leader on fighting terrorism - James K. Glassman, Miami Herald: “The U.S. State Department has joined a public-private group, including tech firms like Facebook, Howcast and Google, that will bring Colombia's anti-FARC organizers together with about 15 other global anti-violence groups in New York in a few weeks to discuss best online practices. Perhaps we'll soon see masses of young people mobilizing against the mindless violence of al Qaeda, the Taliban and other terrorists in places like Kabul, Islamabad, London, Bali, New Delhi and Mexico City. There's no more important cause, and Colombia is leading the way.” James K. Glassman is the under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs at the Department of State. See also.

"What does Mr. Kissinger propose"? - Saudi Arabia United States Relations, Information Service: "Today we present the remarks of former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki al Faisal. … In his remarks Prince Turki's challenges statements made by … James Glassman, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.”

Building on the Momentum of Global Goodwill - Jeff Weintraub, So It Goes: “By public diplomacy, I mean ‘civilian instruments of national security – diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action, and economic reconstruction and development,’ as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has called for. Comes now a new prescription for our public diplomacy needs via a just-released report by Brookings Institution scholar Kristin Lord. The report, which was based in part on consultations Lord had with more than 300 people from a wide range of sectors in U.S. society, calls for (and this is from the report's executive summary): 'the creation of a nimble and entrepreneurial new non-profit organization, the USA-World Trust, to complement and support U.S. government efforts' as well as private-sector actions.”

From the American People: Why the Story That U.S. Foreign Assistance Is Working Must be Told Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid: Among the report's recommendations: “We recommend that USAID adopt a more strategic, coherent and multi-year set of communications and outreach goals by identifying resources, key audiences and messages, and the most effective tools and products for partnership opportunities. This needs to be done in close coordination with development partners, the U.S. State Department and other govern-ment departments with foreign assistance responsibilities. … We recommend that USAID should execute and maintain consistent opinion polling and focus groups in an effort to design more contextualized strategies for U.S. domestic awareness campaigns. In campaigns targeted to foreign audiences, the U.S. embassy's political buy-in, particularly in high-profile countries, is essential. Establishing and maintaining coordination between the U.S. embassy and USAID, particularly involving the DOC and Public Affairs Officer (PAO) will greatly contribute to an effective communications process.” See also.

A Thanksgiving Present and Reality Check — Ted Kaufman’s Appointment to the U.S. Senate Seat from Delaware – Ted Lipien, FreeMediaOnline.org & Free Media Online Blog: “Voice of America journalists and other employees who broadcast American news to the world are thankful for the pre-Thanksgiving Day news that Ted Kaufman (Edward E. Kaufman) was appointed to the U.S. Senate seat from Delaware vacated by his former boss, Vice President elect Joe Biden.”

VOA on Facebook and Twitter (but not yet for sale on eBay) - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Turkish Ambassador Admonishes Pres. Obama On Armenian Issues: Harut Sassounian, Huffington Post: “Faruk Logoglu, a former Turkish Ambassador to Washington, recently wrote a lengthy ‘Open Letter’ to Pres.-elect Obama, consisting of 23 points, touching upon various aspects of U.S.-Turkish relations. … Amb. Logoglu's letter, written in a patronizing tone, repeatedly tells Pres. Obama what to do once in office. In point 6 of his letter, the Ambassador demands that Pres. Obama, as one of the first tasks of his administration, ‘implement a broad public diplomacy strategy to win the hearts of the Turkish public,’ in view of the fact that ‘surveys consistently indicate a very unfavorable opinion of the U.S. in Turkey.’ In Logoglu's twisted logic, since most Turks hate Americans, it is Pres. Obama's solemn obligation to take immediate steps to make Turks like Americans!”

Historical Issues Overshadow Japan’s Nation Branding
- Kang Hyun-kyung, Korea Times: “Policy instruments to bolster Korea's soft power include public diplomacy, tourism, foreign investment promotion and cultural goods, and the nation branding strategy is one that encompasses all aspects, [Korea Foundation President Yim Sung-joon] said.”

A Coastie's Guide to the Instruments of Power - Jim Dolbow, An Unofficial Coast Guard Blog: “Diplomacy is defined by the Encyclopedia of Britannica ‘as the established method of influencing the decisions and behavior of foreign governments and peoples through dialogue, negotiation, and other measures short of war or violence.’ It is also very much like ice cream because it comes in many different of ‘flavors’ such as public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, medical diplomacy, to name a few.”

RELATED ITEMS

Obama the Realist - E.J. Dionne, Truthdig: In electing Barack Obama, the country traded the foreign policy of the second President Bush for the foreign policy of the first President Bush. That is the meaning of Obama’s apparent decision to keep Robert Gates on as secretary of defense and also to select Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

The Obama Administration, Guantánamo, and Restoring America’s Standing - Glenn Greenwald, ACLU Blog/Common Dreams: There are many steps which President Obama will need to take to put the U.S. back on the path of basic liberties and human rights. But closing Guantanamo -- decisively and immediately -- will signal to the world that he is serious about fulfilling the multiple pledges he made to restore America's standing in the world.

Guantanamo Justice: The Bush administration will finally release Salim Ahmed Hamdan. The Uighurs should be next – Editorial, Washington Post

Save the Economy, and the Planet - Editorial, New York Times: The country has elected a president who believes that meeting the challenge of climate change is essential to the health of the planet and to America’s economic future.

This is No SOP. It Is A Vote To End The Occupation of Iraq - Jonathan Steele – Guardian/Common Dreams: Bush and his ideologues wanted to make Iraq a protectorate and stay indefinitely so as to intimidate Iran and Syria. Now they have been forced to give up, and a newly confident Tehran has been helping its neighbouring Shia-led government in Baghdad to show them the door.

Bush’s Follies Will Destroy Obama If He Lets Them - William Pfaff, Truthdig: Obama has to rid himself of George Bush’s folly. He must make Iraq truly independent. If he doesn’t, it could destroy his administration.

More on the Al-Qaeda slur - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner: Global reactions to Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri's controversial condemnation of U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama as a "House Slave" (or, alternatively, "House Negro") have begun to pour in -- including via the top jihad web forums used by Al-Qaida to disseminate its propaganda.

Russian Analyst Predicts Decline And Breakup Of USA – Drudge Report: A leading Russian political analyst, Professor Igor Panarin, has said the economic turmoil in the United States has confirmed his long-held view that the country is heading for collapse, and will divide into separate parts. He even suggested that "we could claim Alaska -- it was only granted on lease, after all." Panarin, 60, is a professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has authored several books on information warfare.

Russia's interest in South America should alert the U.S.: Moscow is sending Washington a none-too-subtle warning, but the bigger issue is economic – Editorial, Los Angeles Times: If the U.S. snubs its trading partners in Latin America, it would leave a vacuum that countries like Russia and China would be only too happy to fill -- to the detriment of both our economy and national security.

Life After Foggy Bottom - David Ignatius, Washington Post: In a few weeks, Secretary of State Rice will have only herself to please, and that has had a liberating effect. She talks about her past and future as a person with nothing left to prove. She's leaving Washington for real after Inauguration Day and will return to Stanford University.