January 2

The Return of Cultural Diplomacy: America should aim to export more serious forms of entertainment as well as 'Dark Knight' and 'Baywatch' - Martha Bayles, Newsweek: “The American cultural ideal has always been to recognize art on its merits, regardless of where the artist hails from, and to make the finest fruits of civilization available to all. This ideal has never been fully realized.” SEE ALSO

"The Return of Cultural Diplomacy" - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "Government deciding which U.S. cultural content is worthy for export is as problematic as government deciding which religious writings should be displayed in front of City Hall. Cultural diplomacy, therefore, would be a good project for ‘private public diplomacy,’ e.g. Business for Diplomatic Action.There are vaults containing a wealth of programming from U.S. public television and educational audio-visual producers. These include plays, concerts, histories, and performances of all sorts. Much of this can be translated into other languages and made available to television stations around the world at prices so attractive they cannot afford to say no.”

January 1, 2009 – Tyler, Entertainment for the Easily Amused:


"Public Diplomacy 2.0 is a new approach, not a new technology. The technology is an enabler, not an end in itself. Here are the guiding precepts of this approach: 1. Indirection usually works best. 2. We convene and facilitate. 3. Expertise resides in the private sector. 4. Some of the best public diplomacy programs have long been based on PD 2.0 approaches."

"Innocuous" Radio Liberty versus "hard-hitting" VOA - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: Re: “[T]he war of words between the supporters of VOA and the supporters of the ‘surrogate’ Radio Free stations. Only when that war finally ends can U.S. international broadcasting hope to compete with BBC, Al Jazeera, and other international stations that are disappearing over the horizon.”

Symmetric Follow and Second Twitter Accounts – Ricky, Sex: “Colleen P. Graffy - U.S. Public Diplomacy With Twitter - washingtonpost.com[.] "I am now following @colleen_graffey, a US diplomat who has started twittering." (tags: twitter)”

Travel community amplifies Washington presence: Newly formed U.S. Travel Association a powerful voice for major economic sector - Travel Daily News International, Greece: “’America needs travel now more than ever – to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and further the vital public diplomacy interests of the United States,’ said Caroline Beteta, CEO of the California Travel and Tourism Commission, who will serve as National Chair of the U.S. Travel Association for 2009.”

Special spin body gets media on message, says Israel - Rachel Shabi, Guardian: “Israel believes its has won broad international support in the media for its actions in Gaza thanks to its PR strategy, which through a new body has for months been concerned with formulating plans and role-playing to ensure that government officials deliver a clear, unified message to the world's press. The body, known as the National Information Directorate, was set up eight months ago following recommendations from an Israeli inquiry into the 2006 Lebanon war. Its role is to deal with hasbara - meaning, in Hebrew, ‘explanation’, and referring variously to information, spin, and propaganda. The directorate's chief, Yarden Vatikai, said: ‘The hasbara apparatus needed a body that would co-ordinate its agencies, coordinate the messages and become a platform for co-operation between all the agencies that deal with communication relations and public diplomacy.’"

Crossposting to New Communications Review: CompuSchmooze Podcast #28: A Conversation about Using Social Media in Public Diplomacy, with David Saranga, Israel's Consul for Media and Public Affairs - Admin, New Communications Review

January 1, 2009 - Israel Project: “The Israel Project cordially invites you to a Briefing on Current Israeli-Anti Terror Operations in Gaza with Danny Gillerman Former Israeli Ambassador to the UN and Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Interim Public Diplomacy Director - Operation Cast Lead Monday, January 5, 2009 Los Angeles- 8 a.m.Washington/ New York- 11 a.m.London- 4 p.m. Paris/Berlin- 5 p.m.Jerusalem- 6 p.m.Moscow/Doha- 7 p.m. RSVP Required:*”

Analysis: A brilliant opening, but what's the endgame? - Israel Insider: “And what of the captured and humiliated Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, in enemy hands now more than two and a half years. Does this operation spell his doom, or does it offer a glimmer of hope for extracting him on more favorable terms than has been possible until now? Will his return become a central focus of Israel public diplomacy, or will he continue to be an afterthought for Israel's leadership?”

India Pakistan stand off - International Relation Articles: “[I]n addition to routine diplomatic channels and special diplomatic moves … , there is need for taking up well-devised public diplomacy initiatives. One may learn from India how it has successfully projected a positive image abroad through the BBC and CNN to mention two of the leading electronic media. It has successfully placed Indian scholars and specialists in all leading think tanks in USA, Europe and other countries.”

CE calls on people to unite and overcome challenges - Macau Daily Times, Macau: “’2009 is the tenth year of Macau returning to the motherland, and we firmly believe that with a strong backing from the motherland, the Macau SAR government and Macau compatriots will be able to work together, with one heart, high morale, and in the spirit of making progress and prosperous Macau in harmony.’ He [Commissioner Lu Shumin of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] added. ‘With the 'Public Diplomacy' concept, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Macau SAR will continue to serve Macau's development, in order to create a more favourable external environment and condition.’”

RELATED ITEMS

Combining Psy-Ops and PAOs? – Happy Occurrence: Psy Ops and PAOs [Public Affairs Officer] have fundamentally different messages, and to combine the propaganda arm of the Army with the press arm of the Army is to undermine and delegitimize the activities of both.

More Oddities in The US "Debate" Over Israel/Gaza - Glenn Greenwald, Salon/Common Dreams: Ultimately, what is most notable about the "debate" in the U.S. over Israel-Gaza is that virtually all of it occurs from the perspective of Israeli interests but almost none of it is conducted from the perspective of American interests.

Gaza Nazis - Cal Thomas, Washington Times:

The incoming Obama administration has announced it will make a Middle East peace agreement a high priority. It might as well announce plans to defy gravity. Peace can only come once Israel's enemies are defeated.

Defining Victory for Israel - Michael Gerson, Washington Post: There is no question -- none -- that Israel's attack on Hamas in Gaza is justified. America faces a test of its moral judgment. This conflict is not a contest between shades of gray in mist and fog. It is a matter of distinguishing between murderers and victims -- and of supporting an ally until a clear victory against terrorism is achieved.

The Squeegee Men of the New World Order: Sometimes deviancy can be defined back up - Jonah Goldberg, National Review: Barack Obama leads a counteroffensive from a legal establishment that wants to treat terrorists like any other criminals. Terrorists in Mumbai or Jeddah are little more than the squeegee men of the New World Order. For eighteen months the entire 1.5 million people of Gaza experienced a punishing blockade imposed by Israel, and a variety of traumatizing challenges to the normalcy of daily life.

Are All Americans Guilty? Whatever Happened to Western Morality? - Paul Graig Roberts, CounterPunch: Israel’s slow theft of Palestine is illegal under international law but protected by US “diplomacy.”

Understanding the Gaza Catastrophe - Richard Falk, Huffington Post: The picture being painted day by day in Gaza is one that begs for renewed commitment to international law and the authority of the UN Charter, starting here in the United States, especially with a new leadership that promised its citizens change, including a less militarist approach to diplomatic leadership.

Rules of Engagement from Baghdad to Gaza - David Bromwich, Huffington Post: In the past ten years the U.S. and Israel have shared a fantasy. The fantasy says that the Arabs understand only force.

A counterterrorism plan for Obama - David L. Phillips, Boston Globe: While the Obama administration must be steely-eyed in confronting terrorist threats, an effective counterterrorism strategy must go beyond confrontation and coercion. It must also be based on a deeper understanding of the disenfranchisement that gives rise to despair and the conditions that delude individuals into believing that sensational violence serves their cause.

Tear Down This Wall - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Fidel is 82 and in very poor health; he has outlasted 10 U.S. presidents but isn't likely to survive his 11th. Obama should prepare for the inevitable by recognizing the obvious: If a set of policies hasn't produced results for 50 years, it really is time to try something else.

EXTRA, EXTRA!


Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog I keep track of Condoleezza's hairdo so you don't have to:Sparkle Pony 2008 Review Part Three; Sparkle Pony 2008 Review Part Two; Sparkle Pony 2008 Review Part One

MEMORIES

What I will miss about the Bush administration - Jurek Martin, Financial Times: “On the other hand I will not miss the enabler-in-chief, Condoleezza Rice. She reminds me, ineffably, of Miss Tipping, my primary school teacher when I was six or seven in Worcester (England not Mass) and who was probably older then than I am now. Miss Tipping believed, with all her fibre, in Victorian principles, among them that writing with the left hand was an aberration. Although I was probably the brightest kid in the class, I was marked at the bottom for a whole year because I was an incorrigible southpaw.

And how she lectured me on the error of my ways, my inability to distinguish right from wrong, or, in this case, left. Ms Rice came over rather like that, as if always explaining to a second grade class the complexities of a foreign policy that did far more harm than good but about which there could be no doubt, even when axes of evil, suddenly Libya, suddenly became jolly good guys. Did she, could she, really believe that the world was that flat?"