May 1

“I'll tell you this, if I thought I might catch swine flu by going to work or a movie or the mall or something like that, I sure as heck wouldn't."

--Vice President Joe Biden

"Obama Orders Emergency Quarantine of Biden"

--Headline of article by Andy Borowitz, Huffington Post; image from

SYMPOSIUM

“Mutual Interest and Mutual Respect: Ideas for U.S. Public Diplomacy toward the ‘Muslim World’” Thursday, May 7, at this year’s Soref Symposium, held by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, 1150 22nd St., N.W., in Washington. An invitation-only event; to find out about attending, contact zsnyder@washingtoninstitute.org.

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

The First 101 Days – d-day: "Obama has restored a measure of respect for the United States around the world, by rejecting the cowboy diplomacy of the past and asserting that America is part of a community of nations. … This worldview is very refreshing. But has it been met with results? Well, we're starting to see a thaw of relations in Cuba, and low-level conversations on a more comprehensive solution. The Latin American Cold War has ended, with new initiatives like microfinance grants supplanting the neoliberal demands and hemispheric meddling. Obama has clearly cheered relations with allies in Europe, and even made strides toward agreements on arms limitation with Russia. … [In the words of Juan Cole] 'Obama's public diplomacy extended to Iran, which he addressed on the occasion of the Persian New Year.'" Image from

State Dept. trumpets Clinton's first 100 days: Matthew Lee, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle: "Friday marks Hillary Rodham Clinton's 100th day as the top U.S. diplomat. The State Department is commemorating the occasion with a 13-page list praising what it considers her early achievements. The lengthy document posted on the department's website this week extols the secretary of state's hectic travel abroad and the appointments of four high-profile special envoys to deal with trouble spots and climate change. The assessment says "early and significant progress" has already been achieved in Afghanistan-Pakistan policy, the Middle East, Iraq, Asia, Russia, North Korea, Latin America, climate change and public diplomacy through the use of new media." See also(1)(2). Image from

Roundup: Hillary Clinton's first 100 days – Foreign Policy

Beyond 100 days…: Arsalan Iftikhar, Malay Mail: "During his January 2009 presidential inaugural address, Obama has done a remarkable job in his outreach to the greater Muslim world, where perceptions of the US had suffered immensely from the garbled rhetoric and actions of the George W. Bush administration. Many American leaders are also following suit in the quest to help bridge

the public diplomacy gap with the greater Muslim world. For example, a bipartisan leadership group of 34 American political and civic leaders – including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Republican Congressman Vin Weber – recently published a report, Changing Course: A New Direction for U.S. Relations with the Muslim World, which suggests concrete ways to improve US-Muslim relations in the future." Image from

Hillary visits foreign country: Texas – kai, kaapro.NET: “Let’s also recall the 'significant progress' State has made in … [e]ngaging in public diplomacy - Yes, like telling the Europeans that she [Clinton] doesn’t understand multiparty democracy, that our system is better, and Europeans didn’t have democracy before the US.

Oh, and let’s not forget getting the names of her EU counterparts wrong. Thank goodness all that happened in public! 'Other core issues' — Well, they did get an iPod to the Queen, and bowed to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah." Image from article.

Special Press Briefing and Release: Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 - Richard Aker, Acting Coordinator for counterterrorism Deputy Director for Information Sharing and Knowledge Development of the National Counterterrorism Center Russell Travers Bureau Of Coordinator For Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State: Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ronald Schlicher: "Economic and development assistance, education, and public diplomacy are also crucial to effective counterterrorism efforts."

GAO Reports on International Students - Quick Takes, Inside Higher Ed: "The Government Accountability Office has released a report comparing national strategies to attract and fund international students across a number of countries. The report offers no recommendations, but aims to offer better insight, the authors write, 'on how higher education is used to advance public diplomacy and development assistance goals.'" Image from

Stop Explaining! - James K. Glassman - Economics, Investing, Public Diplomacy, and More – "Last Thursday, I gave a speech at InfoWarCon, a major gathering of the I/O (Information Operations) community. After noting that I was happy to see the I/O folks did not cower at the word 'war' in describing the conflict of ideas in which much of the world is engaged, I expanded on my arguments in favor of a new approach to strategic communication — what I call Public Diplomacy 2.0, or, more broadly, the Grand Conversation. …“[W]e should be to facilitate and convene a Grand Conversation, taking advantage of the best new social-networking technology. This is a strategic conversation — actually, thousands of conversations — in which our views are heard but do not necessarily dominate and are not necessarily voiced by us. And, at any rate, we need to remember that the subject is not the USA. It is you, the audience; the others; the ones who, in fact, are engaged in the civil war that is convulsing Islam.”

Towards a more efficient international broadcasting sliver - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "International broadcasting remains vital to many parts of the world because dictators, terrorists, and other miscreants thrive amid disinformation, misinformation, and missing information. Reliable news and information helps people develop democracies and to participate in democracy. … [S]ince 1989, I've pointed out the duplication and redundancies in the feudal system of US international broadcasting entities. And the fact that Britain spends less on international broadcasting than the United States, but has more audience." Image from

Employee Poll Makes VOA's Parent the Worst Place to Work - Joe Davidson, Washington Post: "BBG stands for the Broadcasting Board of Governors. But it could just as well mean 'bottom of the barrel in government.' The BBG oversees Washington's international broadcasting operations, including the Voice of America. … In a poll of employees in 37 agencies, the BBG came in last place in three of four categories -- leadership and knowledge management, results-oriented performance, and talent management." Via

Brigade, PRT relationship creates opportunity in Salah ad-Din - Multi-National Division – North:

"Provincial Reconstruction Teams have often been hailed as a crucial component to creating stability in Iraq and Afghanistan. ... Many civilian and military members …. described the recent successes in assisting the provincial government in areas including rule of law, health, public diplomacy, economics and governance." Image from

Battlestar Galactica: The Human Rights Envoy of a Gravely Violated Generation - Burak Tansel, SciFiDimensions: “There has been a tiresome influx of discussion about the recent United Nations special session, in which the organization utilized the critically acclaimed science fiction show Battlestar Galactica to transmit its most fundamental missions to a new and probably a larger audience. … Human rights violations, as dreaded as they are, still occupy one of the major agendas of global politics and despite the increasing efforts of civil society organizations - and of course the UN’s own efforts, the problem persists throughout the world. … [H]ow can the UN’s 'intergalactic' move improve the situation? This panel alone cannot make any drastic changes, yet it sets a template for those who are interested in finding solutions to these problems through public diplomacy."

Securing the West: The U.S., the U.K., and Present Dangers - Robin Harris, Special Report #51, Heritage Foundation: "[N]ation-building, poppy-field destruction, sanitation, education, and the emancipation of women, however desirable in themselves, are less persuasive arguments for the sacrifice of British blood and treasure. … Since the new Administration places a high value on public diplomacy, here is an early and urgent opportunity to practice it. Whatever the dangers in Afghanistan, the greatest danger remains, as it was from the start, the danger of failure." Image from

Further Setback to GCC-EU Talks - The Media Line: "Ongoing talks between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union regarding the creation of a free-trade agreement have hit a snag … there were disagreements over human rights and the customs duty to be levied on exports from the Gulf. ... The official communiqué issued following the meeting does not hint at the problems: 'The two sides noted with satisfaction the progress achieved at the meetings held between the GCC and EU experts on energy, environment, climate change, economy, and higher education. They welcomed the results of the ongoing activities to promote public diplomacy and outreach between the two regions.'"

Misinformed New York Times and Sri Lanka’s failed overseas public diplomacy: Daya Gamage – Asian Tribune

Renegade no more May 2009 - A Angelo D'Silva, Himal Southasian: "Zhang Yimou [is the] former cinematic rebel and director of the massive ceremonies book ending the Beijing Olympics. … That his work in films have been both critically and commercially successful in the West make Zhang an apt choice for ambassador for what some commentators have labelled as an endeavour of ‘public diplomacy’. It has also earned Zhang the moniker of China’s Leni Riefenstahl, the gifted cinematographer and Nazi propagandist." Zhang Yimou image from article.

Presidential Classroom—Not Your Ordinary Week in Washington – Buddah’s Temple: "Presidential Classroom is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, civic education organization that since 1986, more than 110,000 high school students—from the United States and abroad—have traveled to Washington, D.C. to witness the federal government at work. With the help of Boynton Beach Community High School’s Social Studies Teacher and Sponsor of Presidential Classroom Club, Linda Friedman, enabled seven Boynton High School students to travel to Washington to experience this amazing week…. Along the way meeting some of the most influential people such as … Public Diplomacy Officer—Mark M. Schlachter."

Last week of the First Year - Levantine: "[W]ent off to Cultural Diplomacy for our last class and discussed my final project proposal based on my lunch. Our final project is to devise a cultural diplomacy event in LA, working with a Consulate. … I had my first Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars (APDS) meeting, of which I am now Communications Chair. … I received an honorable mention for my Qatar Public Diplomacy paper in an essay contest at the Center for International Studies at USC."

RELATED ITEMS

ABC Defends Obama's 'New World View,' Touts Supposed Successes - Media Research Center, Wall Street Journal: ABC decided to defend Obama's foreign-policy mettle -- with his only failure coming where he has followed Bush's policy.

Torturing for Propaganda Purposes – Dan Froomkin, Washington Post:

Despite what you've seen on TV, torture is really only good at one thing: eliciting false confessions. Image from

Torture ---Real or Propaganda: Lee Ellis, Opinion Editorials: It is time for all combat veterans from all past wars to explain to our unknowing government officials what actually constitutes torture. We who have served know that America has never used the torture that has been practiced by many other nations and non-uniformed terrorists who represent no one nation or country. Most of us who believe in our Republic and its Constitution think that this furor or controversy has been created by just one thing: clever propaganda. It has been spread by our far left enemies here in the U.S.

Torture? "No No, Dear," Says Condi - Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog I STILL keep track of Condoleezza's hairdo so you don't have to:

Condi's defense of torture in a nutshell is 1. We didn't torture, so whatever it is we did, it therefore could not have been torture, and 2. Anything the President of the United States wants to do is automatically legal. Well, that pretty much covers it. Catchy! Image from

Book Review: Behind the Afghan propaganda: Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story by Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould - Reviewed by Anthony Fenton, Asia Times: A chronically disinformed US public should leap at the chance to familiarize themselves with an honest overview of their country's historically scandalous involvement in the region.

Hanoi displays propaganda posters on Vietnamese women - SGGP: More than 40 posters are on display at “The image of Vietnamese women on propaganda posters in the period of 1954 – 1975” exhibition at the Vietnam Women Museum.

Exposed: Director of Nazis' anti-Jewish propaganda - Haaretz: A new German film turns the spotlight on a man many in the country would rather forget: Veit Harlan, director of infamous Nazi propaganda movie "Jud Suess," a wartime hit which helped set the tone for the Holocaust. Harlan, whose Jewish first wife later died in Auschwitz, claimed after the war Goebbels had forced him to direct, and refused to take responsibility for "Suess" and other Nazi films.

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