November 12

"1 billion per thousand troops."

--The cost, in dollars, of deployment in Afghanistan; image from

ANNOUNCEMENT

The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy is pleased to announce a National Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy to be held in 2010 in Washington, D.C. The Summit will launch a national initiative that includes a multi-year educational campaign and calls upon the private sector in partnership with the public sector to expand the number of American volunteers of all ages who are engaged in international activity both at home and abroad. The Summit broadens the momentum generated from the work of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD)

a national resource base and network for Americans to be engaged as citizen diplomats, two major leadership forums held in 2008 (USCCD & The Johnson Foundation) and 2009 (The Leaders Project & The Gilman Foundation), and extensive reports conducted by the Center for Global Leadership, the Building Bridges Coalition, and the Center for Strategic International Studies, among others. These forums and reports engaged more than 200 leaders in international affairs and diplomacy who strongly endorse a revival of citizen diplomacy as a critical component of U.S. public diplomacy strategy and U.S. foreign policy. Image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Obama visits Asia – Kim Landers, ABC Online: "Walter Lohman is the director of the Asian Studies Centre at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. He says the President's public diplomacy efforts are important but he thinks Barack Obama's engagement with Asia so far has lacked substance."

Exporting Democracy in a Suitcase - Jonathan Broder, CQ Weekly, posted at US Cuba Normalization: "[M]easures introduced in the House by Kansas Republican Jerry Moran and New York Democrat Charles B. Rangel and in the Senate by Montana Democrat Max Baucus and Indiana Republican Richard G. Lugar would [relax] the regulations for trade payments that Bush ordered [regarding Cuba]. ... Lugar, who wrote Obama earlier this year urging greater engagement with Havana, agrees that it is time for an overall change in U.S.-Cuba policy.


'Our whole protocol of sanctions has not worked to bring down the Cuban government or modify the power of Cuba in any substantial way,' he said. Driving such calls for change, especially among Republicans, is the potential for increased trade. With all of the obstacles that have been put in the way, U.S. food and pharmaceutical sales to Cuba earned a paltry $712 million in 2008. But with a relaxation of travel and trade restrictions, that figure is bound to grow, Lugar says. 'This is a very good time for public diplomacy,' he said. 'And it can occur very profitably for Americans though trade in food and medicine.'" Image from

Imagining USIB [US international broadcasting] without the BBG. As in more like Voice of Russia than the BBC - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: Ellliott comment on article on the Board of Brodcasting Governors by Lydia DePillis, The New Republic, 10 November 2009: "Sorry, readers, for being a broken record: International broadcasting has an audience because it provides news that is more comprehensive and reliable than the state-controlled news in the audience's own country. Credibility is the therefore key commodity of international broadcasting. Credibility is achieved through journalistic independence. There is no way to achieve that independence other than a bipartisan board, with fixed and staggered terms, appointing the top executives of US international broadcasting. A CEO overseeing all of USIB is needed, but without a board to appoint that person, the CEO would be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Less independence, less credibility, less audience. The TNR piece includes this: 'I really wonder what the utility of this board is,' says Nancy Snow, an associate professor of public diplomacy at Syracuse University.


'A lot of people who are on this board, what are they doing?' Well, the BBG appointed directors of VOA and presidents of RFE/RL and RFA. It has determined which language services will be dropped, added, reduced, or expanded. It has set priorities for the investments in the various media of international broadcasting, including radio, television, the internet, and mobile devices. And, on occasion, the Board has had to activate its firewall shield. (I thought experts were quoted because they provide answers rather than ask questions.)" Image: Nancy Snow enjoying a traditional Chinese dish.

Is Alhurra immune from writs against foreign media in Iraq? - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "US-government-funded Alhurra presumably remains on the air in Iraq, where (unlike its other Arab target countries) it has a network of terrestrial television transmitters. This could put Alhurra in a unique position to provide uncensored news to Iraq."

Campaign to bring the RFE Romanian archives to Romania - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Duncan MacInnes on State Department Public Diplomacy Initiatives – Liriel, iDiplomacy: "Duncan MacInnes from the State Department spoke about some of the challenges at the department and the way that they are incorporating new media to augment their programs. [He said: ] 'Why is iDiplomacy so important? iDiplomacy is actually … more than public diplomacy.

We have to look at the new media communications technologies as important for public diplomacy but also important for AID, programs in Africa – so you’re doing AIDS and other kinds of health programs via cell phone – you have marshalling communities such as the ‘No Mas Farc’ movement, and others where whole communities have come together against terrorism, against women; we see possibilities to use it in microfinancing, using cell phones to give loans to Africans and others. Those are not public diplomacy but ways that iDiplomacy can actually use new media to make a difference in the world today.'” MacInnes image from

Twitterati head to O2 -- Marina Thomas, docklands24.co.uk: "The world's twitterati will talk all things social media at a conference at the O2 next week. Stephen Fry - ... at the centre of a Twitter debate last week - will headline The 140 Character Conference on November 17. The event will focus on the effect of Twitter on business now and in the future. Talks will include 'how the internet is killing our culture' and 'investing in real-time internet'.

Fry, who was recently called 'boring' for his Tweets by one of his 970,000 followers, will discuss the effect of the tool on an ever-expanding range of topics. The event is one of many created by Jeffrey Pulver, an early investor in Twitter. He said the early idea behind the conferences was to explore the social networking tool and its effects on celebrity, media, advertising and possibly politics. He said: 'Over time the scope expanded to look at the effects of twitter on topics ranging from public safety to public diplomacy. It is my intention to provide a platform for as many people as possible to share their thoughts and engage in conversation with the attending delegates.'" Image from

UN IGF: Virtual Worlds and Public Diplomacy in the Digital Age - tVPN Admin,virtualpolicy.net: "The UK Government’s Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has proposed a workshop on virtual worlds and public diplomacy to be held as part of the 2009 United Nations’ Internet Governance Forum meeting being held between 15 and 18 of November 2009 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt."

The Borderline Blues - Patricia Lee Sharpe, Whirled View: "[T]here are so many ways in which countries attempt to control events beyond their formal boundaries. War is one. The threat of war is almost as effective. Diplomacy is another way to achieve influence across borders, as is its hand-maiden public diplomacy, which characteristically attempts to distinguish itself from propaganda. The latter is no small debate. It concerns the borders

to be respected when attempting to influence. At one end of the spectrum is rational persuasion through information and facts; at the other end is emotional manipulation—or worse. At what point does legitimate persuasion turn into fraud, deceit, duplicity, conning? All of the latter are usually considered to be immoral and/or illegal, however effective they may be in achieving the manipulator’s ends." See also John Brown, “Public Diplomacy & Propaganda: Their Differences,” American Diplomacy. Image from

Bush to outline vision for his institute – Associated Press, Dallas Morning News: "Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, are expected to outline their vision for the ex-president's think tank during speeches Thursday at Southern Methodist University. Set to begin in spring 2010, the George W. Bush Institute

will be part of Bush's presidential center at SMU. The center, which includes a library, museum and archives, will become the first presidential library complex to house a policy institute. Last week, James K. Glassman, an undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs in 2008, was named the institute's director. Then Bush said the institute will be world-class and promote policies and programs rooted in the ideals of freedom, opportunity, responsibility, and compassion." Image from

Experts to debate NATO's engagement in live video session - ISRIA: "On 12 November at 16:00 CET, NATO experts will discuss your comments and questions on 'NATO’s Engagement in an Era of Globalization' in a live online video session. How should the Allianceincorporate the lessons of current operations into its future strategy? How should it deal with evolving threats? And how can it ensure the success of the 'comprehensive approach'? Diego Ruiz Palmer, Head of the Planning Section of NATO’s Operations Division, Adrian Kendry, Senior Defence Economist with the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, and moderator Dr Stefanie Babst, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, will discuss your comments ahead of the second experts seminar on the new Strategic Concept to take place in Brdo, Slovenia, on 13 November."

Australia is also confused about the difference between international broadcasting and public diplomacy - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "First, Australia must decide if it wants its international television channel to be a news station or a public diplomacy station. Which is the same thing as deciding whether it wants its international television channel to have an audience or not. This is because a channel devoted to public diplomacy won't have an audience, or at least not much of an audience.

The audience for international broadcasting views or listens to get news that is more comprehensive, reliable, and credible than they news they get from their domestic media. If Australia wants to do public diplomacy via television, it should purchase 60-second spots on television stations that have large audiences because they do news rather than public diplomacy. These would include international channels such as CNN International and BBC World, and the more popular domestic channels in countries important to Australian foreign policy." Image from

Chinese Spokesman Qin Gang on Lincoln, Dalai Lama and Slavery - Charles Burton, Principled realism: "Chinese authorities really don't do public diplomacy very well. They grasp at straws to defend their Tibet policy very badly yet again. But as Lincoln put it at the end of his address at Gettysburg, I do believe that China before long 'shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.'"

New Norwegian Ambassador accredited at Fairview - Office of the President, Republic of Guyana: "In a first, the new Norwegian Ambassador to Guyana, Torbjørn Holthe, presented his letter of credence yesterday to Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo on the banks of the Essequibo River at Fairview village, Region Nine. ... Before the assignment as the Ambassador to Guyana, he served as the Senior Advisor, Department for Culture, Public Diplomacy and Protocol with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

President Jacob Zuma congratulates President Armando Guebuza on his re-election - press release, BuaNews Online: "For more information contact the Head of Public Diplomacy, Mr. S. Molobi - 0829401647."

RELATED ITEMS

Japan Cools to America as It Prepares for Obama Visit- Helene Cooper, New York Times

Reshaping an Asian partnership- Sheila A. Smith, Washington Post: The historic political transition underway in Tokyo is rattling Washington and has produced a puzzling rigidity in an administration known for its capacity for reaching out to the world. President Obama's visit to Asia offers a much-needed opportunity to calm and energize the U.S.-Japan relationship.

Don't leave us, an Afghan radio programmer tells U.S. audiences: The former anti-Soviet jihadi who later went to Harvard before returning home says a troop pullout could spark chaos in the whole region - James Rainey, latimes.com: "'Afghans have taken to local media like fire to dry grass,' said Kathleen Reen, a onetime journalist and vice president for Asia at Internews,

an NGO that receives support from the U.S. State Department and numerous foundations. 'Afghanistan has such a rich, vibrant, independently minded media that has spread across the country and continues to grow.' Although the Afghan regime still threatens and jails journalists who get too bold, Western reporters say the press has considerably more freedom there than in most of the surrounding nations.Internews helped germinate many of the fledgling news operations, with the conviction that countries cannot thrive on crops and clean drinking water alone." Via. Image from

Fixing foreign aid: A Cold War-era system with too many agencies and not enough coordination needs an upgrade - Editorial , latimes.com: On Tuesday, after a 10-month delay that further rattled a demoralized staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development, Obama finally announced his nominee to head the agency. Dr. Rajiv Shah, currently an undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a popular choice among aid experts, a medical doctor who, at 36, has a resume that would be highly impressive for a man twice his age. The USAID nomination should have been made months ago, and the defects of the current system are widely known and well documented.

Taliban waging effective propaganda war – UPI: The Taliban has stepped up use of visual arts on the Internet and television in a campaign to win the Afghan propaganda war, officials say. In its war of minds against NATO, the Taliban

has made hay with often misleading images paraded across the computer screen, pointing to alleged military successes under a banner proclaiming "Voice of Jihad" and a ticker tape entitled "Hot News." This is the Web site of the Taliban, who have banned TV and the Internet, yet since 2006 have been harnessing that same despised technology in an escalating campaign of propaganda, See also. Image from

Nato’s voice is stifled as propaganda newspaper ends up as food wrapping - Jerome Starkey, Times Online: It is used to wrap kebabs, chips and glistening jalebi sweets, but rarely is Nato’s flagship propaganda newspaper read in Afghanistan. Bundles of Sada-e Azadi — The Voice of Freedom — are sold by the kilogram as scrap in Kabul’s black market bazaars. The fortnightly free sheet is packed full of pro-Nato stories about school openings and new wells, printed in full colour, in three languages, and distributed across the country. But it rarely reaches its key target audience.

Vietnam, Afghanistan and learning from history What can Obama learn from the Vietnam War, and how can he apply it to the war in Afghanistan?- Gordon M. Goldstein, latimes.com:

In Vietnam, the United States never rigorously questioned the viability of its military strategy in advance. Is counterinsurgency a viable mission in Afghanistan? Should the United States pursue a military strategy with a historically low rate of success -- one that in Vietnam proved to be open-ended in its duration, indeterminate in its goals, dependent on intangible political factors and effectively countered by the tactics of asymmetric warfare? Image from

Zimbabwe: West Using Media As Propaganda Tool - Reason Wafawarova, The Herald

AMERICANA

Guantanamo-based McDonald's seeks applicants - Carol Rosenberg, McClatchy Newspapers: Out of work and willing to relocate? McDonald's is advertising for an assistant manager for its sole franchise in Cuba - serving up burgers and fries that sometimes feed detainees at the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay.

Image: Guantanamo Bay McDonalds