December 9

“It’s not necessarily an award he would have given himself.”

--Presidential adviser David Axelrod, regarding the Nobel peace prize; image: Chair of Norwegian Nobel Committee with Obama photo

“$14,000 per person per day”

--The cost of security contractors in Afghanistan

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Public Diplomacy 2.0: Where the US Government Meets "New Media" - Helle C. Dale, Heritage.org: "The U. S. government, traditional media, and the public often view 'new media' as a magic tool, portending a revolution in the way the U.S. government conducts public diplomacy and addresses the world. In time, it may indeed be the 'game changer' that Undersecretary [for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs] McHale

talked about in her confirmation hearing, and new media does make it possible to connect with previously unreached and under-engaged populations. However, to realize this advantage, the strengths, limitations, and risks of each media tool must be properly understood, and technologies must be wisely used to their respective comparative advantage. This is why the framework of a National Communications Strategy is desperately needed in order for U.S. public diplomacy to rise above mere strategy and tactics." Image from

Climate Change on the Move - Michael Werz, Kari Manlove, Center For American Progress: "[T]he Center for American Progress is bringing together our energy and national security teams to launch a project focused on the intersections between global warming, human migration, and national security. Our work will focus on better understanding the climate challenges at hand and articulating a set of progressive policy recommendations aimed at addressing these challenges. Ultimately, the proper response is likely to require new governance and management structures that can deal with the fallout at different levels and combine humanitarian and developmental policies along with public diplomacy and military assets."

Dec 7 Request to DHS and DOS for the Termination of NSEERS - Race Matters: "Dear Secretary Clinton and Secretary Napolitano: We are writing to request that your departments terminate the National Security Entry‐Exit Registration System (NSEERS). ... We believe that the continuing problems with NSEERS can only be remedied by terminating

the program and providing reprieve for well‐intentioned individuals impacted by NSEERS.13 Terminating the program would go a long way towards improving public diplomacy efforts with the Arab and Muslim worlds; ensuring that potential U.S. citizens impacted by the residual effects of NSEERS are provided relief so that they are capable of enriching our great nation as future Arab‐ Americans, Muslim‐Americans and South Asian‐Americans; and in signaling a shift away from ineffective policies that involve racial and religious profiling." Image from

Secretary Clinton Presents 2009 Associates of the American Foreign Service Service Worldwide Secretary of State's Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad and the Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award - Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Department of State, posted at ISRIA: "[I]n today’s interconnected world, it is no surprise that our honorees ... work to strengthen the bilateral and multilateral partnerships that protect American interests and our people in their day jobs, and then they go out and do even more. And oftentimes, what they do in their volunteer hours speaks volumes about who we are as a people. It is one thing to give a talk or try to negotiate some treaty that demonstrates our values. It is another thing to embody and live them. So I thank those who are being honored today. And I’m very grateful to have this first opportunity as Secretary of State to join in this extraordinary service. So Erin and JanMarie and Lara and Jay and Bernie, and Jan Irene, you are truly the face of America overseas. And Mehta, your decades of advocacy on behalf of FSO families have had a global impact. And together, all of you have moved our public diplomacy forward."

Sister City Diplomacy - Ren's Micro Diplomacy:

"Pasadena’s beautiful public library houses a small exhibit, on the first floor, devoted to the city’s contribution towards public diplomacy. Each shelf contains information, photos and tchochkes from their six sister cities around the world." Image from

US: Release the Full Reports into Guantanamo Deaths: Seton Hall Report Raises Troubling Questions about Alleged Suicides - press release, Human Rights Watch: ‎"The US government should release in full the military investigative reports into the deaths of three prisoners at Guantanamo in June 2006, Human Rights Watch said today. A Seton Hall University study issued today raises questions about the US military's findings that the deaths were suicides. ... In the immediate wake of the deaths, US officials were not only quick to label them suicides, but also spoke of them in a provocative and inflammatory way. Guantanamo's then-Commander, Rear Adm. Harry Harris, called the deaths an act of 'asymmetric warfare,' while Colleen Graffy, then-deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy, described the deaths as a 'good PR move.'"

‘Made in China’ ad sends wrong message - zzgzzg123: Just another Blo9s weblog: "The Chinese government recently unveiled a new ad, now screening worldwide, intended to refute stereotypes about cheap Chinese goods. It shows the cooperation of Chinese firms with foreigners on high-class goods, ending with the slogan 'Made in China. Made with the world.'

But the creators of this buzz making ad may find themselves haunted by an unwanted interpretation.The ad seems only to reinforce stereotypes about 'China as a world factory.' And what baffles me is that the ad doesn’t even try to nuance its conclusion. Goods are shown being 'Made in China' with 'American sports technology,' 'Silicon valley software,' 'European styling,' or 'French designers.' The message seems clear. Others will create ideas or spark innovation. And China? Well, we can always help you turn ideas into products. ... Instead of 'haranguing the world' with our 'monopoly of virtues' – as the famed public diplomacy professor Nicholas Cull has put it – we now let money do the talking. Instead of 'propagating' China, we now 'explain' China to the outside world. But we are yet to learn to how to become masters of persuasion." Image from

Opinion: Where in the world is Osama bin Laden? - Michael Goldfarb, Washington Post: "The latest bout of Osama speculation follows a sequence of events that raises conspiracy alarms. First, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, needing to justify increasing Britain's troop presence in Afghanistan to his voters, demands the Pakistani government do more to apprehend bin Laden. Then, Brown and Gilani face the press in London and the Pakistani prime minister makes his assertion that Osama is not in Pakistan. The next day the BBC's Orla Guerin reports from Islamabad that a member of the Taliban, detained in Pakistan, has told his interrogators that a contact he trusts claims to have seen the Al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan early this year. ... So here's my first question: Is this just an example of public diplomacy? Gordon Brown playing to his electors and Gilani playing to his with some help from a convenient leak to a BBC reporter to emphasize his point."

Peres to promote peace via YouTube - Greer Fay Cashman, Jerusalem Post:

"Anyone who wants to make an impact these days uses YouTube as a vehicle, so on Tuesday morning Peres officially launched his own YouTube platform, together with YouTube cofounder and Chief Executive Officer Chad Hurley, who was here especially for the occasion. ... Peres plans to turn his YouTube site into a web of dialogue in which he will answer questions that will be directed to him from viewers around the world. ... Peres will be just as happy to answer questions about issues on the global agenda. The site will also serve as a platform for Israel's public diplomacy."

Featured Librarian: Heather Ward - Karen Munro, Re:Generations: Ward: "My first post-MLS library job was as the Humanities Librarian at the University of Oregon. It was my dream job with a subject specialty in history and Romance languages--I eventually wheedled a medieval studies fund out of them, too. It gave me a great grounding in academic librarianship--reference, instruction, collection development, and lots of professional development opportunities, some good mentorship models, too.Fast forward several years...my future hubby, Chuck, and I were interested in pursuing work overseas. I focused on 'public diplomacy'--providing outreach and public relations/communications for the US Government abroad a.k.a. 'soft' diplomacy. (See What is Public Diplomacy.) We explored possibilities in the US Foreign Service including their general public diplomacy track and their specialized Information Resource Officer (IRO) (librarian) position. Attempting to join the Foreign Service can be a lengthy process."

RELATED ITEMS

The view from the ground - Michael Shank, Washington Times:

Afghans are simply asking for an Afghan-centered approach, one that puts Afghans at the fore of every peace and security effort, one the builds sustainable Afghan state and local capacity, and one that sets new precedents for justice and accountability. Image from

He's just not that into it - Monica Crowley, Washington Times: Either a war has to be fought, or it doesn't. In his speech on Afghanistan last week, President Obama tried to split the difference.

McChrystal's 'victory' dance - Dana Milbank, Washington Post:

McChrystal was loyal to his civilian masters, departing from the policy only when he said of Obama's July 2011 date to begin a pullout: "I don't believe that is a deadline at all." Image from

When does an ad become propaganda? - Stephen Dziedzic, ABC (Autralia):

Government advertisements slip under the radar. Every year governments of every stripe and colour happily hand over millions of taxpayer dollars to bring them into our homes. Many of these ads are innocuous and uncontroversial. No-one is going to complain about a public health campaign reminding us to get a vaccination or ads showing us how to prepare our homes for the bushfire season. But sometimes they spark furious accusations of waste and partisan self-promotion. Image from