December 20

"Lying about the facts was her way of telling the truth — as she understood it."

--Book Reviewer Jeanette Winterson, a propos of Patricia Highsmith, author of the Ripley series; Highsmith image from article

"[A]fter a decade of being spun silly, Americans can’t be blamed for being cynical about any leader trying to sell anything."

--New York Times columnist Frank Rich

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

State Dept's Uganda Briefing With Gay Inc/AIDS Inc - Petrelis Files: Reports & Musings from the Veteran Gay And Aids Human Rights Advocate:

"Indulge me if I stake out the radical position here, and say as a gay American, I want the Obama administration to continue public diplomacy on behalf of gay people beyond our borders, and timely engagement and communication from Gay Inc and AIDS Inc when they are invited to the State Department for high-level discussions." Image from

My "Youth Voters Forum" – dlayne76, Deron in Ukraine: "On Tuesday, December 22, I am giving a talk to an audience of Ukraine young adults (ages 18-25) about youth voting election trends in the United States, and then leading a discussion about their views on Ukraine elections, and how, why, or why not they are involved. I am co-organizing this with the US Embassy Public Diplomacy section, and FLEX and the Alumni Resource Center. Also presenting will be three or four Ukrainian NGOs, and a US Political Officer discussing her youth experiences working on U.S. elections. I've been working on this event/concept for about a month now. Pretty excited. :)"

Also, The Iraq War Is Over, And Russian & Chinese Oil Companies Won - Spencer Ackerman, Attackerman: "I’d add that whatever people’s 'true' intentions about wanting to invade Iraq — my own understanding:

it was about a demonstration of American power, however misguided and crude, leavened with some theological messianism about an unthought-out concept passing itself off as 'freedom' in some corners — the fact that the U.S. oil companies didn’t get these contracts doesn’t prove the Iraq war wasn’t about oil. A perfectly commensurate explanation would be that the U.S. simply doesn’t have the power to guarantee the Iraqis hand over the contracts to American oil companies. I don’t think the war was about oil, but still. ... [Comment by] FredJ: 1. I have to ask if the US gets any public diplomacy points for not winning this. In other words, is it deliberate? I think the answer is no. ... To be cynical, it would be interesting if it turned out that US oil companies had deals with the winners to participate. It would at least simplify our conspiracy theories." Image from

And rekindled mine; on Modern art; The Cows Horns and Mural Diplomacy – Paul Rockower, Levantine: "I went back, grabbed my stuff, and headed to the bus station to grab a bus out of town to Cuernavaca. Often the favorite retreat of the well-heeled Aztecs and Spa[nia]rds, the city was a nice change of pace. I went to the Museo Regional in the Palacio de Cortes, which is home to a phenomenal Diego Rivera mural, 'Historia de Morelos, Conquistas y Revolucion'.

The mural itself was a piece of public diplomacy, some history of which I learned in Prof. Starr`s class. The US Ambassador Dwight Morrow donated the funds for the grandiose mural of Mexican history, thereby gaining American public diplomacy credit with the Mexican people." Image from article

Turkey's 'foreign media initiative' heats up - Mahir Zeynalov, Sunday's Zaman: "Turkey has begun a public diplomacy campaign involving its neighboring countries through what has come to be called a 'media initiative,' which seeks to have foreign correspondents and media bosses visit Turkey."

Non-Resident Biharis urged to help state - Times of India: "A conclave organized by a Bihar-based portal gave a call to the Non-Resident Biharis (NRBs) to do something for their home land. ...

Anurag Sinha, an analyst and practitioner of International Public Diplomacy at Ottawa, Canada, called upon the state government to establish an institution which works on the pattern of the ministry of external affairs in attracting investments and holding science and technology meet at the global level. He pointed out that Canada has a large number of NRIs and that the number of Biharis there is significant. He said that Biharis in Canada could be tapped for expertise and finance." Image from

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Building bridges with art: Embassies ‘decorating’ project grows into global cultural exchange - Ann Hicks, Greenville News: "Art can build lasting relationships. It may be one-on-one, the artist and the collector or listener; collective, as through a museum or concert experience; or global, as when cultural diplomacy links nations. Working off that latter palette, the U.S. Department of State’s nearly 50-year-old Art in Embassies Program has covered the hitherto bare walls of American embassies and ambassadorial residences with an array of artistic expressions. What began in 1964 as a decorating project has through the years added artistic weight to America’s diplomatic pouch.

Curator Sarah Tanguy, who for more than a decade has worked with the program, says the cultural outreach places some 3,500 works by 3,000 artists in about 180 ambassadors’ residences and embassy public places. The artworks are borrowed from a base of more than 8,000 current and past lenders in addition to the agency’s small collection." Tanguy image from article

Cultural views shared in Russia - Trevor Jones, Berkshire Eagle: "There was a touch of Americana in Moscow earlier this month when the Norman Rockwell Museum was represented by its director and CEO Laurie Norton Moffatt as part of a U.S. cultural diplomacy trip to Russia. Moffatt served as a delegate for the State Department and President Barack Obama's Committee for the Arts and Humanities. She was joined by American and Russian officials, as well as leaders from the private sector, for a meeting intended to foster greater relations between the two nations. ... As part of an agreement between the two nations, leaders in the areas of education, sports, cultural exchanges and mass media met for the summit. Moffatt represented the American Association of Museums in a group of eight Americans in the cultural exchange group. Moffatt, who met with her Russian counterparts in the Ministry of Culture, said the biggest difference between the two counties, outside of language barriers, was the centralized nature of their government and its cultural institutions. The possibility to set up any exchanges between the countries, however, will take time because of our decentralized system. ... Possible collaborations in the future could include establishing sister museums, the exchange of scholars and festivals across each country celebrating the other's cultural offerings."

Nico Harps On Training - LeadershipNigeria: ‎ "Speaking on Nigeria: Cultural Diplomacy and globalisation, Dr. Abba Gana Shettima of the university of Maiduguri said cultural diplomacy has a critical role to play in projecting the image of Nigeria

in the globalised world. He said that cultural diplomacy can only become effective when the tarnished image of the nation has been repaired, adding that unpatriotic Nigerians have over the years sullied the image of Nigeria abroad." Nigeria image from

UK and Germany - working together - ISRIA: "Minister for Europe Chris Bryant visited Berlin for a series of calls and events covering key issues in European politics.During his visit Chris Bryant met his opposite number Dr Werner Hoyer and also a cross-part group of MPs from the Parliamentary Committee for EU Affairs. ... Chris Bryant also addressed a group of 40 young leaders participating in the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy's 'UK Meets Germany' programme. He stressed the value of Britain and Germany working together to create the EU that we want in the future."

Health Care, Suphala, and Transgender Rights - Firedoglake (blog): "‎To cheer us up a little, we bring you tabla player Suphala,

who made history in 2005 when she traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan as the first musician to play in public since the fall of the Taliban. She joined us in the studio once again to talk about her instrument, her cultural diplomacy, and play a few songs with Mike Block on cello and Hadi Eldebek on oud." Image from

Gallery: Scenes From the Beijing Rock Underground - Keith Axline, Wired News - "Tight pants, cool haircuts and rock music. They’re commonplace, even cliché, in the United States, but they’re now the icons of a complex transformation in China. The country’s ever-growing consumer culture almost requires an increased sense of individuality and its own counterculture.

And considering the shape and energy of its emerging underground music scene, it’s hard not to project a parallel mindset onto China similar to that of the United States in the 1960s and ’70s. But photographer Matthew Niederhauser, whose new book Sound Kapital documents the newly formed underground Beijing rock scene, says such projection is a mistake. 'Too often,' says Niederhauser, 'I see journalists who parachute into Beijing for a few days seeking out performers who will feed them controversial quotes.' The motivations of these bands, he says, are not so easily classified. 'The music scene is not about revolution right now, but about embracing an alternative, creative and open lifestyle in Beijing — something that China desperately needs.' ... [Comment by] falconandwhip: as an american who has basically dedicated my life to music, recording touring, practice spaces labels, all of it, this is really mind opening.basically i expected the eclectic imitation of arty noisy american post-punk stuff, and some of it is there but i was really amazed at the content. the songs are really cool.it just goes to show you the cultural diplomacy that is bleeding out through the internet and pulling the ends of the earth together from the backside." Image from article

RELATED ITEMS

France's Louvre museum returns five frescoes to Egypt: The five fragments are from an ancient Egyptian wall painting France has handed over to Egypt five disputed, frescoed fragments that were held by the Louvre museum in Paris – BBC News.

Image from article: The five fragments are from an ancient Egyptian wall painting

France to Digitize Its Own Literary Works - Scott Sayare, New York Times: President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged nearly $1.1 billion on Monday toward the computer scanning of French literary works, audiovisual archives and historical documents, an announcement that underscored his government’s desire to maintain control over France’s cultural heritage in an era of digitization.

Tibet exhibition said Chinese propaganda Beijing-backed show slammed as 'misleading' - Kyodo News: Sponsors and a Tokyo museum hosting a Tibetan Buddhist exhibition have come under heated criticism from pro-Tibet activists who say the display is politically biased because of the lack of reference to historical facts about the region. Pro-Tibet supporters have rallied near the Ueno Royal Museum every weekend since the exhibition, titled "Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World," opened Sept. 19 with China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Chinese Embassy listed among its official sponsors.

Image from article: Tibet trouble: Protesters hold up Tibetan flags in front of Ueno Royal Museum in Taito Ward, Tokyo, on Saturday, in anger at a Tibetan Buddhist exhibition on show.

Obama’s Foreign Engagement Scorecard - James Traub, New York Times: If there is a one-word handle that fits the conduct of foreign relations in Barack Obama’s first year as president, it is “engagement.” Perhaps, then, the ultimate measure of the success of the engagement policy will be the extent to which the good will President Obama has generated will tip the balance in the hard bargaining before his administration — over assistance from allies in Afghanistan, over new approaches to the Middle East and the international economic structure, and, most immediately, in the struggle to reach a meaningful agreement on how to slow global warming — an issue where the global good collides with the most basic questions of national interest.

Blunder on the Mountain - Maureen Dowd, New York Times:

What if victory over Al Qaeda and other terrorists lies in Pakistan, not Afghanistan? Image from

The failed president - Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Washington Times: In Iraq, Mr. Obama's decision to precipitously withdraw most of our troops has been premature: We are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Moreover, Mr. Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan will haunt his presidency and the United States.

Obama's cold day in Denmark – Editorial, Washington Times:

Mr. Obama pledged that the United States would move forward with strict emissions limits whether or not the international community did the same. From Beijing's perspective, if the foolish Americans want to wreck their economy based on the misguided belief that they are saving polar bears, who is China to say no? Image from

India warns of rich states' 'propaganda' - Business Day: India said yesterday that developed countries were set to launch a “propaganda campaign” wrongly blaming poor nations if a United Nations (UN) summit failed to reach a deal to combat global warming. “We are aware the western countries will now launch a propaganda campaign to hold developing countries responsible,” Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said. “This is not the time for mutual recriminations.” His comments came as leaders gather for a closing summit today.

MORE QUOTATIONS FROM THE DAY

"She collected snails, liking their portable hiding place and the impossibility of telling which was male and which was female.

She traveled with snails in her luggage and kept hundreds at home. If she was bored at dinner parties, she might get a few snails out of her purse and let them loose on the tablecloth. As she didn’t eat much, she was often bored at dinner parties."

--Book Reviewer Jeanette Winterson, a propos of Patricia Highsmith, author of the Ripley series; image from

"swine flu party [:] A gathering held so people can be infected by a mild form of swine flu, in theory creating antibodies against more dangerous forms.

Such a practice is universally discouraged by doctors."

Mark Leibovich and Grant Barrett, "The Buzzwords of 2009," New York Times; image from