March 24

"In fact, the Great Firewall is rooted in our hearts."

--Li Yonggang, a professor of internet politics at Nanjing university, regarding internet censorship in China; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Substance, please – Shamshad Ahmad, columns.pk:

"Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi gave a crusty curtain-raiser on what he planned to convey to his interlocutors at today’s Pakistan-US 'strategic dialogue' in Washington. 'My message to Washington is we have been talking a lot and it is time to walk the talk,' Qureshi announced at a press briefing at the Foreign Office last week. ... For Pakistan, a realistic expectation from this dialogue at this stage should be its immediate transformation into a “strategic partnership” at par with the one the US has with India, with clearly defined, time-bound sectoral goalposts and priorities to be pursued jointly on the basis of mutual benefit. Pakistan now wants the dialogue to be structured at three tiers moving in tandem on an expanded list of sectoral tracks covering agriculture, economy, energy, education, health, science and technology, defence, strategic stability and non-proliferation, counterterrorism, and public diplomacy." Image from

Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communications Review: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight - Helle Dale, Heritage.org: "The good news is that a much-needed strategic overview of the government’s public diplomacy and strategic communication assets and functions is underway. Unfortunately, it has taken over a year for an Administration that came into office dedicated to 'changing America’s image in the world' to address U.S. public diplomacy. Although the Obama Administration has finally produced several long-awaited documents on public diplomacy and strategic communication, these documents do little to reveal what the Administration is planning to actually do. In all, this conceptual exercise cries out for Congress to hold hearings in order to flesh out the details of the Administration’s plans. The new Caucus for Strategic Communication and Public Diplomacy, launched by Representatives Mack Thornberry (R–TX) and Adam Smith (D–WA) on March 4, is well positioned to explore these questions and raise awareness of the public diplomacy issue on the Hill. ... In light of the Obama Administration’s stated intentions to focus on public diplomacy—and indeed in light of the President’s personal interest in the subject—there is room for a long-overdue debate on public diplomacy."

Reaction to the new US Public Diplomacy Strategy – Part I, Graig Hayden, Intermap:

"Simply put, the document reads too much as a dated conception of message management designed to counter or compete with the actions of other actors like China, Russia, and extremists groups (never mind that their respective programs are for decidedly different objectives and have questionable effectiveness – they are doing stuff, so should we!). Aren’t US public diplomacy planners done with the 'there’s a media war going on' kind of talk? Yet interestingly, the document provides a compelling picture of the 'complex global challenges' facing the US, including human rights, women’s rights, climate change, food security, etc." Document in question at; image from

Strategic Communications and Iran: But is This Risking "Death to America" Again? – Steve Clemons, The Washington Note: "I had an interesting chat a few days ago with George W. Bush Institute Executive Director James Glassman, who served as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy during the latter part of the G.W. Bush administration. He was also Chair of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. ... While at the State Department, Glassman conceived a better mission for his work than what I thought existed before -- focused not on nudging others around the world to like us but rather to express their own views, no matter how critical of the US or passionate about other issues, in ways that were non-violent. Glassman also helped generate buzz around what he calls 'Diplomacy 2.0'."

Possible Saudi blasphemy charge against writer after appearance on Alhurra – Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Nonexistent Radio Free Iran in the news again - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

PR: KAL returns from Public diplomacy trip to Middle East and releases iPhone App - Comicsdc:

"Friends and colleagues[,] I wanted to share with you some recent exciting news. I have just returned from a 12 day visit to Amman, Jordan and Beirut, Lebanon as part of a strategic speaker initiative sponsored by the US Embassies in the region. During my visit I addressed a wide variety of groups including University students on six campuses, cartoonists, animators, journalists, and civic leaders. Our discussions centered on the opportunities and limitations of political cartoons in promoting freedom of expression. There was great interest in the region in the program particularly in light of the controversial Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. My visit garnered a good bit of media exposure. There were numerous press and television interviews. Links to some of the news stories along with photos and observations from the trip will be available on my blog (www.kaltoons.com/wordpress) in the days ahead. ... Best ... Kevin Kallaugher." Image from

Scholars analyze current US-Mexico relations - Bobby Breitenbach, UW Badger Herald: "The National University Center for Research on North America [in Mexico] was designed to help scholars focusing on U.S. studies and later grew to include Canada. Current research focuses on economics and politics, and the university encourages students to study in the U.S. The university aims to understand relations between the U.S. and Mexico, prompting scholars to visit Michigan State University and lead a series of lectures, and later to publish their findings in a novel, said Director of Research Silvia Nunez-Garcia. ... However, Director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Michigan State Manuel Chavez, University of Wisconsin alum, said the six problems addressed in the essays of the novel do not cover other important topics affecting U.S.-Mexico relations. ... Still, Chavez says the six topics discussed, including foreign policy, security and industrialization, offer promising prospects for better relations between the U.S. and Mexico. 'I think the book has some optimism, proposing that there are constructive paths, specifically in creating public diplomacy,' Chavez said. 'But by no means, it’s not all the issues.'"

Norway - Foreign policy address to the Storting - ISRIA: "In the light of China’s growing importance in almost all areas, the Government launched a China strategy in 2007. China is increasingly targeting activities towards the Norwegian market, and Norway also has a visible presence in China. The Government has decided that Norway will take part in EXPO 2010 in Shanghai,

and this will provide good opportunities for public diplomacy within a wide range of sectors." Image from

Reaching the Public: SDM Campaign – A Story of ‘Sex Sells’ Marketing – Efe Sevin, Place branding, Public Diplomacy:

"As the competition gets tougher, I guess people started to run out of new ideas to promote places. Recently, I ran into this very interesting campaign from Israel – Size Doesn’t Matter (SDM) . … If you look at the images in SDM’s website intro, you will see many more nice looking men and women. Though once you are in the website, the campaign starts telling you about how Israel has big ideas, how the country is big on the environment, and on diversity. In fact, there is information on the website – once you pass the photos. As far as I can see, SDM is a global PR campaign. I would love to hear Israeli people’s reactions. … Israeli branding attempts and public diplomacy understanding taught me a lot of things. SDM, the newest piece, taught me how not to use bad marketing/advertising moves in place/nation branding." Image from Size Doesn’t Matter website

Secretary-general of "Africa House" in Spain expected in Luanda - AngolaPress: "The secretary-general of Africa House in Spain, Luís Padilla, is expected this Tuesday in Luanda, for a two-day working visit to Angola, ANGOP has learnt. According to a press note from the Spanish Embassy in Angola, the Spanish official’s visit is aimed at presenting the institution that he represents. The same document states that the Africa House is an instrument of public diplomacy at the service of the Spanish state’s exterior action, thus acting as a partner in the ambit of the Spanish government’s Africa Plan."

Public Diplomacy - Influence versus Coercion - Sophie, The New Diplomacy 2010 E: "Public Diplomacy is the way in which states promote their culture to foreign citizens, in the hope that it will influence and improve foreign public opinions, gaining a good reputation and enhancing their global status."

Recent event and development which illustrates the importance and otherwise of public diplomacy in contemporary world politics - Natalia, The New Diplomacy 2010 D: "The term public diplomacy in international relations describes a conduct of foreign policy by engagement with foreign publics. Originally, it was a euphemism of purportedly truthful propaganda." Below image from




Social Inequality in America: Widening Income Disparities - Vi Ransel, Center for Research on Globalization: "The people, the 'demos' in democracy, have been propagandized 24/7 with sophisticated Public Diplomacy that manufactures 'consent' via the corporate ownership of information/media. It works."

Census 2010: Race terms and identity - Sara B, CC608: Public Affairs: “Given that the racial categorization of human beings is an eternal Pandora's box, with serious implications in the realm of Public Affairs, Public Relations, Public Diplomacy and communication in general, I thought I would share my recent Facebook stream on the topic of the racial categories available on the 2010 Census Form and open up the conversation for more comments."

About Me - Eph-Oh Herding Cats: A Time-Honored Tradition: "Future Public Diplomacy Foreign Service Officer (May 2010 A-100 here I come!)."

Foreign Service Officer Test image from

RELATED ITEMS

Caution lights for the military's 'information war' - David Ignatius, Washington Post:

"The United States should be careful about encouraging, in effect, the militarization of information -- and it should be especially cautious when these efforts bleed into the intelligence world. ... An early alarm was sounded last year by Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In an article in the Joint Force Quarterly, he wrote: "It is time for us to take a harder look at 'strategic communication.' Frankly, I don't care for the term. . . . It is now sadly something of a cottage industry." Mullen's critique was amplified this week by a senior military official, who argued that these information operations had become ''public affairs on steroids" with what he said was only "limited oversight." He explained: " 'Strategic communication' has an air of respectability to it that propaganda and influence do not. The problem is that it's a slippery slope, because the information environment is so instantaneously global today. . . . You put something out there and it goes worldwide in a flash, making each influence activity suspect to a much wider and more skeptical audience." Image from

Psy-ops or Public Diplomacy: who leads on Afghan communications? - Emrys, Communicare: “[M]many would agree that psy-ops merely confuses the communication space in which the war for hearts and minds is fought. I do believe that communications is critical – but it has to be the kind of communications. International Crisis Group’s Joanna Nathan points that communications has to include transparent investigations – of international atrocities as well as Taliban – and that it has to move from ‘message’ to ‘conversation’ – speaking with, not at Afghans."

Taliban Propaganda Watch: Taliban Still Says They’re Not Talking - Milnews.Ca Blog

The Ministry of Truth Limits Reporting on Google in China 03/23/10 - China Digital Times: In China, several political bodies are in charge of Internet content control.

At the highest level, there is the Central Propaganda Department, which ensures that media and cultural content follows the official line as mandated by the CCP. Then there is the State Council Information Office (SCIO), which has established “Internet Affairs Bureau” to oversee all Websites that publish news, including the official sites of news organizations as well as independent sites that post news content. This “Internet Affairs Bureau,” sent out very specific instructions to all large news websites daily, and often multiple times per day. Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to those instructions, as well as other type of censorship orders to media and websites, as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” Image from article

News about Google censored in China - Malcolm Moore, Telegraph.co.uk

Media Alert: When Facts and Propaganda Collide: The BBC Bends over Backwards to Accommodate Israeli Claims - Media Lens, Pacific Free Press

ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"How could they tell?"

--Dorothy Parker, when informed of the death of Calvin Coolidge