May 14

"College degrees are simply not necessary for many jobs."

--Jacques Steinberg, New York Times; image from

"L'agriculture manque de bras."

--Alphonse Valentin Vaysse Rainneville (1850)

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

US in Iraq: How to get the endgame right: If the US wants to ensure success in Iraq, it must support cultural exchange programs such as the Iraqi Women’s Fellowship Foundation - Bradford Higgins, Christian Science Monitor: In its purest form, the war on terror is a war over ideas and values. Education is one of its most important and effective frontline weapons. Unfortunately, millions of Iraqis, including an entire generation of youth, know nothing of American ideas and values; their limited encounters are with heavily armed US troops in armored vehicles. During the cold war, Fulbright programs, international visitor exchanges, and similar public and private educational and cultural programs created four decades of friends for the US. Thousands of those friends rose to senior government and private-sector positions in their own countries. Even then, such funding paled in comparison with US war funding. Now such educational exchange programs seem to be almost nonexistent compared with the level of US military funding. This is a huge mistake. ... As the Obama administration develops its plans for supporting the transition to Iraqi self-reliance – and fights another war in Afghanistan, in part to establish and protect the rights of women there – it must not forget the role of education exchanges. Washington should also keep in mind the courage of Iraq’s women and the foundational role that they can play in establishing a stable, just, and democratic Iraq.

Five recommendations for William Hague in his meeting with Hillary Clinton - Jason Allardyce, jasonallardyce.blogspot.com:

"Foreign Secretary William Hague will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Friday. This is a strong start for Hague, demonstrating clearly that rebuilding the alliance with the United States is Britain’s immediate foreign policy priority after a disastrous relationship between the Obama White House and the Labour government. ... The Obama administration is increasingly perceived in the UK press as being anti-British, and with good reason. It also has a growing reputation of ignoring US allies and on many occasions insulting them too. The Obama team is no doubt keen for a fresh start with the new British government, and we are likely to see a distinctly more friendly approach towards the Cameron administration. How long this will last of course is another matter – this is a US administration with a spectacularly bad record in public diplomacy and maintaining alliances." Image from

Alhurra Communications Director Deirdre Kline on Salon's “Why Nobody Watches Our Arab TV Channel” - John Brown, Notes and Essays: "According to international research firms such as ACNielsen, Alhurra has a weekly reach of 27 million viewers, a majority of whom find the news to be credible. In fact, Alhurra’s audience exceeds that of all other non-indigenous Arabic-language international broadcasters combined."

On the Radio – Laura McGinnis, manIC: "U.S. radio broadcasts aren't always effective tools of public diplomacy. Radio broadcasts should strive to increase U.S. credibility; provide accurate, objective reports; gather accurate information from broadcasting regions; and actively engage with the residents of broadcasting regions, demonstrating a desire to learn as well as inform. Too often, U.S. programs have been dismissed as propagandistic tools of the government. U.S. broadcasters operate in an increasingly competitive information environment, particularly in the Middle East. If the BBG were to demonstrate its commitment to free speech by emphasizing the importance of interaction, increasing opportunities for call-in shows and debates and other activities that allow the audience to contribute to content-generation, could it improve the reputation of its programs? Or is their connection to the United States a hurdle too big to overcome?"

Latest salvo in VOA Persian broadcaster's harassment suit (updated) - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

New Exhibit Celebrates Jazz Ambassadors - Amra Alirejsovic, Voice of America: "One of the most successful U.S. public diplomacy efforts of the late 20th century was a program known as the Jazz Ambassadors, and music today remains an important part of U.S. cultural outreach. During the Cold War, jazz was a powerful instrument of American cultural diplomacy. It transformed superpower relations and helped shape the image of democracy in the world, especially for those living under Soviet communism and in eastern Europe.

A U.S.-government-sponsored program sent jazz ambassadors around the world - among them such well-known musicians as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck. ... [Curtis] Sandberg is vice president for the arts at the Meridian International Center, and the curator of an exhibit called Jam Session - a musicians' term for an impromptu performance. The exhibit, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, will travel to countries around the world over the next three years. It contains 100 photographs from 22 years of the Jazz Ambassadors program. The legacy of the original Jazz Ambassadors still lives through a modern-day State department program called Rhythm Road, which blends different forms of music, from jazz and blues to Cajun and hip-hop. Its mission is to share America's unique contribution to the world of music and to promote cross-cultural understanding." Image from

Go Green Bay: International visitors enjoy their Green Bay stay - UWGB: "When the Young Entrepreneurs and their mentors held a farewell reception May 6 at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts on the UW-Green Bay campus, for many it was good-bye for now, but not forever. In September 2009, UW-Green Bay was selected to receive a two-year grant totaling $273,876 from the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Each year, 10 'Young Entrepreneurs' — five each from Israel and Jordan — will come to the area for a month of workshops, site visits, job shadowing and cultural activities in the Green Bay area. ... 'The Young Entrepreneurs project ... is a wonderful example of public diplomacy,' said Derryl Block, interim dean of the college of professional and graduate studies. 'Key to the success of the program has been the connection with business mentors in the area. A project like this builds public diplomacy through relationships — relationships involving the individual participants, the businesses in the community, the University (faculty, students, and staff), and the countries involved.'

Faisal Shahzad: So Easy, Anyone Can Do It - Jessica Vaughan, Center for Immigration Studies:

"The State Department should withdraw the current guidance for consular officers that encourages lenience in student visa issuances and develop new guidance that encourages strict application of the law in terms of applicant qualifications, funding, and requiring the applicant to demonstrate a strong likelihood of returning home. This would result in fewer unqualified student visa issuances and reinforce the public diplomacy goals of the student visa program – that foreign students put their U.S. education and positive experience in America to good use back home, thus strengthening ties between the two nations." Image from

Strengthening People-to-People Relations: The Cornerstone of Taiwan-US Ties - Da-jung Li, Brookings Institution: "The level of visits by U.S. cabinet officials is an indicator of Washington-Taipei relations and while they are by nature official contacts, they can also be considered an important type of personal interaction and public diplomacy. ... Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy to the United States should be strengthened. Cultural flows between Taiwan and the United States have laid a solid foundation for social interactions between the two countries. Culture—including language, food, art, literature, music, films, and television—is also a major element of a country’s soft power. Given its diplomatic isolation and its rich cultural heritage, Taiwan should be devoted to outreach in this arena."

Making Our Voice Heard - kitty2010 - geckoe.com:

"As China’s relations with the world grow, the opportunities and challenges in terms of public diplomacy also increase. In recent years, Chinese leaders and diplomatic missions have made greater efforts in this area. Chinese people travelling, studying and working abroad have also played a role." Image from

Building bridges of friendship - Ceylon Daily News: "Throughout a history spanning over two thousand five hundred years, Sri Lanka has tended many a fruitful and long lasting cultural ties with a multitude of Asian nations, including India, China and Japan. This article attempts to highlight the mutual co-operation and intensified people to people interactions of both Sri Lanka and China based on common values and our historical and cultural bonds. It gives power to transnational communities and connects them to networks. In doing so, cultural relations contributes to the collective enterprise that is public diplomacy, by developing the networks upon which solutions to common challenges can be based."

Canada-EU Trade Environment Technology Exchange – uOttawa: "On May 20-21, 2010, the Faculty of Law will host a workshop for the Canada-EU Trade Environment Technology Exchange (TETE), led by Professors Jeremy de Beer and Debra Steger.

TETE focuses on managing the interfaces among trade, environment and technology policies, encouraging regulatory convergence, and reducing frictions in these areas. It is funded under the European Commission’s Public Diplomacy, Policy Research and Outreach Program devoted to the European Union and Canada-EU Relations. The purpose of the project is to work together with the Canadian and EU governments at all levels in the context of the negotiations toward a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)." Image from

Saving The Republic? Part I - Kelliegh Nelson, posted at regularguy.com: "[Ed] Feulner was appointed by Reagan as chairman of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. The commission was responsible for expediting a signed Soviet-American Educational Exchange Agreement."

pejwan1 - Huda Albanna, Coba: "My full name is Muhammad Huda Albanna, but people are more likely to refer me as Huda Albanna. I'm an Indonesian blogger who lives in a wonderful city called Yogyakarta/Jogja. ... I also have special interest in International Relation (especially in public diplomacy), Spirituality, Javanese Culture and Philosophy."

Obituary: Frank Scott, director of VOA Europe - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

RELATED ITEMS

Can Obama save his Afghanistan surge? - Jackson Diehl, Washington Post:

"The countless red carpets rolled out for Hamid Karzai in Washington this week could not disguise an ugly emerging reality: So far, Barack Obama's surge in Afghanistan isn't working." Image from

Propaganda Overwhelms Russian Society - Pavel Felgenhauer, georgiandaily.com: For the first time since the demise of the Soviet Union small national contingents from all CIS states, excluding Uzbekistan, marched on Red Square, symbolizing to the public the restoration under the Russian mantle of the unity of the former Soviet empire. Token Western contingents with military bands from France, UK, US and Poland were also invited to march on Red Square in an apparent gesture of goodwill (Interfax, May 9). Moscow is offering an open hand to the West, with lucrative deals to buy technologies in exchange for oil and metals to modernize its industry and military. However, friendship must be solidly based on a clear recognition of Russia’s special territorial interests in Eurasia. Some leading Western nations seem to already accept the concept, while others still waver.

From Russia With Love and Propaganda - Maia Efrem, thebrooklynink.com: At 9 o’clock every night, Brooklyn’s Russian speakers tune in to Channel One for a roundup of the day’s news broadcast from Russia. The day’s headlines might include the preparations for the Eurovision contest in Oslo, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s meeting with economic experts, a new valve to aid doctors during cardiovascular surgery, and a conference about the Russian public’s opinion of the new 500 billion ruble railroad trains.

That would make a relatively tame evening. Because on Channel One humor on any given night might include a black man being called a monkey, jokes are made about a Jew’s nose, and Ukrainians are reminded that Russia is just a shut down gas pipeline away. The channel was launched in 2002 with the Kremlin controlling 51 percent of its shares, a protocol remnant of Boris Yeltsin’s decree giving the government majority control over the broadcast media. The balance comes from three giant financial institutions owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. The channel effectively functions as the official mouthpiece of Medvedev and Putin. Image from

analysis of Israeli propaganda - The Angry Arab News Service/وكالة أنباء العربي الغاضب

Turkish journalist gets 166 years in prison for propaganda – SETtimes.com: A court in Diyarbakir on Thursday (May 13th) sentenced a Kurdish-language newspaper journalist to 166 years in prison for spreading propaganda about the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Vedat Kursun, former editor of the daily Azadiya Welat, was found guilty of disseminating pro-PKK information on 103 different occasions through publishing news and photographs and of "committing a crime on behalf of the terrorist organisation". He insists there was no criminal intent and plans to appeal the verdict. Image from