June 4

"But exactly how can the old farts in the federal government – or anyone over 40 -- effectively motivate the under-30 generation into action?"

--Marisa Torrieri, TMCnet Editor, regarding the use of social media in US public diplomacy efforts; image from

"Margaret Mead thought every woman needed three husbands: one for youthful sex, one for security while raising children and one for joyful companionship in old age."

--Deirdre Bair, "The 40-Year Itch," New York Times

VIDEO

Flotilla Choir presents: We Con the World

Below images from: Caught in the oil

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

'A Perceived Lack of Follow-Up': ‎Spiegel: "One year ago, President Barack Obama delivered a powerful address in Cairo aimed at improving America's relations with the Muslim world. Dalia Mogahed, who helped draft that speech, spoke to SPIEGEL ONLINE about its impact, Obama's waning support in the Arab world and the difference between words and action. ...

SPIEGEL ONLINE: A well-prepared speech like the Cairo address can be an effective tool of public diplomacy and improve relations. But is there a specific risk involved if results are perceived as disappointing? Mogahed: It is difficult to speculate whether or not doing the speech without follow-up is worse than not doing it at all. I do think, though, that the Cairo address set a new tone for the dialogue between the US and Muslim societies around the world. It took some of the fuel away of the narrative of a war against Islam. It brought the discussion back to the arena of policy and politics rather than a war of religions. This is an important shift."

Special Ops: Obama's Secret Assassination Squads – Mark, laceylibertarian.us: “Well, perhaps I should have put, secret, in quotes. According to the Washington Post: ['] Beneath its commitment to soft-spoken diplomacy and beyond the combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, the Obama administration has significantly expanded a largely secret U.S. war against al-Qaeda and other radical groups, according to senior military and administration officials. Special Operations forces have grown both in number and budget, and are deployed in 75 countries, compared with about 60 at the beginning of last year. In addition to units that have spent years in the Philippines and Colombia, teams are operating in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.Commanders are developing plans for increasing the use of such forces in Somalia, where a Special Operations raid last year killed the alleged head of al-Qaeda in East Africa. Plans exist for preemptive or retaliatory strikes in numerous places around the world, meant to be put into action when a plot has been identified, or after an attack linked to a specific group. ['] That’s how you run an empire — soft-spoken on the outside, murderous in private. ... Where else do you get to threaten or kill with no accountability. Quite a step up from street activist in Chicago. ... 75 countries? Wow! So do you think public diplomacy means anything? In public: we hope country X will do the right thing. In private: do what we want or else."

US Fund Supports Three Cultural Preservation Projects in Mongolia - ‎UB Post: "The United States signed three new grants to support cultural preservation at Amarbayasgalant Monastery, the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Gallery of Modern Art of Mongolia. These grants together total US$620,000, and will help preserve irreplaceable cultural treasures in Mongolia. Judith McHale, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, announced the grants during her visit to Mongolia last month."

Friend the world: Diplomats tap into social media - ‎The Associated Press: "Diplomats with decades of experience and knowledge need to work with the under-30 age group that is deftly using Internet-based communication technology, Cohen [Jared Cohen, a member of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's policy planning staff] said.

Traditional channels of diplomacy are fine, but they will need an assist from Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to succeed. ... Hoping to harness social media's diplomatic potential, the State Department launched the Virtual Student Foreign Service program last year. College students interning with foreign embassies use their online skills to write blogs and interview diplomats. As the program grows, so will their responsibilities."

Saudi woman who opposes gender equality admires Clinton - ‎Preeti Aroon, Foreign Policy: "Clinton received a rock-star reception when she visited Dar al-Hekma College this February, though it seems that the views of students at an elite Saudi women's college might not be representative of Saudi women as a whole. It's also worth noting that Clinton's reception there was in stark contrast with that of Karen Hughes (George W. Bush's undersecretary of state for public diplomacy) in 2005."

Not Your Grandparents' Strategic Communications: Part One - Nancy Snow, Huffington Post: "There's much talk these days about the say-do gap in communications. The best communication narrows that gap between what you say and what you do. ... This is where understanding strategic communications pays off. At the recent National Summit on Strategic Communications in Washington, DC, speakers from government, industry and the military shared insights from a lifetime of learning, including those teachable moment missteps and stories of success. Here are some highlights from this inaugural gathering: ... Seats and Tray Tables in Upright Position: Strategic communications is no longer a discreet capacity. At one time a separate public affairs or public diplomacy office was seen as sufficient, or worse, an afterthought. Edward R. Murrow, director of the U.S. Information Agency under JFK, was furious when his agency was left out of the planned invasion of the Bay of Pigs in Cuba in April 1961. Murrow was never in favor of this risky 'adventure' into a country whose president was held in such high regard. But he didn't like to be the last to know. He is said to have exploded with this famous line: 'Dammit, if they want me in on the crash landings, I'd better damned well be in on the takeoffs.' This was before fax machine, cable television, Internet, and social media like YouTube and Twitter. Today, even the takeoff position is too late. Strategic communications is relevant to all programs and personnel in your organization from the moment you are envisioning that flying machine."

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts - ‎FavStocks: "Daniel B. Smith, Nominee for Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, Department of State[:] Daniel B. Smith is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. He is currently the Executive Secretary of the State Department. Prior to that he was the Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs."

Danger: Government Falling - ‎Scott Bates, TheDay.com: "As the morning sun rose slowly over the shores of Okinawa, I shook off the jet lag that comes from 24 hours of travel and began a one-week public diplomacy tour of Japan for the U.S. State Department. The warm shore breezes were almost as wonderful as those I had left at home in Stonington just hours before.

My job was to speak to local journalists and officials on America s new national security strategy and the importance of the U.S.-Japanese alliance. A sometimes tough sell in Okinawa, where 100,000 citizens came out last month to politely ask the U.S. military to move its bases off their islands. A squadron of American fighter jets screaming over the harbor reminded me of one of the reasons locals have complaints. ... Minutes before my talk, word came that the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Hatoyama, has just tearfully resigned office, primarily on his inability to deliver a deal that would reduce the U.S. base presence in Okinawa. While Hatoyama and many people in Okinawa do not care for the U.S. military presence in Japan, there are many others that do. Fifty years ago the U.S. and Japan signed a Mutual Defense Treaty that is still in force. In it, we pledge to cooperate to defend one another against outside aggression. I avoided comment on the toppled Prime Minister, and my Japanese friends were too polite to ask."

AP report notwithstanding, the VOA Chinese website is still blocked in China - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: PDPBR note: The Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review, evidently, is honored to be among such venerable banned company, perhaps because of its pornographic content.

No jazz this year in the VOA Auditorium, and other VOA in the news - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

The Best Laid Plans – Laura McGinnis, manIC: "Every year, nations invest billions of dollars into public diplomacy efforts in an attempt to curry favor with foreign publics, improve national reputations and facilitate international policy. But even the best efforts can be undermined if the attention of the world's media is diverted by a catastrophe. To some extent, governments can compensate with typical damage control activities, but ultimately it is the actual policies and formal responses that will carry the most weight. When it comes to crises, actions speak louder than words."

Ilko Kucheriv used time to make world better place - Mark Rachkevych, ‎Kyiv Post: "I recall meeting [recently deceased political activist Ilko] Kucheriv .. when he returned from his six-month Reagan-Fascell fellowship in Washington, D.C. in 2006. Like many who come back from stints in the West,

full of ambition and fresh ideas, Kucheriv proclaimed that he’d start to engage in public diplomacy, whose practice he said would make Democratic Initiatives the preeminent think-tank in Ukraine, on par with the Cato or Brookings Institute."

2010/2011 Budget Debate Contribution of DPM Brent Symonette - thebahamasweekly.com: "Commonwealth of The Bahamas Bahamas Immigration Department Contribution by the Hon. T. Brent Symonette M.P. Deputy Prime Minister [Symonette]: ... As with all of The Bahamas’ diplomatic missions, the Embassy in Washington also engages in cultural and public diplomacy, participating in programmes which require a limited financial commitment but make an invaluable contribution to raising the profile of the country and promoting The Bahamas as a business, tourist and cultural destination. The Embassy therefore participates in the Embassy Adoption Programme, which is co-sponsored by the Washington Performing Arts Society and DC Public Schools. This programme is designed to inform students about The Bahamas with a view to them learning to appreciate and respect Bahamian art, culture, history and current events. This programme complements the Embassy’s participation in the ‘Passport DC Open House’ coordinated by Cultural DC."

Globalization of Sri Lanka issues: Minister Peiris versus 'The Rest' - ‎Daya Gamage, Asian Tribune: "Old boys’ network most of the time works pretty well in politics, diplomacy and trade and commerce. This writer experienced it well in his last life working in the area of public diplomacy. Will old boys’ network work between the two foreign ministers of U.S. and Sri Lanka through former U.S. president Bill Clinton? Or, the broad and influential network created by the pro-Tamil Tiger professionals in the U.S. prevails over the old boys’ network?"

Pakistan, NATO pledge to strengthen political dialogue, efforts against terrorism - Associated Press of Pakistan: "[Pakistan's] Prime Minister Gilani in a prepared statement at the stake out said Pakistan and NATO share a common objective of making regional and global peace possible. 'The close practical cooperation between NATO and Pakistan which we have been able to foster in recent years is crucial for achieving that cherished goal.' He said both Pakistan and NATO were maintaining regular contacts and consultations, including at the highest level on all matters of mutual interest. 'We also appreciate the initiatives of the NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division for enhancing cooperation and for a better understanding of the perspectives.'”

'US pressed Israel to release 400 Turkish citizens' - ‎Sify: "Turkey's Deputy Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Selim Yenel has said that the US pressured Israel to facilitate the speedy release of more than 400 Turkish citizens whom the Israeli forces took into custody from the Gaza-bound protest ships.

But the Israeli Government sources refused to comment on any US involvement in the deportation of the activists, who were brought to Ashdod Port on Monday." See also.

DC Adventure, Part III – Tools of Renewal: "I should finish writing about my trip to Washington, DC, for the National Day of Prayer. I left you at the National Holocaust Memorial. After our tour, Mike and I were stuck in the city. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews had a dinner scheduled, and we did not have enough time to go home and shower. We made our way to the Crowne Plaza on K Street and headed downstairs to the banquet room. ... The Rabbi showed up, and each of us got to pose for a photo with him. Very nice guy. Not stand-offish at all. ... I can’t tell you how good it felt, watching an Orthodox rabbi tell us he was frustrated by a liberal administration and pleased to have the support of conservative Christians. ... The next morning, Mike and I got up were scheduled ... at the Ninth Annual Israel Solidarity Event, at the Israeli Embassy! ... I believe the only Israeli speakers were Noam Katz (Minister for Public Diplomacy) and Michael Oren. If memory serves, Mr. Katz openly admitted that American conservative Christians were the best friends Israel had. It may have been Ambassador Oren, but I don’t remember it that way. In any case, it was stirring. What a change in the Jewish perspective. Ambassador Oren was wonderful. He’s a historian (born in the US and schooled at Princeton and Columbia), and he told about American’s long association with Israel and the Jews. He told us that one of the Founding Fathers proposed putting Moses and the Hebrews on our national seal, as a metaphor for our crossing the Atlantic and leaving the British behind. The British were our Egyptians. Ambassador Oren also pointed out that a surprising number of early Americans were schooled in the Hebrew language, and many believed it to be the language of heaven."

Ayalon claims successes in PR battle - Benjamin Spier, Jerusalem Post: "Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon has mounted a robust defense of official Israel’s performance on the public diplomacy 'battlefield' over the fatal flotilla raid this week.Writing in a Jerusalem Post op-ed elsewhere in these pages, Ayalon said the Foreign Ministry and many other governmental agencies had been working furiously ahead of the interception 'to prepare for the worst, while hoping for the best. In fact the level of coordination before, during and after these events was unprecedented.' ... 'Israel’s public diplomacy has become the new battlefield,' said Ayalon, 'and if one gauges the results, it is clear that there are many positives. There is not one credible member of the international media that still parrots the stated motives of the organizers of the flotilla... More and more correspondents, many who were previously very critical of Israeli policy, have placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the flotilla organizers. These are very real successes.'”

Foreign Ministry Rep in Live Facebook Chat - ‎Gil Ronen, Arutz Sheva: "Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor will hold a live internet video conference ... with members of the Facebook group 'Gaza Flotilla – the world should know the truth.' ... The pro-Israel group was created Tuesday and already numbers 115,000 members. It has made intensive efforts to disseminate the Israeli point of view on the naval flotilla raid Monday. ... Palmor will also supply his assessment of Israel's public diplomacy situation. The Foreign Ministry noted Thursday that the group is the largest one on Facebook dealing with Israel and the Middle East, despite being just two days old." See also

Gov't establishes contact center for Diaspora communities: Thousands of inquiries received at office set up to help deal with anti-Semitism amid flotilla crisis ‎- Haviv Rettig, Jerusalem Post: "Yuri Edelstein’s Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry has opened a contact center in Jerusalem that will serve as a clearinghouse for up-to-date information on the continuing diplomatic crisis surrounding the Gaza blockade runners.

'We felt there was a problem,' the ministry’s spokeswoman Anat Weinstein said. 'There’s a huge need for materials' among Diaspora organizations and activists, 'and these materials can be hard to come by because they are held in many different hands that are not sharing the information.' The center formally opened on Tuesday, and has already has had 'thousands of inquiries,' Weinstein said."

Public Diplomacy: At war without an army: Israel isn't equipped to fight the media war - Haviv Rettig Gur, Jerusalem Post: "It may be too early to provide a real retrospective on Mondays flotilla operation. ... But one thing is already clear. The operation was a political disaster. ... There are two kinds of defenses offered by Israeli public diplomacy officials over the past three days. The first posits that the whirlwind of international excoriation was unavoidable, that the deck is stacked against them. The second, that Israel’s public diplomacy had performed well, despite the criticism being leveled at it after the fact. ... If ever one needed evidence of the ineffectiveness of the Foreign Ministry, the haplessness of the 'public diplomacy headquarters' in the Prime Minister’s Office or the crossed signals and miscommunication that seem to characterize the IDF’s interactions with those institutions, one need only look to these responses. Even as diplomatic blows continue to come – widespread calls for international investigation, the breaking of diplomatic ties by Nicaragua – officials do not seem to understand that these reactions are driven not by prejudice against the Jewish state, but by these countries’ own responses to the media’s narrative, a narrative forged while Israel was still trying to get its army, diplomats and politicians to speak to one another."

Israel's tweet-o'hasbara – Lena, Global Chaos: "In short, Israel can spend hours on Twitter and YouTube (and the like), but then again, in public diplomacy actions speak louder than words, especially when the latter are limited to 140-character statements.But then, as Morozov tweeted (this is ironic, I know): 'I bet that Israel will crumble once the # of angry tweets reaches 1 trillion. Cuz tweets change history, didn't ya know?'"

The Gaza Storyline - cyberschmitz.com: "The storyline of the Gaza embargo has been written by now, defined by the Turkish so-called 'peace activists,' clearly a misnomer if ever there was one. But misnomers and public relations is in large part what the convoy and the attempt to break the Israeli embargo was all about. In terms of information warfare, the activists have won so far, hands-down. Israel needs to do all it can to capture the information offensive. ... In this, Israel faces an uphill battle, for one things because international organizations like the U.N. are dominated by its critics and file knee-jerk condemnations, and secondly because the world media reflects a similar bias. Therefore, Israel’s public diplomacy strategists have a tough job, even under the best of circumstances. ... Israel’s public diplomacy deficit has not exactly been a secret. The Gaza crisis that erupted into the summer war with Hezbollah in 2006 was a public diplomacy set back for Israel, and caused the Israeli government last year to devote new resources to its communication’s strategy. Particularly the use of the social media by Hezbollah and Hamas has made a more deliberate strategy an absolute must. Unfortunately, there seems to have been little forethought given to the need to capture the information battlefield before the inception of the raid on the convoy of Turkish activists seeking a propaganda victory against, which they have clearly gotten, even though the price was high – the loss of nine lives. ... Pushing for a robust public diplomacy is new to Israel. According to Bar-Ilan University professor Eytan Gilboa, soft power is not a concept that Israeli governments have ever properly understood. As a primary aspect of shaping and influencing understandings of Israel, public diplomacy is badly needed in a country where 91 percent of Israeli’s [sic] believe that their country has a bad or very bad image overseas. Furthermore, Professor Gilboa has encouraged an increased budget for information campaigns to approximately $100 million. These campaigns will be targeted towards Arab countries in the region as well as Europe and the United States where Israel believes it as lost significant support under the Obama administration."

Mainstream Media Doesn't Let Facts Get In The Way Of Their Anti-Israel Narrative - Omri Ceren, Big Journalism: "It must be insanely frustrating to do media outreach or public diplomacy for Israel. It’s not only that media outlets seem to have an endless supply of anti-Israel storylines that they just mix and match regardless of context, from lurid descriptions of imagined atrocities to old standbys about Palestinian dispossession. It’s also that journalists and editors seem to pick their themes with something approaching reckless abandon, throwing against the wall one thinly sourced anti-Israel libel after another. If something sticks they congratulate themselves on brave journalism. If a smear is debunked they just shrug and move on."

Israel - Summary of editorials from the Hebrew press, 3 Jun 2010
- ‎ISRIA: "Yediot Aharonot says that Israel 'imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip both to prevent the entry of war materiel and in order to weaken the Hamas regime, politically and economically.' The author declares that 'The flotilla could not be allowed to reach Gaza. All of the questions and concerns arising from the action itself must be examined carefully.

But let's not get confused: Despite the diplomatic imbroglio and the public diplomacy embarrassment, the blockade of Gaza must continue as long as Hamas, which controls it, is the Hamas that currently exists. We cannot allow a sea route into Gaza.' The paper adds that 'It is clear to everyone that whoever rains blows on armed soldiers puts his life in danger. I do not know that soldiers from other countries, including Turkish soldiers, would have taken murderous blows without responding.'"

From 'Korea discount' to 'Korea premium' - ‎Korea Times: "South Korea is the world's 13th largest economy, but outside of the Asian region, the country's public presence remains somewhat underwhelming. In fact, many Westerners who take pride of being knowledgeable about Korea would often start their conversations with North Korea and Kim Jong-il. To borrow a concept from Joseph Nye, 'hard power,' which refers mostly to military capabilities, had defined the strengths of nations in the past. However, 'soft power,' which values more of a country's culture, policies and institutions, has now gained stronger relevancy as an indicator of a country's influence. This also shows that 'public diplomacy,'' referring to a broader form of international cooperation than country-to-country relations, has become crucial in strengthening a country's international position, and this is an area where South Korea had lagged behind. Apparently, the G-20 leaders meeting in Seoul may provide a turnaround point."

Thailand - Foreign Minister meets with Honorary Consuls-General in Thailand - ‎ISRIA: "On 3 June 2010, at the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, briefed 35 Honorary Consuls-General in Thailand on the Kingdom’s foreign policy and political situation as well as the role of the Honorary Consuls-General in enhancing the bilateral relations. ... He explained the Royal Thai Government’s determination to promote democracy under constitutional monarchy, to abide by the rule of law and good governance, and to respect the principles of human rights and freedom of expression. He also referred to role of the Foreign Ministry in undertaking the public diplomacy through various projects.Foreign Minister Kasit reiterated that Honorary Consuls-General play a significant role in promoting the bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of people-to-people contacts, labour protection, and business promotion."

What You Can Do To Help Israel - RabbiB: [Mention of:] "Neil Lazarus Middle East Current Affairs, Public Diplomacy and Effective Communication Training."

CRA News Alert! June 4th 2010 - Adam Newbie Cigar Blog: "Mike Prendergast has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with Special Honors and a dual major in Political Science and Sociology from Jacksonville State University; a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Psychology from the University of New York; a Bachelor of Social Science degree from Campbell University;

a Master of Arts degree with a major in International Relations and a Certificate in African Studies from the University of Florida; a Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Public Management from Troy State University; and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College with a major in Public Diplomacy and a concentration in Campaign and Strategic Crisis Planning."

Public Diplomacy Officer for Partner Nation Outreach (Afghanistan Department of State: (subscription): "As Public Diplomacy Officer (PDO) or Partner Nation Outreach, the incumbent is responsible for assessing, responding to, and implementing outreach proposals from U.S. Embassies in partner nations."

RELATED ITEMS

The U.S. needs to keep nudging Israel on a Gaza fix - David Ignatius, Washington Post

Israelis Wonder: Has the World Lost Its Mind? - The U.N. Security Council urgently convenes to create yet another anti-Israel kangaroo court—even as the sanctions effort against Iran's nuclear program falters - Yossi Klein Halevi, Wall Street Journal: By appealing to the world's conscience, Israel's jihadist enemies have learned how to turn their relative powerlessness into a strategic asset. Israel is being increasingly forced to choose between self-defense and acceptance by the nations. The likely result will be a growing sense of empowerment among jihadists, and a growing sense of desperation among Israelis.

Those troublesome Jews - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post: The world is tired of these troublesome Jews, 6 million -- that number again -- hard by the Mediterranean, refusing every invitation to national suicide. For which they are relentlessly demonized, ghettoized and constrained from defending themselves, even as the more committed anti-Zionists -- Iranian in particular -- openly prepare a more final solution.

AMERICANA


From: Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog: I no longer keep track of Condoleezza's hairdo.