June 13

"In the days of the old diplomacy it would have been regarded as an act of unthinkable vulgarity to appeal to the common people upon any issue of international policy."

--Sir Harold Nicolson, Diplomacy (Institute for the Study of Diplomacy Edition, Georgetown University, 1988), p. 92; image from

“You should never express more clearly than you can think.”

--Danish physicist Niels Bohr

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Student Ambassadors: the USA (and its Expo 2010) at its very best - Adam, Shanghai Scrap: [M]embers of the USA pavilion’s Student Ambassador program ... are precisely who and how I would want the USA to represent itself at Expo 2010 (the Shanghai World’s Fair). What I find most compelling about the student ambassadors, and what I most wanted to discuss with them, were the acts and routines that they’d spontaneously worked up, on their own, to warm-up and entertain the crowds. ... One of the things that

I find most interesting about the Student Ambassadors is that they develop (and have developed) a performer’s instinct for what does and does not work with Chinese Expo audiences. It’s hard won, too: every day they spend hours and hours interacting with these audiences, joking and conversing with them, and measuring their moods. To be honest, I’m not sure of any other pavilion that has a staff with this kind of knowledge. At some point, I hope, somebody in the State Department will recognize that knowledge as a valuable resource for doing public diplomacy in China after Expo." Image from article

U.S. in a foreign policy corner on Iran: Neither U.N. punishment nor Obama's attempt at engagement has helped - Doyle McManus, latimes.com: "After initial hesitation, the administration has quietly increased its indirect support for Iran's democracy movement — very quietly, because the U.S. wants to avoid tainting the dissidents with charges of foreign sponsorship. Most of the help has come in the form of increased hours of Persian-language radio and television broadcasting into Iran, and in export permits for U.S.-made software to help Iranians evade their government's efforts to block or punish Internet use. But that's long term; nobody — not even the green movement — expects Ahmadinejad to be toppled soon."

POMED Notes: “Iran: One Year After Elections” - Farid, Project on Middle East DemocracyThe POMED Wire: "The Democracy Council held a briefing on Capitol Hill covering the outcomes in Iran and U.S. Iranian relations in the aftermath of the contested presidential election. The briefing — 'Iran: One Year After Elections' — was organized in distinct segments with different panels that covered a range of issues. ... In the last panel, Andrew Albertson, Executive Director of the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), argued that because of Iran’s high use of the Internet, consumption of international media, its strong middle class, and the people’s disillusion with its leadership, there are great avenues for creative outreach to the Iranian people. ... Albertson proposed five important components to any approach to Iran: 1. We need much more time in public diplomacy and connecting our peoples with each other to demonstrate that we are supporting the Iranian people. 2. The U.S. needs to repair and strengthen and invest in our tools for communicating with Iranians. 3. There should be a larger investment in a wide range of circumvention technologies to help Iranians to get around the regimes filters. 4. A new visa program that would allow students, scientists, cultural leaders to come to the U.S. in order to highlight American commitment to the Iranian people and their wants. 5. Assistance related to human rights and democracy."

What if the Obama administration fully sided with Iran's Green Movement? – Editorial, Washington Post: "It has taken some small steps to help Iranians overcome the regime's Internet censorship. Many of the new sanctions are focused on companies controlled by the Revolutionary Guard, which is the regime's backbone and prime instrument of repression. But the policy could be much more aggressive: The State Department, for example, is still sitting on tens of millions of dollars appropriated by Congress for: The State Department, for example, is still sitting

on tens of millions of dollars appropriated by Congress for Internet firewall-busting." Image from

Loving the challenge, and the camaraderie - Susan L. Rife, Sarasota Herald-Tribune: "Pianist Pauline Yang has participated in more than a dozen music festivals in both North America and Europe, but she keeps coming back to the Sarasota Music Festival for one reason:

the interaction between the faculty and her fellow students. ... Yang, 23, just completed her undergraduate education at the University of Southern California, where she doubled-majored in piano performance and political science. Strange bedfellows? 'I've always been interested in bridging the two through cultural diplomacy,' she said. 'I'm really inspired by what music can do internationally and transnationally.'" Yang image from article

Chinese Embassy in the US Launches Redesigned Website - ‎press release, MFA China: "On June 11, the Chinese Embassy in the United States formally put into operation its newly facelifted Chinese language website and also initiated the test run of its upgraded English version. ... Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun congratulated the Embassy on the launching of its renovated website. See also the now dated
China's Public Diplomacy: Have You Ever Tried to Call the Chinese Embassy? (Huffington Post, March 21, 2010); image from article.

Column: Soft power runs into Great Wall - Nirvikar Singh, ‎Financial Express: "China’s exercise of soft power is more in line with the recent, more elastic view of the term, and the country’s leadership has been explicit about the interconnection of culture, economics and politics in shaping national power. China’s leaders see soft power as a cover for hard power. ... The case of India illustrates the limits of China’s soft power. Cultural diplomacy has had limited purchase there, and while economic ties have been increasing, the reality of strategic rivalry overshadows other considerations. In this context of regional strategic competition, China’s statement of goals to “enrich, harmonise and reassure the neighbourhood” lacks credibility."

The bonds between the GCC and EU grow deeper - Gonzalo de Benito, Luigi Narbone and Christian Koch, National:

"[T]he ministers of foreign affairs of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council will gather together tomorrow in Luxembourg to hold their annual joint ministerial council. ... Taken together, the GCC-EU relationship is today more vital economically and increasingly important for promoting stability in the region. ... In addition, numerous other concrete projects and exchange networks have been put in place in areas such as public diplomacy, science and technology, clean energy, education and a broadened political dialogue." Image from

Lords debate the EU and China - press release, ‎DeHavilland (subscription only): from Google entry: “Our cultural diplomacy seems to be improving by leaps and bounds. The Shanghai Expo pavilion is evidence of that.” Image from

Tendo and British Embassy Launch Revamped Website - computersor.com: "Tendo Communications, a strategic custom publisher producing print and Web communication programs, and the British Embassy today announced the success of a revamped site for the embassy's science and technology sector. Sponsored by the British Embassy, the UK Science & Technology (S&T) Network embarked on a $2 million public diplomacy campaign designed to generate interest from U.S. and Canadian researchers and investors. The UK S&T Network highlights initiatives ranging from stem cell research and nanotubes to renewable energy and wireless technology."

Future Trends and Challenges to UK Security - Azeem Ibrahim, ‎Huffington Post: "Cyberattacks blur the line between national security threats by a foreign government, military, or individuals or groups acting without links to any state organization . … The fact that the opinions of foreign citizens can, if determined enough, now translate into cyber attacks on UK critical infrastructure, means that defense against such an amorphous threat must make use of public and cultural diplomacy to reduce the motivation to attack in the first place."

10 Academic Resources Daily: CfA: Summer School, Security Studies Tirana, 21-28.06.2010 for Journalists - Radu Iliescu, freestudiesabroad.blogspot.com: "Call for Applicants - 1st Summer School on 'Security Studies for Journalists', 21st - 28th June 2010, Tirana - Albania The Albanian Council on Foreign Relations (ACFR), with the support of the NATO's Public Diplomacy Division, announces the organization of first Summer School on 'Security Studies for Journalists' to be held in Tirana-Albania from the 21st to 28th of June. The aim of the summer school

will be to enhance the critical role of journalists and media in the areas of peace, conflict and security." Image from

Public Diplomacy Edges Forward – Philip Seib, ‎Huffington Post: "While attending a Wilton Park (UK) conference on the future of public diplomacy, I was pleased to see this facet of foreign policy gaining traction. … Among those attending, there was growing recognition that public diplomacy is not simply a nice gesture and that it requires more than hucksterism. But some important questions remain to be answered: What skill sets do public diplomats need? Should public diplomacy be an all-of-government venture or be centrally managed? How should Internet and mobile phone technologies be used more effectively as diplomatic tools? What roles do diasporic populations and 'irtual states' play in international affairs?"

Public Diplomacy and Global Policymaking in the 21st Century: AUC and Rice University Students Discuss Intercultural Differences and Shared Aspirations for Peace – The American University in Cairo: "It all begins with dialogue – that is the premise of collaboration between The American University in Cairo and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University (Houston, Texas, USA.)

This month, undergraduate students from the two institutions met in Cairo for three days of round table discussions geared to help students confront and dissect stereotypes and other social and cultural issues that impede effective resolution of conflict and discord between the West and the Arab world. The event coincided with the anniversary of U.S. President Barack Obama’s 2009 Cairo address to the Arab world. In that speech, President Obama called for a “new beginning” for American-Arab relations, promoting increased engagement and alignment of agendas for peace and prosperity in the region." Image from

Muslim countries - Profiles in Contrast (2004) - Dougan, Diana Lady - betterworldbooks.com: "Arab and Muslim Countries: Profiles in Contrasts is designed to assist public diplomacy policymakers, educators, and anyone who wants to better understand these surprisingly diverse and strategically important people and nations." Image from

SWJ's developing reading list - James Frayne, The Campaign War Room: "The Small Wars Journal blog has an interesting and developing reading list. The SWJ is always useful for insight on strategy, decision-making and public diplomacy so, as you would expect, the reading list has some great suggestions."

Dr. Clement A. Price, Mary Sue Sweeney Price to be Honored by by American Jewish Committee at Newark Museum, June 16th: "The AlternativePress.com: Mary Sue is past president of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) and of ArtTable Inc., the national organization for professional women leaders in the visual arts. She is a trustee of ArtPride NJ, one of the most effective arts advocacy organizations in the country. She has received honorary doctorates from Rutgers University, Drew University and Caldwell College, and has been honored by the government of Portugal for contributions to cultural diplomacy. ... Rutgers University, Drew University and Caldwell College, and has been honored by the government of Portugal for contributions to cultural diplomacy."

RELATED ITEMS

In Our Image [review of The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris

By Peter Beinart] - Leslie H. Gelb, New York York Times: For Beinart, a journalist and an associate professor at the City University of New York, the source of the nation’s foreign policy woes lies not in the stars but in ourselves. His thesis is not new, but it is indefatigably rendered: America’s shortcomings flow entirely from hubris or overconfidence, much as the mythical Icarus perished because he flew too near the sun. Image from

North Korea Renews Threat on Propaganda - Martin Fackler, New York Times

Why it's time to lighten up about "weird" Japan - Lisa Katayama, Boing Boing: Why do so many love to gawk at this mysterious, foreign "other" that is Japanese culture? There are plenty of strange things going on in the US too, but when it happens in Japan, it's suddenly incomprehensible, despicable, awesome, and crazy. This fascination doesn't just end with angry commenters, either. Over the last couple of decades, it has spawned a huge industry of magazines, blogs, and products themed around Japanese culture marketed to Westerners by Westerners who are also obsessed with Japanese culture. One big reason for the global obsession may be that Japanese culture is like an altered, offbeat version of American culture. One important premise of Japanese popular culture is the commitment to have fun and not take offense. Japanese humor works on many different levels and its nuances can be hard to explain to people who didn't grow up with it.