September 25

"It's not about public diplomacy or public relation. It's about policy. But thanks to the free concert."

--asalin77, commenting on the Indonesian tour of the State Department sponsored Muslim hip-hop group, Remarkable Current; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

China Takes a Page from US Playbook - Helle Dale, Heritage.org:

"If competition is healthy—most conservatives believe it is—the challenge presented by China and other nations in the field of public diplomacy ought to be a wakeup call to the U.S. government. While the United States invented the concept of public diplomacy, other contenders for international leadership are investing heavily in this branch of 'soft power,' which focuses on promoting information, ideas, and values. As Washington awaits the results of the Obama Administration’s Quadrennial Development and Diplomacy Review (QDDR), which is far behind schedule, it is clear that leadership and strategic focus are needed to meet rising global 'soft power' challenges. Case in point: China." Image from

USA, China and India – The New Cold War - southasianidea.wordpress.com: "USA wants to thin down Chinese influence for which it needs India’s support. ... [With a] public diplomacy initiative to let India keep China keep each other engaged ... USA wants a collaborative regime to counter Chinese influence in Asia Pacific through its 'friends'. India fits the bill."

Obama, Ahmadinejad, and... RT! - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "In an extensive interview to BBC Persian, he [Obama] condemned the Iranian President and went a long way to reach out to the people of Iran and Afghanistan. (Well done, on public diplomacy! But there's the ever-present need to remember that people there will judge things based on that they see done, on the ground.) ... Of special note, ... is a statement he made 'by the way', and it is something that American public diplomacy practitioners and thinkers have been emphasizing over and over again: '[Americans] are accustomed to talking all the time. They're not accustomed to listening.' Wow.

Now, it is even coming from the Iranian President himself...!? Perhaps it's high time to give it a serious thought?" Image from

Rap Ambassadors Spread Word in Indonesia - Lisa Siregar,thejakartaglobe.com: "Students at the Islamic Uhamka University in South Jakarta got a jolt of pure energy on Wednesday when the hip-hop collective Remarkable Current popped in for a performance. The audience was a bit shy at first, unsure what to make of the spectacle. But by the time the group was halfway through its set, hesitation had turned to excitement, with the students up on their feet, dancing and cheering in response to the crew’s 'Ho-o' call-and-response. ... The group’s members — Tyson, Kumasi, Erik Rico and Anas Canon — are all Muslims who aim to inspire with a positive message of beauty, faith and tolerance. Dubbing themselves 'hip-hop ambassadors of the 21st century,' Remarkable Current was invited to tour the country at the behest of the US State Department as part of a performing arts initiative.

Their first show in front of an Indonesian audience was on Tuesday at the residence of US Ambassador Scot Marciel. The group played a free show at the Hard Rock Cafe on Thursday." Image from article

Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy - Matt Armstrong, Public Diplomacy Magzine: "The institutions and practices of America’s engagement are changing. Perhaps this change would come faster if the State Department and its relevant Congressional Committees pushed as hard as the military." See also.

America The Invisible - Patricia H. Kushlis, Whirled View: Comment on the article, which deals with the American cultural presence in London and was cited in previous PDPBRs, by State Department official Dan Sreebny and reply by Ms. Kushlis.

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Will Castro assist Obama? - Scott Sullivan, petroleumworld.com: "What is Obama to do about picking a new senior policy advisor on terrorism/Afghanistan? I would suggest that Obama go far beyond the Beltway to find a qualified individual. In fact Obama's search should extend as far as Havana Cuba to find Fidel Castro! Obama should rely on Cuba's expertise in what DoD describes as low intensity warfare establish a declassified public diplomacy program (in other words, propaganda) for deterring Ahmadinejad's promotion of ethnic conflict in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan. Obama should also discuss with Castro, China and Russia new options for turning the looming US defeat in Afghanistan into a defeat for Iran and Pakistan. With his experience and enthusiasm for work, Castro is certain to offer many suggestions for changes in US policies."

Shame? Bring on Tajik Jimmy‎ - Archis Mohan, Calcutta Telegraph: "Fancy an ethnic Uzbek from Tajikistan becoming a singing sensation in Russia by belting out songs from Mithun Chakraborty’s films. Baimurat Allaberiyev, a diminutive 37-year-old popularly known as Tajik Jimmy for his rendition of 'Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, aaja, aaja, aaja' from Mithun’s 1983 hit Disco Dancer, is poised to become an icon for the Indian foreign ministry’s programme to showcase the country’s 'soft power'. The campaign will highlight the power of Indian classical or popular culture to attract adherents worldwide. By focusing on icons like Allaberiyev, a former labourer who now has a cult following on the Internet and in Russia,

and Brazilian Gloria Areira, who can recite the Vedas in Sanskrit, the ministry hopes to deflect the bad press India has received over its shoddy Commonwealth Games preparations.Officials in the foreign ministry’s public diplomacy division are hard at work to give Indian diplomats posted overseas — who have of late found themselves at a loss to explain the Games mess — some talking points about the allure of Indian culture. ... Suri’s team is now in search of more contemporary icons who exemplify India’s soft power. Last year, a diplomat in the public diplomacy division had attended Allaberiyev’s concert in St Petersburg. Allaberiyev, who once herded sheep, picked cotton or worked as a construction labourer, became an overnight sensation last year when shaky videos of him performing songs from Disco Dancer hit the Internet." Tajik Jimmy image from

Indian ASG participates in Seminar on Israeli Policy & Advocacy - Lalit Kumar, lawetalnews.com: "The Seminar comprised three days of substantive sessions and panel discussions on issues including law and armed conflict, Israel and the UN issues in negotiations and law and the media. Also there were a range of skills training sessions and working group on various subjects including role of international institutions, law and peace process, law and public diplomacy."

Iran’s Foreign Policy Strategy after Saddam – 2 - irantimes.co.tv: "He [Ahmadinejad] ... believes that by speaking out on regional issues and contextualizing them vis-a`-vis Iran’s own embattled relationship


with the West, he will improve Iran’s public diplomacy and will be able to garner and engender support among the masses of a slew of Muslim majority states." Image from

Davutoglu: "Europe must be multicultural" - aggromigrant.com: "[The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet] Davutoğlu: [Google translation] Public opinion will change, as changes to Turkey. Die türkische Wirtschaft wächst, ein türkischer Beitrag zur EU wird immer wichtiger. The Turkish economy is growing, a Turkish contribution to the EU is increasingly important. Vielleicht hatten wir ein Problem in der Public Diplomacy und die Meinungsmacher in Österreich zu wenig erreicht. Maybe we had a problem in public diplomacy and the opinion makers in Austria achieved too little. Gleichzeitig sollten unsere Freunde in Österreich aufgeschlossener gegenüber Türken und allen Menschen sein. At the same time our friends in Austria are open-minded towards the Turks and all people. Wenn man vorurteilsfrei ist, wird man auch die Qualitäten der anderen Seite erkennen, nicht nur Unterschiede und Probleme. If one is without bias, you will also recognize the qualities of the other side, not only differences and problems."

Artek: Changing the World for the Better - Elvira Amant, themorningsidepost.com. "The International Day of Peace is observed each year on 21 September. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, while answering the question 'What are YOU doing for peace?' said the following: 'This year, Peace Day is dedicated to young people. The future of the world – its problems and opportunities alike — is in your hands.' That’s what the participants of the festival 'Let’s Change the World for the Better!' which takes place every summer in Artek, Crimea, Ukraine,

believe in. ... I got involved in this project because of Artek, which I used to attend as a kid. And most of the children who have been there for at least once tend to keep love and devotion to that place even after they grow up. There is even a saying 'Artekovets today means Artekovets forever' (Artekovets means 'the one who attended Artek'). For me Artek has always been associated with public diplomacy, friendship, tolerance, and peace." Image from article

Public diplomacy necessary political life today - psyop.ir: [Google translation] "Manners and methods of public diplomacy public diplomacy increasing role in shaping public opinion and understanding and explaining national policies and strategies and has macro. لذا در مفهوم کلی، دیپلماسی کهن و سنتی صرف دیگر نمیتواند پاسخگوی منافع ملی باشد بلکه با به بهرهگیری و بهکارگیری دیپلماسی رسمی face to face دیپلماسی غیررسمی و پنهان lobby و دیپلماسی نیمه رسمیtrack two diplomacy به همراه دیپلماسی عمومی میتوان اولویتهای سیاست خارجی را ترسیم کرد. So in concept, diplomacy ancient and traditional spending can no longer respond to the national interest is but the enjoyment and applying diplomatic official face to face diplomacy, informal and hidden lobby and diplomacy semi-official track two diplomacy with public diplomacy can be the priorities of foreign policy to be drawn."

Regional Communications Adviser, RST Latin America Vacancy No.: UNAIDS/10/FT62 - erecruit.unaids.org: "Competencies:
- Professional networking and relationship building skills.
- Organizing public relations events on AIDS issues
- Ability to analyze trends among opinion makers and identify
- Public diplomacy
- Writing skills for internal and external audiences (briefing notes, talking points etc)
- Understanding of multimedia products (photo, film, video etc
- Demonstrated familiarity with budgeting and costing concepts
- Knowledge of AIDS programming, current theories and practices in communication research, planning and strategy, coordination and role of media


- Working knowledge of HTML and content management systems
- Proven track-record of developing stories and pitching stories with placement results
- Proven ability to effectively manage relationships with the media and high profile individuals." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

U.S. Gift for Iraqi Students Offers a Primer on Corruption - Steven Lee Meyers, New York Times: The shipment of laptop computers that arrived in Iraq’s main seaport in February was a small but important part of the American military’s mission here to win hearts and minds. What happened afterward is a tale of good intentions mugged by Iraq’s reality. The computers — 8,080 in all, worth $1.8 million — were bought for schoolchildren in Babil, modern-day Babylon, a gift of the American taxpayers. Only they became mired for months in customs at the port, Umm Qasr, stalled by bureaucracy or venality, or some combination of the two. And then they were gone. Corruption is so rampant here — and American reconstruction efforts so replete with their own mismanagement — that the fate of the computers could have ended as an anecdote in a familiar, if disturbing trend. Iraq, after all, ranks above only Sudan, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Somalia on Transparency International’s annual corruption index.

The American Way: Spreading Democracy to Afghanistan, One Journalist's Arrest at a Time - Dave Lindorff, OpedNews.com:

US-led forces in Afghanistan sure did a bang-up job this week at promoting the concept of Western "democracy." The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the puppet intelligence agency of the Afghan government, between them, arrested and held three journalists. Rahmatullah Nekzad, a freelance reporter for Al Jazeera and the Associated Press, Mohammed Nader, a staff correspondent and cameraman for Al Jazeera, and Hojatullah Mojadadi, an Afghan local radio station manager, were all held without charge for the "crime" of allegedly having developed contacts with the Taliban. Image from

'Pyongyangologists' Study North Korean Propaganda for Clues - Kate Woodsome, VOA: The most important skill of a Pyongyangologist is the endurance to slog through mountains of propaganda, says Charles Armstrong, the director of the Center for Korean Research at New York's Columbia University. "The language of North Korean media is very repetitive and full of clichés. But nevertheless if you know how to read them correctly, you can find interesting tidbits amongst all of these repetitive statements. You just have to know which ones to pay attention to," says Armstrong. Image from article: VOA Korean service reporter Won-Ki Choi scours North Korean media for clues about an upcoming ruling party conference.

Who Won Akhtamar Propaganda War: Armenians or Turks? - Harut Sassounian, asbarez.com: The Turkish government failed to attract the expected crowd of thousands of worshippers from around the world to the first Mass in almost a century, held at the Holy Cross Church in Akhtamar Island, on Sept. 19.

Only a few hundred Armenians showed up, mostly from Istanbul. Turkey failed miserably in trying to deceive world opinion into believing that it is tolerant towards Armenians. Eventually, it became obvious that Turkish leaders were more interested in putting on a political show than allowing a religious ceremony in a thousand-year old Armenian house of worship. Image from

Hitler at home: Rare photographs show how the Nazi leader relaxed while he waged war - dailymail.co.uk: The photographs were taken by Hugo Jaeger, who had privileged access to the Fuhrer during those tumultuous years. Jaeger was one of the early adopters of colour photography and created clear, evocative images. Unlike the Nazi leader's main photographer Heinrich Hoffmann,

Jaeger took pictures both of both private events and huge propaganda spectacles. Image from article

When The “Pacific” Was Anything But… - Wolfsonian-FIU Library: Happenings in the Wolfsonian-FIU Rare Books and Special Collections Library: "We have recently received several visits and a donation from Aristotle Ares, a Miami Beach native who served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in the Pacific campaigns during the Second World War. Hearing about the museum’s collection of war propaganda, Mr. Ares came to visit bearing some WWII artifacts that he had collected at the time and preserved through the present. We already possessed in our own collection a number of propaganda leaflets dropped by the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) behind enemy lines with the aim of sapping the morale of the Allied troops. Ironically, however, we had little in the way of U.S. propaganda designed for the same effect.

Mr. Ares was generous enough to remedy that particular deficiency by donating several leaflets designed to be dropped on the Japanese. Image: German propaganda poster from article