September 26

"Universities are places where facts are made."

--Aman Singh Gill, Ph.D. student in the ecology and evolution department at Stony Brook University; image from

VIDEO

The 10 Worst Masturbation Propaganda Films on the Internet - Stephenson Billings, christwire.org

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Africa's neocolonial era ending as US and France seek new partnerships - Rob Mudge, Deutsche Welle: "'If you look at US policy globally at all levels, I would say that Africa still has the bottom priority of all the major regions around the world,' Ambassador David Shinn, former US ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, told Deutsche Welle. 'Africa has increased somewhat in importance, first because increasing amounts of US oil are imported from Africa, and second the counterterrorism angle. That has clearly elevated Africa in US interests.' As result, the US quietly reengaged the continent. It began training militaries in West and East Africa to combat local terrorist organizations that claim ties to al Qaeda. In 2007, Washington established a separate military command for the continent called Africom. The command is designed to emphasize development aid and public diplomacy in addition to military cooperation. 'There was a lot of suspicion about Africom when it first rolled out,' Richard Downie, an expert on Sub-Saharan Africa with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Deutsche Welle. 'There were worries because of the colonial experience, that we'll have troops on the ground and sort of a neo-colonial experience again. I think it took a lot of persuasion to convince the African players that Africom is not threatening, [that] it's something that could be beneficial.'" Image from

New VOA English program for southern Sudan as its independence referendum approaches - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Leo Sarkisian of VOA's "Music Time in Africa" grants his archives to University of Michigan - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

In Zimbabwe, inebriated man denounces VOA - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: VOA's Studio 7 has a large audience in Zimbabwe.

The Guardian's Ian Black: BBC Persian TV "enjoys far greater credibility than" VOA Persian - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Pakistan faces 9/11 daily - Masum Billah's Creations: "US wants to turn its pages on its relationship with Pakistan devoting significant energy to public diplomacy to counter rising Pakistan criticism of the alliance with Washington."

Chinese officials take on media challenges‎ - Global Times: "Despite China's growing economic power, it continues to be viewed with mistrust by many countries in the West. How can China sell its image better? What lies at the root of its communication difficulties? Sameh El-Shahat (El-Shahat), president and co-founder of China-I Ltd, which advises Chinese government departments and State-owned companies on implementing the right communication strategy,

talked to Global Times (GT) reporter Lu Jingxian, on those issues. El-Shahat: China has grown so much in the last 30 years, but for a long time Chinese people were sometimes too busy growing their country to consider the effect China has on the outside world and how that world sees them. What shocked us is just how badly China was seen. According to Western wisdom, China as it is should not exist because Communism has no place in the world. But this country actually is creating a system which has provided quality of life. It is a country that in many ways is defying stereotypes. In the case of China, you are dealing with something horrible called the China bias. The China bias is overwhelmingly part racism, part envy, and part fear on the part of the West. However it has also been in small part Chinese passivity in action. This is now changing. Your government has recognized this image deficit as a serious problem and is dedicating a lot of thinking, energy and resources to public diplomacy as a way to counter this problem. This is where we come in. ... China needs a good brand. When your brand is not strong, all sorts of problems happen. For a start your good actions can backfire. So every time China tries to reassure the West by saying it is not a threat, it has the opposite effect, because the message hasn't been packaged well. It's like every time I see you, I tell you I am not a threat. What would you think? If you already don't like me, you won't believe me. What you say and how you are heard become disconnected." El-Shatat image from article.

China National Acrobatic Troupe Marks 60th Anniversary‎ - english.cri.cn: "The troupe is the first state-level acrobat group set up by the central government after the foundation of the People's Republic of China. As ambassadors of public diplomacy, the members of the troupe have visited more than 110 countries and regions." Image: A press conference is held in Beijing on Saturday, September 25, 2010, introducing the shows and events that will be staged in Beijing to mark the 60th anniversary of the China National Acrobatic Troupe."

Yo! Mahmoud! Shoot Yourself In The Foot Again? - Get a Grip!:

"Indeed, the Ahmadinejad linkage of an attack fabricated or facilitated by the US or an Israeli-US agreement being used to justify falsely the waging of war on innocent Muslims plays very well not only with Muslims but with a wide swath of opinion throughout the world, even in portions of Western Europe. In short, the seemingly outrageous jobbing of a conspiracy theory at the UN was a carefully calculated exercise in public diplomacy." Image from

Seminar: Landing a Job in the Foreign Service - Social Science Blog: "Have you considered a career in the Foreign Service? The Foreign Policy Association is offering a seminar,

Landing a Job in the Foreign Service. The seminar will give you inside tips on what it takes to get into the esteemed U.S. diplomatic corps. In this seminar you will learn [inter alia]: ...Which track (political, economic, consular, management or public diplomacy) is best for you." Image from

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

A U.S. engagement success story on the outskirts of Paris - Andrew Swift, Foreign Policy: "[T]he New York Times highlighted an encouraging U.S. cultural diplomacy effort in a pretty unexpected area: French banlieues. Obviously the U.S. image is a bit worse in other parts of the world, so why do outreach in France instead of FATA? For one, terrorist plots are increasingly being launched by disaffected Muslim youth in western countries who have been shunned by their new societies. Demonstrating that they can actually have a future in the west is thus both good on a social and security level. And if there were any western country in which to combat the ill-effects of racism and bigotry, it's France, which has totally abrogated any responsibility of caring for its growing immigrant population. ... The U.S. is freaking out over qurans, shariah law, and Manhattan community centers, but at least some of our diplomats get the importance of engaging on a human level. The U.S. Ambassador to France, Charles H. Rivkin, sums it up: 'It’s easier to hate something you don’t understand.'"

Cultural diplomacy best wins hearts, minds - Harvey Dzodin, Global Times: "Soft power is what a nation can exercise to make itself loved, as opposed to hard power, which is about making itself feared, think military.

The concept was first developed in 1990 by Joseph Nye, a former Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, who I had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago. Reports in the Chinese press suggest that a major salvo in China's soft power initiative is about to be launched at any moment. China has asked a group of 50 Chinese opinion leaders including the omnipresent Yao Ming, Lang Lang and Jackie Chan, to make 30-second image commercials, together with one 15-minute commercial to, according to the State Council, present an image of 'prosperity, democracy, openness, peace and harmony' as a counterweight to neutralize negative stereotypes coming from foreign media. These may be good to show in embassy waiting rooms and at public events, but as a media campaign they will have about the same effect as the recent 'Made in China' campaign, which barely made a ripple worldwide. In any case, they are worth a try. I also think that the massive spending in upgrading CCTV News and CRI will bear little fruit as most of the public see them as sources of propaganda, rather than information. ... I believe that cultural diplomacy will best win hearts and minds. Take the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an who are serving China better today as softpower ambassadors than they ever served the first emperor of China,Qin Shihuang, as hard power soldiers in the afterlife 2,300 years ago. They have conquered record-breaking crowds and created positive buzz everywhere they have marched. ... Other elements of cultural diplomacy that I believe will be successful are the ever-growing number of Confucius Institutes worldwide. Care, however, must be exercised in academic settings where some may charge that they are propaganda sources, not learning tools." Image from

Celebrating Mexico's Music: The UA School of Music will give special emphasis to music and musicians from Mexico as the country celebrates the bicentennial of its independence and the centennial of its revolution - Ingvi Kallen, uanews.org: "Janet Sturman, professor of ethnomusicoloy, is active in promoting international exchange of research and performance to advance understanding and recognition of the repertories and practices of Latin music. Under Sturman's direction, the School of Music is holding the Third International Symposium on Latin American Music in January. 'Music is one of the most valuable tools for cultural diplomacy, and I am proud that our school is assuming a role of leadership in promoting inter-American exchange,' said Sturman."

Lib Dems - Don Foster Speech to Conference‎ - News On News: Foster: "I co-chair the one covering Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport. ... Through cultural diplomacy we help the FCO and through sport we help improve the nation’s health and cut crime.

Support for the creative industries and tourism boosts the economy. And, of course, through TV and radio, film, theatre and so much more we help the nation have fun." Foster image from

Can Culture Foster Peace? Creative Leaders Debate in New York -‎ Andrew Russeth, ARTINFO: "'I don’t have any idea what culture is,' artist Richard Tuttle declared early in a panel discussion in the library of the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan during the Blouin Creative Leadership Summit yesterday. He continued, 'I also don’t have any idea what social change is.' Those would be dramatic words in any context, but spoken during a conversation titled 'Cultural Diplomacy: Culture as a Vehicle for Dialogue and Peace' and including many of today’s leading figures in global culture, they carried a particular charge. ... Juan Ignacio Vidarte, the director-general of the Guggenheim Bilbao, noted that cultural development can 'improve the self esteem of a community' and that when developed in conjunction with local culture, 'a new social asset is created.' For many government planners over the past decade, that has been a compelling narrative, exemplified by the popularity of Vidarte’s museum.

But Francesco Bandarin, assistant-director general for culture at UNESCO urged caution, noting that culture can also become a factor in conflict. 'It can lead to an explosion,' he warned. ... Given the government deficits that threaten to cripple nations throughout much of the world ... one could not help but wonder how long ... applied cultural initiatives, however valuable, will be able to continue. ... Also looming is the fact that, in an increasingly digital world, culture can undergo massive shifts with the click of a button. Terrorist threads and extremist propaganda can be spread as quickly as the latest hit song, without the approval or funding of government authorities." Image from article: Sitting at the table, clockwise, beginning at center: Lisa Dennison, Richard Tuttle, Juan Ignacio Vidarte, Louise Blouin, Francesco Bandarin, Zarin Mehta, Kathleen Doyle, and Alex Katz

Savouring Singapore ... in Paris, through culture ‎- Chai Chin - Mayo Martin, TODAYonline: "How might the Republic portray itself to European audiences as a dynamic global city through arts and culture or forge relationships through cultural diplomacy? With Finger Players' puppet theatre skits, Royston Tan's film 881, Peranakan artefacts and a Singapore Chinese Orchestra performance, among others.

These slices of Singapore arts and culture can be savoured at Paris' Musée du Quai Branly (MQB) from Oct 5 to Jan 30, when the inaugural Singapour Festivarts travels to the City of Light." See also. Image: Kerongsang featuring bird and butterfly motifs, one of the Peranakan jewellery on display at the 'Baba Bling' exhibition that will be showcase in Paris' Musee du Quai Branly.

Nambiar Eyes London - Realpolitik - "A power(ful) struggle for the Nehru Centre in London is not something one hears about very often. However, when a number of top bureaucrats are retiring in quick succession, there is a scamper for post-retirement goodies. The cultural diplomacy job comes with a swanky apartment in the posh Mayfair locality of central London. What can be better than the greenery of the UK Capital to soothe your nerves! No wonder powerful circles in Delhi bureaucracy are pitching for civil aviation secretary Madhavan Nambair to be posted as the head of Nehru Centre. While Nambiar's friends are pushing their case with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) president Dr Karan Singh, external affairs minister SM Krishna has other ideas. Instead of a retiring bureaucrat, the minister is looking at prominent writers and fellow Kannadigas UR Ananthamurthy and Sivakumar."

An ‘Aswang’ in Athens and other reflections from overseas director - Anton Juan, Inquirer.net: Filipino drama professor and director Anton Juan: "Our Department of Foreign Affairs should truly reconsider a longstanding clamor, from myself and many cultural attaches, for the establishment of a cultural office that would take charge of educating our diplomats in cultural heritage and history as portals of cross-cultural exchange.”

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RELATED ITEMS

Obama's glass jaw - David Rothkopf, Foreign Policy: Obama has done much to restore America's image and standing in the world. But globally, for the first time in American history, we are actually losing relative power. Reference to article from PR.

Survey: The Simpsons most successful global television brand, Sesame Street second - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Book review: 'A World Without Islam': Graham Fuller contends that the violent polarization of East and West is not based on religion so much as politics and culture - Zachary Karabell, latimes.com:

Fuller never makes a convincing case that contemporary conflicts could have been just as acute had Islam never existed, and at times the precise point of his digressions is lost. The analysis of Islam in India and tensions between Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs is informative about the degree to which culture and context shaped conflict, but it isn't clear how that adds to his overall argument that Islam is incidental. The other main contribution is to illustrate the degree to which the legacy of Western control and empire shape contemporary attitudes toward religion and terrorism in the Muslim world. Image from

Holocaust Center teaches course on propaganda - Orlando Arts Blog: The Holocaust Center in Maitland is offering a six-week course for adults on the complex topic of propaganda — especially timely in this day and age when we are constantly bombarded by messages trying to push some sort of agenda.

Propaganda, Rhetoric, and Public Diplomacy - John Brown, Notes and Essays: From Evonne Levy, Propaganda and the Jesuit Baroque (2004), Chapter 2: "Rhetoric Versus Propaganda": And here is where the crux of the matter lies: while all propaganda, as a particular strain of persuasion, can be said to be rhetorical ... the same cannot be said in reverse: not all rhetoric is propaganda. ... While propaganda has taken over from rhetoric ..., it is not simply a modern form of rhetoric.

For the rhetorical tradition was far more complex, aligned at times with logic and also encompassing a poetics. ... Propaganda keeps its eye on its primary role: efficacious persuasion. And it does so without recourse to a legitimating discourse of either logic or poetics. Levy image from

ONLY IN AMERICA

The cost of the typical American wedding rose to about $28,000 from $11,000 between 1980 and 2007 after adjusting for inflation.

BRITISH WIT

"I can’t wait for Tony Blair’s latest book to be published in Germany.

There, one translation for his title, 'A Journey', is the entirely appropriate 'Eine Fahrt'."

--Don Foster speech to Liberal Democrats Conference

BRITISH SOCIALISM

"Psmith says, in the Mike Jackson stories, that he embraced Socialism in a fit of pique because his father removed him from Eton to Sedleigh and thereby deprived him of the honour of playing in the Eton and Harrow match at Lord's.


This sounds uncannily like H. M. Hyndman (1842-1921), founder of the Social Democratic Federation, whose complaints about the 'sacrifices' made by well-to-do Socialists such as himself led Barbara Tuchman to conlude that there was 'some justification for the friends who said that Hyndman, a cricketer, had adoped Socialism out of spite against the world because he was not included in the Cambridge eleven'."

--Francis Wheen, Pleshey, Essex, letter to the Times Literary Supplement (September 24, 2010), p. 6; image from