October 23-24

“Your work is your identity.”

--A billboard near the US Consulate General in Peshawar inviting commuters’ attention to USAID project for jobs

"Arbeit macht frei.''

--Slogan well-known for being placed at the entrances to a number of Nazi concentration camps, including most famously Auschwitz I, where it was made by prisoners with metalwork skills and erected by order of the Nazis in June 1940.

IMAGES

Pictures of Muslims Wearing Things - "Here I will post pictures of Muslims wearing all sorts of things in an attempt to refute that there is such a thing as 'Muslim garb' or a Muslim look."

One of the images from article: First Muslim woman in space Anousheh Ansari is wearing some confidence ahead of blast-off.

VIDEO

Has Obama Failed To Reduce Hostility Toward Obnoxious Americans Abroad? - theonion.com: In The Know panelists discuss Obama's failure to repair Americans' Bush-era reputation overseas as drunken belligerents vomiting on ancient treasures. Via MP.

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Remarks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Mahmood Qureshi After Their Meeting - Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Treaty Room Washington, DC October 22, 2010, U.S. Department of State: "FOREIGN MINISTER QURESHI: ... The people of United States have to understand, by investing in Pakistan, United States is a beneficiary. And people of Pakistan have to understand to have United States as an enduring partner, Pakistan gains internationally and regionally. We have discussed lots of things, lot of things which are part of the dialogue and even beyond the 13 sectors that were discussed.


The fact that we’ve agreed to invite 200 journalists for a training program in the United States because we realized that public diplomacy is so important in democracies, and at times the message doesn’t get communicated. Now, who will communicate the message? You have to communicate the message. First of all, we have to understand what message we are giving, but we are giving the right message. The message is that we are going to transform this relationship into a people-centric relationship. We are making an investment.


We are making not a five-year investment; we are making an investment


which is a generational investment, and that is what we are talking about." Clinton/Qureshi image from; Clinton/Kerry image from. On the Kerry/Lugar Pakistan bill, see; Bill/Hillary image from; below image from


Washington round of Strategic Dialogue invigorated Pakistan-US ties: Kaira - APP: "The latest round of Pakistan-US Strategic dialogue held here this week has imparted a new vigor to bilateral ties as the two countries made progress towards concrete cooperation in development areas and the top American leadership renewed its commitemnt to enduring partnership with Pakistan, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira said. ... [T]he information and broadcasting minister said the two sides ... discussed US support for Islamabad’s flood recovery and reconstruction effort ahead in the flood zones, the issues of public diplomacy and outreach and mututual perceptions during delibrations by various working groups."

US steps up public diplomacy with jobs project in KP - Daily Times: "PESHAWAR: The United States has stepped up public diplomacy to win hearts and minds of people establishing direct contacts with youth especially through advertisements for jobs. Big billboards and banners on main University Road invite commuters’ attention to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - many in the State Department refer to it as 'human face' of the American diplomacy - project for jobs. ... Public opinion, Prof Ejaz Khattak of the International Relations Department at the University of Peshawar believes, has been 'very negative' of the United States


and such direct contact 'aims at changing' it. Washington invested huge amount of money in Pakistan since long. Its image in public has never been positive, although. However, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke from the past interacting with civil society members for the first time during her last visit to Pakistan almost a year back. ... The project, called USAID/Pakistan: Jobs Project, is designed to improve the competitiveness of the Pakistani economy by strengthening systems for workforce development, encouraging Pakistani companies to invest in human capital, and improving access to training, jobs and business opportunities for women." Image from

Barriers and Bridges: Visiting the West Bank - Darren Krape blog: "For the past several days I’ve been working with our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate General in Jerusalem on their public diplomacy social media programs. This focuses mostly on sharing best practices from other missions, providing suggestions on enhancements, and helping to create a structured approach to their public engagement. This work has been great, fun, and very illuminating. I’m constantly amazed how much our missions are able to do with limited resources and even less time. But that isn’t all that made the day so remarkable. What made the day so noteworthy was the opportunity to chat with Palestinian social media leaders. The Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN) hosted an in-person session with bloggers and practitioners in the West Bank city of Ramallah and a second video conference with bloggers in Gaza."


Image from article: Discussing social media with Palestinian activists, professors, and students.

Srdja Trifkovic: Ground Zero Mosque: Correcting the Non-Debate - Fr. Johannes Jacobse, aoiusa.org: "Excerpts from a speech at Providence College given on Thursday,


Oct. 21, 2010. ... The first task is to start talking frankly about the identity and character of the enemy and the nature of the threat, regardless of the threat of legal sanction. We know the enemy. We know his core beliefs, his role models, his track-record, his mindset, his modus operandi, and his intentions. We also know his weaknesses, which are many, above all his inability to develop a prosperous economy or a functional, harmonious society, his inability to think rationally and therefore to develop science, and his utter lack of creativity in any field of human endeavor. The main problem is with ourselves; or, to be precise, with those among us who have the power to make policy and shape opinions. Abroad, we are told, we need to address political and economic grievances of the Muslim masses, to spread democracy and free markets in the Muslim world, to invest more in public diplomacy. At home we need more tolerance, greater inclusiveness, less profiling, and a more determined outreach. The predictable failure of such cures leads to ever more pathological self-scrutiny and morbid self-doubt. This vicious circle must be broken." Trifkovic image from article. On Trifkovic, see his site, which notes: "1991-92: Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford, California, on a Title VIII grant from the U.S. Department of State. ... 1986-87: broadcaster with the Voice of America in Washington D.C."

21st Century Statecraft - Frederick Roth, Heritage Foundation: "There is a need for the U.S. to engage in Internet communications for public diplomacy efforts; however, strategic use of this medium still needs development. As has been said in previous Heritage reports, the U.S. government needs to continue to develop effective employment of social networking both for public diplomacy and national security. ... Efforts to pursue 21st century statecraft should not eclipse operations that employ traditional media outlets. America’s radio- and television-based public diplomacy efforts need to remain central, as the government builds its familiarity and effectiveness with new media."

Central Command uses social media to respond to 'enemy propaganda'‎ - Howard Altman, Tbo.com: "[There is] an increasing effort by the military to use social media and the Internet to, if not change minds, at least make sure the United States' point of view is represented in the online conversation. The efforts by public affairs officers ... are augmented by the command's 'digital engagement team' – individuals, working for private contractors, who speak Arabic, Urdu and Farsi. Launched in January of 2009,


the digital engagement project is part of the command's 'broader strategy of ensuring we did not neglect what many call 'new media' (social media, blogs, etc.) in our communication efforts,' Speaks [Lt. Commander William Speaks] wrote in an e-mail interview with The Tampa Tribune. ... The digital engagement strategy is key to success in the region, said Philip Seib, director of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy." Image from

Obama's first Persian-language interview wasn't on VOA, but was by an American - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Can it pull us out of the mess we are in - Syeda Afshana, greaterkashmir.com: "[T]he chief political strategist of Bush, Karl Rove, was deputed to Hollywood to meet studio execs and discuss what the flic-folks can do to bolster America’s war-time image.


And it was reported that he hired Charlotte Beers, an advertising honcho, once dubbed as the queen of Madison Avenue, to pull together Message Operation to pitch the war partly, via television and advertising campaign to influence Muslim opinion. Interestingly, Beers at that time served as Undersecretary of state for public diplomacy." Beers image from

In Harriet They Trust: Miers' Devotion to Duty, Honor and Clients Benefits Her Texas Firm - Miriam Rozen, Texas Lawyer: "Karen Hughes served as Bush's counselor, as his informal adviser and as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. She says Miers' treatment during her nomination [to the Supreme Court] was 'one of the worst things' she saw in Washington. 'It would have crushed most people,' Hughes says, but 'a month or so afterward Harriet was able to smile and go back to work.'"

Some are trying to Create Misperceptions about Turkey! - Suleyman Ozeren, Journal of Turkish Weekly: "Turkey has been in the front pages of some of the international media with very positive developments. The last two of them were the US and the NATO views about Turkey.


The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton praised Turkey for its achievement in economy as well as it is being a rising star in the international arena. ... On the contrary to the remarks from respected and reliable sources, some people also in the visual and print media are trying to create totally different perception about Turkey. ... It is a must for both allies to have more effective public diplomacy not only among themselves, but also between other countries in the world. Those, who are trying to create misperceptions about Turkey, are willingly or unwillingly helping the terrorists." Image from

The tentacles of neo-Ottomanism - efenpress.blogspot.com: [Google translation:] "After the collapse of communism, the upheavals in the Balkans and the Caucasus, the rearrangement of power and interests in the Middle East, Turkey, the doctrine Davutoglu for so-called 'zero problems' with their neighbors, trying to bring a new policy of expansion. Με νέους όρους και νέα μέσα. With new terms and new media. Η στρατιωτική ισχύς της Τουρκίας είναι δεδομένη. The military power of Turkey is given. Τα τελευταία χρόνια επιδίδεται στην άσκηση public diplomacy διά της χρήσης της λεγόμενης soft power, δηλ. της μαλακής δύναμης, που σε πολλά ζητήματα αποδεικνύεται περισσότερο ισχυρή από τη hard power, δηλ. τη στρατιωτική δύναμη. In recent years engaged in the exercise of public diplomacy through the use of so-called soft power, ie the soft power that many issues proved more potent than hard power, ie military force."

Foreign Office will still have a say in language service selection, and (much) more BBC World Service budget update - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Russia Today: Iran's Soft Power - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon earlier this month ... was a very smart move, as Hizballah indeed put on a great show, with the Iranian prez starring in the lead.


And despite all the pressure from the West and efforts to undermine his government, he does deserve recognition for increasingly honing his public diplomacy skills, which, although rough at times, do address his own 'constituent' audiences in the immediate region and beyond. What he still needs to learn, however, is addressing the more 'hostile' public in the West, since antagonism, especially in his case, does not seem to be effective at all in the charming business." Image from

Global Health Problems and Concerns - Yunpeng Gao, Intro to Public Health student blog: "In this blog post, I will be summarizing the article 'The Challenge of Global Health' by Laurie Garrett. Then, I will be discussing some of my thoughts and opinions on the article. ... The author claims that the surge in funding and donations to global health is a direct result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. It all started towards the turn of the 21st century and has since involved numerous nations. Nations opt to take part in contributing to global health for various reasons such as moral duty, public diplomacy, and self-protection against the disease itself."

How countries introduce themselves at the Shanghai Expo - nation-branding.info: "Earlier this week we looked at how countries have taken different tactics in their nation branding efforts at the Shanghai’s World Expo.


But, how do these approaches render in real life? Once again, as the leading field researcher from the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Shanghai Expo 2010, Jay Wang has done a tremendous work in reviewing some of the most prominent pavillions." [US pavilion not cited.] Image from

Riot: SJK Chung Hua Serian gets regular aid - Samuel Aubrey, theborneopost.com: "KUCHING: Serian MP Datuk Richard Riot ... [was] met by reporters after opening the ministry’s outreach, information and public diplomacy programme at a hotel here yesterday."

PTPI Middle East/Africa Regional Conference: October 22, 2010 - People to People International: "The first Annual Meeting for the Middle East/Africa Region was held today. ... The conclusion of the day as well as the conference was the session of Dr. Mohamed Kazem with his initiative:


In Search of Understanding Initiative. 'In Search of Understanding' is a Public Diplomacy initiative fostering and promoting the Culture of Peace, it is mainly based on underlining and stressing what is shared and common among us all as human beings hoping to contribute to the alleviation of existing mutual distorted stereotypes and images among the Peoples of the world. It also calls for tolerance, understanding, sympathy and above all empathy regarding existing or seemingly existing differences; it is hoped that with these ingredients combined we would ideally and gradually be heading towards mutual harmony and acceptance, hence paving the way for a better tomorrow for all." Kazem image from

After the Quake: HIV/AIDS in Haiti - Tricia Dunn, pulitzercenter.org: "As part of the Pulitzer Center's coverage on Haiti and its efforts to engage students in international reporting, Pulitzer Center journalists visited School Without Walls and the George Washington University over a two-day period October 20-21. The Center also co-sponsored 'Haiti, After the Quake' with the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) on October 20. ... Mark Asquino, senior public diplomacy fellow at GW's SMPA, moderated the panel at the Elliott School of International Affairs."

Chasing Dreams, Not One At A Time - Richard, On The Corner Of 30 And Awesome: "When I started working for AT&T, I realized within my first month that the assignment would be temporary at best. I realized that I did not want to be doing that for the next year, much less for the next 20 years. Now, here we are at the end of October, but I'm still with AT&T. Yes, I could have gone to Ameri-Corps, but I chose not to because of how much money it would cost to move to PA, money I did not have.


However, I have started down roads to some positions, none of which are about driving profit margins up. Position One: Foreign Service Officer [:] To read a ton more about FSO's, click here. Basically, FSO's are generalists that work in one of 5 career tracks: Consular, Economic, Management, Political, or Public Diplomacy." Image from

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

“We should leave enough for future generations’ needs” - Achal Malhotra, Indian Ambassador to Georgia and Armenia - georgiatoday.ge: "Q: Diplomatic relations between India and Georgia started in 1992. What dynamics have taken place over these years to advance bilateral ties? What contribution has the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation program (ITEC) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) made? A [Malhotra]:


Bilateral relations between India and Georgia are on the right track. India and Georgia have recently signed three agreements which would raise the level of institutional mechanisms and also promote larger cooperation in the fields of trade & economy, culture and science & technology. ITEC program and ICCR are two important arms of India’s Development cooperation program and cultural diplomacy respectively. ITEC is a program which has been devised to share India’s accumulated expertise and experience with developing countries in the fields of Human Resource Development and Capacity Building. Every year, the Government of India is offering a certain number of places for Georgian nationals from the Government, and Public and Private sectors to undergo short and medium-term training programs in India in diverse areas of specialization. These Fellowships are fully funded by the Government of India. The primary objective of the ICCR is to promote cultural interactions with foreign countries. The ICCR inter alia offers scholarships to foreign nationals for undergoing Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses at various Universities in India." Malhotra image from article

We're all that an alien species would want - Scott Feschuk, Macleans.ca: "Earlier this month, it was reported that the United Nations had appointed a diplomat from Malaysia—and not a Canadian—to serve as global ambassador to space aliens. ... As it turns out, ... the Malaysian official has in fact been put in charge of protecting us from incoming asteroids. ... A human trying to communicate with an alien will be like a lion trying to talk to a fish or a Tea Party candidate trying to do math. But our Prime Minister will support our efforts by bringing to the job an affinity for cross-cultural diplomacy and a homemade light sabre crafted from taped-together toilet paper tubes. You know, just in case things get hairy."

Insider's View: Berlin Internship - Wiebke Balcke, Seton Hall University News & Events: "I completed an internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) in Berlin, Germany. We were planning and preparing an event.


The goal was to bring together professionals of all ages from around the world to learn about and discuss cultural diplomacy. Tasks I worked on included searching for possible speakers, contributing ideas about specific topics that could be discussed at the conference, as well as writing and translating invitations and flyers for participants and possible event sponsors. Another big part of my job was marketing. I was able to experience life as a professional in the city. In addition to our own work, the other interns and I attended lectures and panels from programs." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

As government pressure mounts on Egypt's media, new technologies offer an out: The government and politically connected businessmen are pressuring editors, silencing columnists and booting talk show hosts. But Egypt is finding it hard to silence protest voices in emerging media - Jeffrey Fleishman and Amro Hassan, Los Angeles Times: Egypt — viewed by many as a police state percolating through a democracy — is in tumult these days. Inflation is enraging the public, the ruling National Democratic Party is widely disparaged, and there is growing apprehension over who will eventually succeed President Hosni Mubarak. There's a lot of bad news, and if you're in the ruling elite, thumbing through newspapers or glimpsing opposition-run Facebook pages, you'll probably burst into fits of rage at the messenger. Though authorities are moving against traditional media, Egypt, like many countries across the Middle East, is finding it difficult to silence the increasing numbers of elusive protest voices playing out on emerging technologies.

Image: Egyptian plain-clothes policemen try to remove political activist and journalist Mohammed Abdulquddous from a protest in Cairo.

Summary of “Singapore and the Soft Power Experience” - Ren's Micro Diplomacy: Chong, Alan. “Singapore and the Soft Power Experience.” The Diplomacies of Small States: between Vulnerability and Resilience. Basingstoke [England: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Print].

MORE QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

"'Frankly, it's not unusual for me to put the consequences of failure out of mind until an event has finished,' she writes. That's fine for piano recitals. Foreign policy is another matter."


--Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, reviewing 'Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family' by Condoleezza Rice; image from

“The screen won’t go blank."

--Faton Begolli, A Hamilton student, regarding textbooks