June 22-23

"State [Department] doesn’t know how much it spends on anything. Only best guesses."

--A veteran of the US Foreign Service; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Few surprises, little comfort, in Obama's speech on Afghanistan: Analysis: By resetting the goalposts, Obama has made it much easier for America to claim victory - Jean MacKenzie, globalpost.com: "In the end, there were few surprises in the long-awaited speech that U.S. President Barack Obama delivered Wednesday. It followed a carefully constructed narrative that has been in the works for at least the past year: the United States, after successfully completing its mission in Afghanistan, will bring the troops home. Most analysts predicted that the bulk of the 'surge' troops — the 33,000 soldiers that

Obama promised to send in his West Point speech in December 2009 — would stay until the end of 2012. Instead, they will all be withdrawn by the end of next summer, just in time to feature prominently in the fall presidential campaign. If this sounds cynical, it is. The president’s speech, like much of the rhetoric surrounding the Afghan war, was a triumph of misdirection — the smoke-and-mirrors approach to public diplomacy." Image from article, with caption: A television monitor in the Brady Briefing Room displays U.S. President Barack Obama as he speaks during a prime time address regarding Afghanistan from the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on June 22, 2011.

Fishy Figures about USAID - Ibn Larry: "Nothing worries me more about the future of Egypt than its economy. The White House seems to agree. The budgetary atmosphere in DC rules out a new Marshall Plan. Still, we have forgiven $1 billion of Egyptian debt, spearheaded further efforts at the G8, established an enterprise fund, created a regional trade and investment initiative, conducted entrepreneurship exchange programs, and cultivated private sector ties between our two countries. But many of our efforts are viewed with suspicion by Egyptian revolutionaries - especially those with leftist leanings. They worry that the US has ulterior motives, that we seek to subvert the revolution to our economic interests. They look at previous interventions of the IMF and World Bank and - not entirely unjustifiably - worry about social unrest from economic upheaval. One of the main goals of our public diplomacy in post-revolutionary Egypt must be to convince the public that many of their fears are unfounded. A majority of Arabs conflate democracy with economic outcomes. If Egypt's economy tanks, so will the aspirations of Tahrir Square. The US must do what it can to help ensure that does not happen. That first requires convincing Egyptians to let us help."

The Chinese Are Coming! - my-worldtour.com: "For decades, regional states friendly to the United States and suspicious of China have seen American carriers as reassuringly symbolizing the U.S. ability to deter China from aggression against them. This was strongly reinforced in 1996, when former President Clinton dispatched two battle groups to waters near Taiwan in reaction to China’s missile 'exercises' intended to intimidate Taipei. If Beijing, as seems likely, ultimately chooses to use [its first aircraft] carrier in operations in the South China Sea,

where the United States is a self-professed guarantor of freedom of navigation but not a claimant, some other claimant states may feel the weight of China’s military more acutely than they have in centuries. All this indicates that Washington and the Pacific Command need to deploy a strategy of regional reassurance as the Chinese carrier itself deploys. One element of this strategy would be to use hearings and public forums to make clear that China’s carrier is vulnerable to counter measures that the United States and its allies already possess. A second element will be public diplomacy that includes regular and high-profile deployments and exercises by American forces in the region." Image from, with caption: This notional illustration of a Chinese aircraft carrier appeared in an Office of Naval Intelligence report from last year.

With US Flailing on Syria & Yemen, Whither Public Diplomacy, McHale - Matthew Russell Lee, innercitypress.com: "As Judith McHale returns to the private sector after promoting US foreign policy on a 'people to people' basis, she was asked to assess the Obama administration's work on the Syria draft resolution, moribund in the UN Security Council. Recently France's Ambassador to the UN Gerard Araud wrote an op-ed for newspapers in Brazil, talking or trying to talk directly to Brazilians past their government. Inner City Press asked McHale if she thought this was a good idea. McHale nodded and said, 'when we are in discussions, it's important for government of the United States to makes its views and strategies well known to the populations of those countries.' But why then are Brazil, India and South Africa (and of course Lebanon) along with China and Russia declining to even engage on the Syria draft? Inner City Press asked McHale if she thought that the critique that the US and its allies have gone beyond resolution 1973 into 'regime change' is a view held by the people of those countires, or other their governments. This question, like many asked during the hour long session at the Council on Foreign Relations, McHale did not directly answer. She said, 'one of the things we're trying to do is provide the context for the stance the US takes on issues. Our position on Libya and Syria is well know. We are in a multilateral force there.' But a multilateral force with what goal? One is left to conclude that no amount of social media, or expertise from the Discovery Channel, can gild an unclear or unacknowledged policy. The moderator was James Rubin, who posited getting help on Security Council resolutions as one measure of public diplomacy. If so, the

Obama administration's loud success on Resolution 1973 has turned to a series of defeats, on the stalled Syria draft and the failure to even make a proposal about the killings in Yemen. Most recently, the US Mission to the UN has taken to opposing an African Union proposed Presidential Statement on Libya by introducing 'poison pill' amendments they know the African members won't accept. This too will eventually have an impact. There are changes coming, beyond McHale's departure, in the State Department. If polls are any guide, Obama's popularity outside of the US has been declining for some time. In the private sector, this would not be called success. Is it, in the sector of public diplomacy?" See also. Image from article with caption: McHale & Rubin at CFR, answers on Syria & Libya not shown

EducationUSA Forum - Remarks, Judith A. McHale, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs As Prepared for Delivery, U.S. Department of State [includes video]: "From a public diplomacy perspective, we must work to maintain and expand our people-to-people connections. This is the core of our strategy for engaging with foreign publics, because providing opportunities for education and exchange to young people creates life-long ties that bolster our long-term security and prosperity. ... [P]romoting study in the United States is a priority at the highest levels of our government. ... U.S. higher education has an outstanding reputation internationally because of its high quality, responsiveness, openness, and diversity. The great variety of our institutions’ sizes, missions, philosophies, and program offerings means every student can find their place here. To help them, the State Department supports more than 400 EducationUSA Advising Centers in nearly every country of the world. We reach several million international students each year who are eager to study in the United States, but who need guidance to understand our system and our application processes. ... During the last six months, we had nearly 700,000 students contact our Advising Centers directly for advice and consultation. So that’s 2 million new face-to-face contacts with potential students just since the beginning of the year. In addition, using technology to conduct webinars, hold virtual college fairs, promote our message on social networking platforms and the EducationUSA website, we have made approximately five and a half million virtual contacts with students in the last six months."

For U.S., study abroad programs a "strategic necessity": U.S. official - Mu Xuequan, news.xinhuanet.com: "Study abroad programs are not only a chance for students to expand their cultural and linguistic horizons, but are important in promoting long-term international stability, according to U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale.

'From a public diplomacy perspective, we must work to maintain and expand our people-to-people connections in any way that we can,' she said during a speech in Washington on Wednesday at the Education USA Forum." Image from

Public Schedule for June 23, 2011 - U.S. Department of State: "UNDER SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS JUDITH MCHALE: 2:30 p.m. Under Secretary McHale meets with Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough and Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan, in Washington DC. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)"

Remarks - James Moore, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asia Affairs Washington, DC, posted at usdsnews.blogspot.com: "It’s an honor to join such a distinguished group of individuals as you prepare to embark on your Fulbright experience. As my colleagues in Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and at our Fulbright Commissions in the region can attest, I’m a huge fan of the Fulbright Program. ... I could talk all evening about the Fulbright program and how vital it is to our public diplomacy worldwide. I won’t do that, but I will say that as Deputy Chief of Mission in Colombo from 2006 to 2009 I was deeply fortunate to know each and every one of the U.S. Fulbrighters who came to Sri Lanka to lecture and do research.

And many years earlier, as Cultural Attache in Chennai I worked with many of the Fulbrighters to organize lectures and discussions in their areas of expertise throughout South India. This enriched and diversified our outreach efforts to a wide variety of Indian audiences. I did this same in Pakistan, Turkey, and several other countries where I was fortunate to serve. Above all, the hundreds of Fulbrighters I’ve met over the years were outstanding representatives of the American people who touched lives and made a difference to people and institutions in the countries where they were assigned. And I’m confident you will follow in that great tradition." Image from

Huawei Participates in TechWomen Mentorship Program Focused on Supporting Future Technologists in the Middle East North Africa Region - businesswire.com: "TechWomen, a public-private partnership, was developed to implement President Barack Obama’s vision of greater collaboration between the United States and communities with predominantly Muslim populations, as outlined in his June 2009 speech in Cairo. TechWomen is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE), and implemented in partnership with the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology (ABI). For more information, please visit: www.techwomen.org. ... The Institute of International Education collaborates with universities, governments, non-governmental organizations and corporations to develop and implement scholarship, exchange, and training programs that educate and build leadership skills among students, scholars, and professionals worldwide. These include the prestigious Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowship Programs and the International Visitor Leadership Program, administered on behalf of the U.S. Department of State in partnership with other countries, as well as more than 250 other initiatives that benefit over 26,000 men and women from 175 countries each year. IIE has extensive experience working with U.S. Embassies and Missions around the world to implement high-profile programs to foster cross-cultural dialogue and public diplomacy on behalf of the U.S. government."

International Students Get a Taste of Americana in Georgetown - Bethany Ziegler, Patch.com: "The Middle Eastern Partnership Initiative, Undergraduate Student Leaders Program brings students from the Middle East and North Africa to America to build leadership skills an expose them to U.S. culture. ... The goals of the program are to expose students from other nations to American culture, to create understanding between cultures and to help develop leadership skills within the participants, explained Langebachers [academic director for the program at GU, Eric Langebacher].

'The energy, enthusiasm and intelligence of the students always impresses me and I can't help but think that these countries will be in great hands when this generation makes it into positions of influence. Moreover, the investment that the U.S. government is making in this kind of public diplomacy and educational exchange is absolutely priceless,' Langebacher said. Uncaptioned image from article

VOA finally gets an interview with President Obama - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Radios Farda, Sawa, and Free Asia win medals at the New York Festivals - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Syrian news agency lashes out at Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, France 24, BBC, and Alhurra - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Is Russia Today Just Propaganda for Uposcrabblenyk? - Tim Cavanaugh, Reason: "RT has made a perfectly respectable entry into the American news market. And it’s done much better than our own government-funded efforts in the Arabic news market. In the last ten years you have paid for the Al-Hurra TV network, the Sawa radio network and the teen magazine Hi, among other State Department media ventures in the Arab nations. The TV network has failed to gain viewers and its costs have been going up. The State Department’s inspector general says the radio station has failed to fulfill its mandate.

At least the teen magazine was allowed to go out of business. (Anecdotally, I’ve never heard Sawa on local radio or seen Al-Hurra on TV, and the only evidence of Hi I ever saw was a billboard advertising it in Beirut.) RT, by contrast, gets wide distribution in the Arab world, and produces the same kind of close-enough news selection it does in English, with the same electric-green branding. The channel caters to Russian interests, but not rigidly so." Image from

Another Re-Set In Russian-American Relations - Andrei Bystritsky, Chairman, The Voice of Russia, Huffington Post: "Last week I attended an extraordinary panel discussion at the National Press Club titled, 'From the Cold War to the 'Reset': The Changing Face of Public Diplomacy in Russian-American Relations.' Joining me were Joseph Duffey, former Director of the United States Information Agency; Thomas Graham, former senior director at the National Security Council for Russia; Angela Stent, Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University; Rüdiger Lentz, Bureau Chief Deutsche Welle Radio and Television; and, Elez Biberaj head of the Eurasian branch of the Voice of America. I use the term extraordinary because the event was organized around the launch of the U.S. studio of the Russian news service, 'The Voice of Russia.' Moreover, this distinguished group of experts gathered to discuss not how to block the Russian broadcast in the U.S. but rather to offer advice on how it might be more effective. ... Our opposing perspectives and interests have matured over time into mutual respect for differences based on geopolitical interests rather than ideologies, similar to that of the U.S. and France, where two partners come to the table with different perspectives and with an understanding of historical and cultural differences. ... Joe Duffey, the former USIA Director, made a final important point: listen to the feedback from your listeners to see what it is about Russia that interests them. And to that point I encourage you to listen to our programming at http://english.ruvr.ru/. I hope you listen to us and then let us hear from you."

Documentary PD - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "Today, Russia Today 'network' - with the help of the Russian President himself - launched its Documentary channel RTД. The major objective is to go beyond the simple news or short-feature format,

and to take viewers "on a round-the-clock journey into the heart of Russia" (seems to me, it's some kind of a video version of the Russia Beyond the Headlines). ... My guess is, however, RT won't be too successful in attracting a lot of audience with its documentary channel. The primary target is, obviously, the Anglophone world (not to limit it to the U.S. public, for the argument's sake). Here, I'd be very curious to know who would have hours to spare for watching Russian-made documentaries on Russia itself. ... In any case, one thing is certain: Kremlin has great ambitions in public diplomacy. Information diplomacy, in particular. And, it's willing to spend big bucks on it." Image from article

The Accidental Public Diplomat and the BBC World Service - Gary Rawnsley, Public Diplomacy and International Communications: The Accidental Public Diplomat and the BBC World Service - "[T]he BBC Trust welcomed the British Foreign Secretary's announcement that an additional £2.2 million per year would be provided to the World Service over the next three years. This means Hindi, Somali and Arabic language services (the Arabic service was the first foreign language service of the BBC Empire Service) will be saved from the axe. This extra funding means the World Service is now facing a reduction of its annual budget by £42 million by the end of March 2014, rather than £46 million. This means five language services - Albanian, Russian, Portuguese for Africa, Serbian and English for the Carribean - will close. Radio broadcasts in Mandarin, Russian, Turkish and Vietnamese will cease, switching to other platforms. I have talked about the folly of this in previous b[l]ogs and will not rehearse those arguments again here. What is most worrying is that from 1 April 2014, the BBC will take over from the Foreign Office funding the World Service using licence fee revenue. What this means is that the World Service, the most credible and trusted instrument of British public diplomacy, will have to compete with all the other BBC channels and platforms for funding."

Money from Foreign Office and within World Service sustains BBC Hindi shortwave and BBC Arabic - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Aung San Suu Kyi: "The World Service is not what it was." Dave Lee Travis: "Daft of BBC to change World Service" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

China has Confucius Centers worldwide, but BBC has Igglepiggle centers in China - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Da domani verso l’Afghanistan - pandemia.info: "Prima giornata di briefing al quartier generale NATO di Bruxelles. In rapida successione ho avuto modo di incontrare rappresentanti NATO, americani e non solo, addetti alle relazioni pubbliche a vario titolo e/o informati direttamente delle operazioni in Afghanistan. ... Pomeriggio molto piacevole con due rappresentanti del dipartimento della 'public diplomacy' che molto fuori dai denti hanno risposto a domande, fatto considerazioni per nulla scontate, riconoscendo i limiti che la

missione NATO ha avuto nel tempo, del ruolo fondamentale ma non esclusivo dei militari e della forza per risolvere il conflitto e che la riconciliazione del paese passa necessariamente per la politica, il negoziato e trattative, anche con i talebani.'  Image from

NATO Thanks Armenia for Expanding Afghan Mission - asbarez.com: "NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy thanked Armenia on behalf of the alliance for expanding the number of Armenian troops in the Afghanistan Peacekeeping Mission.

As Stefanie Babst said during a Yerevan-Brussels TV bridge, 'extending beyond the sphere of military reforms, Armenia-NATO cooperation also covers the fight against terrorism and coping with natural disasters.'” Image from article, with caption: Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian inspects Armenian forces in Afghanistan in 2010

Apple pulls controversial ThirdIntifada iOS app - Lex Friedman, Macworld: "Apple has pulled the ThirdIntifada app from the App Store. The free app, which first hit the App Store on June 15, presented information on upcoming Palestinian protests and activities, including

events that called for acts of violence against Israel. On June 21, Israel’s Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein issued a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, asking him to remove the app. 'I believe Apple, as a pioneering and progressive company, places the values of liberty, freedom of expression and creativity as a guiding light,' Edelstein wrote. 'Also, as a leader in its area, I am convinced that you are aware of this type of application’s ability to unite many toward an objective that could be disastrous.' Later that day, The Simon Weisenthal Center—a group focused on eliminating anti-Semitism—echoed Edelstein’s objections." Image from article

PM: No more special benefits for Palestinian prisoners‎ - Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post: Israel will revoke benefits and privileges from terrorists sitting in its jails in response to Hamas’ refusal to let the International Red Cross visit kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit, Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu said in a dramatic announcement Thursday night. Speaking at the closing event at the Israeli Presidential Conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu

said that as a result of Hamas’ announcement Thursday that it won’t allow a Red Cross visit, 'I have decided to change Israel’s policy toward terrorists siting in Israeli jails.' ... 'I believe that if we all place public, political and public diplomacy pressure on Hamas, we will advance Gilad’s release,' Netanyahu said. He praised the leaders of the US, France, Britain and Italy who in recent days demanded that Hamas let the Red Cross visit Schalit." Netanyahu image from article

Siren sounds as nation drills response to missile attack - Yaakov Katz, Herb Keinon - Jerusalem Post: "During ongoing 'Turning Point 5' civil defense exercise, evening siren will allow families to practice response at home; security meets in underground bunker at undisclosed location in Judean Hills. ... Home Front Defense Minister Matan Vilna’i, who took part in the exercise,

emphasized the importance of carrying out public diplomacy during times of war, saying that today the battle in the media is no less important than that at the front." Image from article

Palestinians Spend Big Bucks on Statehood PR - Julie Stahl, Christian Broadcasting Network: "Palestinians and Arab countries are spending millions of dollars more than Israel to convince the nations of the world to back their bid for statehood at the United Nations in September, top Jewish leaders said in Jerusalem this week. ... World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder

told journalists in Jerusalem that he and others believe a unilateral declaration could be 'very, very bad for Israel.' ... WJC's new Secretary General Dan Diker said Israel's Foreign Ministry had doubled its public relations budget in the last three to four years. 'Since 2009, Israel and the Jewish world have made a sharp increase in public diplomacy and efforts to battle the Palestinian Authority-led political assault against Israel's legitimacy as a nation state of the Jewish people,' Diker told CBN News. According to Diker, the most important thing for Israel is to make its case for defensible borders -- an idea he says is not new but rather is guaranteed by U.N. resolution 242, which ended the 1967 Six Day War. ... The WJC was founded in 1936, during the rise of Adolph Hitler, because its founder believed the League of Nations was failing to uphold the commitment to protect the rights of Jews in their own communities. According to Lauder, during World War II, the WJC supplied the media with pictures of what was going on in death camps but 'nobody listened,' he said." Lauder image from article

A Gay-Friendly Israel Is Complicated for Jewish LGBT Congregations: As Israel Broadcasts Its Openness, Gay Synagogues Focus on Peace and Human Rights Issues - Ben Sales, Forward: "In recent years, Israeli public diplomacy has been highlighting the benefits and rights that Israeli law affords its LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] citizens — among them, recognition of same-sex civil unions performed abroad, tax deductions for cohabitating same-sex couples and official embrace since 1993 of gay and lesbian soldiers serving openly in the military. From a legal standpoint, these policies make Israel more liberal on gay and lesbian rights than the United States, and immeasurably more liberal than its Arab neighbors — the latter point being one made by none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his May 24 speech before Congress. Indeed, practitioners of public diplomacy see highlighting Israel’s relatively liberal gay rights policies as a way to counter appeals by pro-Palestinian advocates to liberal Western audiences.

'Mel Brooks said it best. ‘When you got it, flaunt it!’' Israel’s New York consulate proclaimed over Twitter recently when asked why Israel was talking so much about being gay-friendly, 'Branding,' Israel’s New York consul general, Ido Aharoni, told the Forward, 'means that it is just as important for Israel to be attractive as it is to be right.' But if Israeli officials have been hoping for LGBT political solidarity in response, what they are getting is something more complex. Some congregations host open-ended discussions on Israeli society and Israeli policies that include dissenting voices. Others focus their programming narrowly on Israel’s LGBT community. There is a notable absence, generally, of a conventional pro-Israel agenda." Image from article, with caption: Connecting, With a Difference: Members of Beth Chayim Chadashim, an LGBT congregation in Los Angeles, visit Hulda Gate at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount during a 2007 mission to Israel.

Israeli scholar renews talk of trilateral ties with India, Turkey - Ramesh Ramachandran, On Record: "The Embassy of Israel in New Delhi plans to publish reading material in Hindi, Urdu and Telugu for the benefit of libraries, schools, universities and media organisations in the states where these languages are popular. The publication will be a primer of sorts. It will give basic facts about Israel, its economy, how to do business in Israel, culture, cuisine, West Asia conflict, India-Israel relations and the Holocaust. The initiative draws inspiration from a research conducted by an Israeli non-government organisation in India and Denmark to study popular perception about Israel and to suggest options for public diplomacy."

News briefs - hindustantimes.com: "The first-ever Education Summit between India and Canada ended at Carleton University in Ottawa with the two sides pledging themselves to deepen ties in research and higher education. ... In his plenary address, Canadian foreign minister John Baird said the Education Summit is 'an important step in developing bilateral academic relations after the signing of the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Education during PM Manmohan Singh’s visit in June last year.' He said the newly created Canada-India Centre for Excellence in Science, Technology, Trade and Policy will raise awareness about bilateral studies and public diplomacy, and develop initiatives to build a better understanding of both countries."

Wandering China Day 4: Shenzhen - wanderingchina.org: "Shenzhen will be hosting the 26th Summer Universiade on 12 August 2011. Currently it is constructing the sports venues for its first major sporting event in the city. The Beijing Olympics in 2008, Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010 and now the Shenzhen Universiade in 2011, it looks like China’s ramping up its use of sporting events for public diplomacy and media mileage."

Image from article, with caption: Advertising on the Shenzhen metro for the 2011 Shenzhen Universiade – it reads, walking hand in hand with the big games. Along with such signs were ubiquitous reminders of courtesy and being civil at all times to project the best image possible.

Foreign Students‎ - Laguna Beach Independent: "Foreign high school students are scheduled to arrive soon for academic semester and year homestay programs, and the sponsoring organization needs more local host families. According to Pacific Intercultural Exchange President John Doty, the students are all between the ages of 15 and 18 years, English-speaking, have their own spending money, carry accident and health insurance, and want to share their cultural experiences with their new American families. PIE currently has programs to match almost every family’s needs, ranging in length from one semester to a full academic year, where the students attend local public and private high schools. 'At this critical time in our country’s history, hosting an international teen is the best and purest form of public diplomacy the United States has,' said Doty."

Former Ambassador Calls for Tolerance, Understanding of Islam - ‎Fitzalan Gorman, Patch.com: "With diplomatic experience dating back more than 25 years to the presidency of Ronald Reagan, former ambassador David Newton told a group of Ashburn residents this week that fear of Muslims stems from a lack of understanding of a religion many Americans associate

with the terrorist actions of a few adherents. ... Newton met with the residents of Ashby Ponds retirement community Monday, June 20, to discuss Islam and his experiences with the political climate in the Middle East. Newton’s expertise is in U.S.-Arab relations, public diplomacy, U.S. foreign policy, regional security, political, social and economic reform, as well as media and conflict resolution."  Newton image from article

Social media is changing countries and saving lives - R Leigh Coleman, Christian Post: “'Many people cannot understand why all these [Arab] uprisings happened so they turn to the aspect they can understand, social media,' said Philip Seib,

a professor of journalism and public diplomacy and professor of international relations at the University of Southern California. 'However, there is a very important piece to remember, for those people that call this the Twitter revolution or the Facebook revolution, I think that is a misnomer that is unfair to the people who went out into the streets and risked, and sometimes lost their lives in the cause of these revolutions." Image from article, with caption: Social networking sites like Facebook are giving people an opportunity to share their political views across the Middle East and Arabic countries.

Boy: Ladlad and beyond - Nathalie Tomada, Philippine Star: "Boy Abunda revealed that at this point, life in politics is already inevitable. 'I am embracing it totally because it’s either you get into something completely or not at all,' Boy admitted to The STAR following the announcement in a presscon last June 16 that he is the new senior political adviser of Ladlad as it guns for three seats in Congress in 2013 as a party-list group representing the LGBT community. ... Asked if it’s true that he’s also involved with the Department of Tourism (DOT), Boy

said, 'I’m only an interested partner from the private sector. I’m a brand specialist so I get invited to speak in forums on tourism. I’ve always studied global tourism, but I don’t have an official function with DOT. ... (But) hindi pa talaga panahon. I had a contract with ABS-CBN to honor; I was finishing my Master’s degree in International Relations in Public Diplomacy at the Philippine Women’s University. (Now, Boy’s starting his doctorate). And when it comes to decisions, I always listen to myself; I listen to my heart and gut,' he said." Boy image from article

How the Right-Wing Fascist Machine Disseminates Propaganda - Barefoot Accountant, my.firedoglake.com: [Comment by rank]" "Peter Peterson ... was promoting the 'Corporation For Public Diplomacy.' The government and corporations could together secretly fund war propaganda. I have no evidence that the CPD was created, other than the enormous and endless pro-war propaganda by all electronic mass communication. Also, the Washington Post is being subsidized in a very strange way by the US Government.http://www.cfr.org/terrorism/public-diplomacy-war-terrorism/p4762 [']Create an independent, not-for-profit 'Corporation for Public Diplomacy 'to bridge the gap between public- and private-sector initiatives. The Corporation for Public Diplomacy (CPD) would be a focal point for private-sector involvement in public diplomacy. In terms of operations, it would be similar to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)… As a corporation with tax-exempt status under Section 501c3c of the U.S. tax code, the CPB can receive private-sector grants, which have been substantial…In an analogous structure, the CPD would leverage private-sector creativity and flexibility. It could receive private-sector grants and would attract media and personalities who might be less willing to work directly with U.S. government agencies. It also could take advantage of the fact that private media can often communicate American family values, religious commitments, and the merits of democracy more effectively than government officials do. Groups such as the Advertising Council and the ad hoc group of Hollywood executives, producers, engineers, and creative people who joined forces after September 11, both of which have done enormous work for public causes, should be enlisted to help the CPD.[']"

British High Commission Job Vacancies for Political Officers - onlinenigerianjobsvacancies.blogspot.com: "Specific responsibilities include: * Build and maintain a wide range of political contacts – in the government, national assembly; ministries and at state level; Facilitate access for UK based political officers to the

key decision makers; analyse and advise on politics in order to enhance decision making. * This position will line manage the LEII Public Diplomacy/Visits officer – engaging on these areas as required." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

Don't Believe The Hype: Obama's Af-Pak Troop Withdrawal Is A Propaganda Stunt - David DeGraw, Hamsayeh.Net: It is a positive development that the Obama Administration is withdrawing some troops from Afghanistan. However, Obama’s announcement of troop reductions is primarily a propaganda stunt. It is another perfect example of how the Obama Administration and the mainstream media manipulates public opinion and deceives the American public.

Syria's Assad Must Go‎ - Richard Grenell, NewsMax.com: This week, U.S. ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, participated in a tour sponsored by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government in the Northwest province of Idlib. The propaganda tour was organized to show the devastation caused by what government officials described as “foreign outlaws” and “radical Islamists.” The excursion included Syrian officials who explained to Ford that Islamic extremists were responsible for the more than 1,500 deaths that have occurred since anti-government protests began on March 15. Government officials also told Ford that there have been no peaceful freedom marches, as has been reported by the international media, only foreign radicals looking to destabilize Syria.

Ambassador Ford dutifully attended the government’s tour but has since failed to respond or react.Ford’s stiff upper lip seems exactly what President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton want. While they cling to the idea that Assad may still yet be a reformer, the Obama team misses the opportunity to topple the Syrian dictator and blunt Iran’s influence in the region. Ford image from

Ambassador Ford: ‘Eyes and ears’ or a propaganda tool for Assad? - Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post: The administration keeps insisting that the decision to return an ambassador to Damascus and to keep him there during Bashar al-Assad’s reign of terror was not a mistake. He’s the eyes and ears for the administration, we were told. He’s a conduit to Syrian opposition. Really? In short, what does Ford do every day and whose side is he helping? What is he telling the Arab press? It’s time to come clean about what he is up to and whether at this point he’s making life more comfortable for the butcher of Damascus.

House committee report says some Pentagon information operations are "duplicative of" activities by State and other agencies - Kim Andew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Nazi propaganda chief's waterfront estate up for sale - Reuters: The former Berlin waterfront estate of Adolf Hitler's propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels is going under the hammer.

The bidding for the 1.5 acre (6,440 sq m) island property in the capital's leafy west opened this week and will last two months, the real estate firm in charge of the auction said on Wednesday. The Goebbels residence was torn down after World War Two and the property passed into the ownership of the city of Berlin. In the 1950s a 7,640-square foot (710 square meter) ranch was built on it and was later rented by the Aspen Institute, a U.S. think-tank. Another former Goebbels property near Berlin -- a 30-room villa described by the German media as his "love nest" -- will be going up for sale as part of a larger real estate sale. Image from

Ukrainian avant-garde - Nataliya Horban, kyivpost.com: The artistic vacuum in the Soviet Union – where all artwork had to conform to the party line – couldn’t stifle the creative spirit in Ukraine altogether. Painter Vasyl Yermylov was one of those artists who had a major influence in shaping the avant-garde movement. Born in 1894 in Kharkiv, he worked in a factory designing match boxes. A talented painter, he was asked to draw Communist propaganda posters.

But Yermylov preferred Pablo Picasso and futurist artists’ work, which led to his dismissal from the artists’ union in 1949. The painter was criticized for “cosmopolitism and submission to rotten Western culture.” In Kyiv, you can see more than 200 of Yermylov’s works drawn together from different museums and private collectors, both in Ukraine and abroad. Image from article, with caption: Painter Vasyl Yermylov had a major influence in shaping the avant-garde movement.

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