February 16

"Sometimes coincidence is far more effective than calculation."

--Your PDPBR compiler, immodestly quoting himself from a piece speculating on the public-diplomacy link between "Linsanity" and Chinese Vice President Vice President Xi Jinping's visit to the U.S.; image from

BOOK REVIEW

The Craft of Political Analysis for Diplomats [The Craft of Political Analysis for Diplomats by Raymond F. Smith, Washington: Potomac Books Inc., 2011, ISBN-13: 978-1597977296, Paperback, 161 pp., $24.00] - John H. Brown, American Diplomacy

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Local Filmmaker to Become a US Film Ambassador - Jon Korn, baycitizen.org: "Local [San Francisco Bay Area] documentarian Tiffany Shlain's 2010 film 'Connected' will be one of the 29 films included in the US Department of State's American Films Showcase. According to the official announcement last week, the project is "an international cultural diplomacy initiative that brings people together worldwide through film. ... On the phone, Shlain revealed just how much this program meant to her film. 'Getting into Sundance was so validating and we've had a great tour with the film after our theatrical release in the fall. But to have this happen is such an honor.

That was part of the vision of what we hoped this film would do.' Indeed, Shlain was newly energized after a day-long orientation this past Saturday (over Skype, natch). 'The people from the State Department told us it was fine if our films had content that challenged the political status quo. They said 'We are representing democracy and America. When you speak for yourself, that represents the fabric of America.' Schlain and the other filmmakers submitted their schedules for the next 6 months to the State Department, which will forward them on to 25 US embassies. From there, the embassies will send out invitations for the filmmakers to come on 7-10 day visits. Accompanying them will be members of a panel of 'film experts', including such Bay Area notables as SFSU Film Professor Bill Nichols and UC Berkeley's Class of 1937 Professor of Film & Media Mary Ann Doane. The screenings will be supplemented by workshops and discussions featuring these experts. As it turns out, Shlain is no stranger to this sort of cultural exchange. 'When I was 18 I was a student ambassador to the Soviet Union, with a program called People to People,' she explained 'So, 22 years later, to be touring in this official capacity is so cool.'" Image from

Former VOA director on the proposed VOA budget cut and on VOA programs "under other names" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "[Elliott:] Congress should not spend money on an international news service that the private sector can accomplish at no cost to the taxpayers. Because of this, USIB in English is more difficult to justify than in most of the other USIB langauges. People who speak these non-English languages need accurate, balanced, and comprehensive information, but there is little commercial potential for international broadcasting in most of them. Because it is in the interest of the United States that speakers of these languages are well and completely informed, Congress has a good reason to spend money on USIB."

Meet Radio Free Europe's Tech Justice League: The Broadcasting Board of Governors is turning to Silicon Valley to help revitalize Radio Free Europe and the Voice of America. A new innovation commission includes big names from Facebook, Twitter, TED, and the media - Neal Ungerleider, fastcompany.com: "The United States government has quietly gathered a collection of tech and media superstars to advise on propaganda and public diplomacy. Just think of the new Broadcasting Board of Governors' Commission on Innovation as the Justice League of Public Diplomacy--the commission's unpaid

members include Twitter and Facebook's cofounders, Steve Jobs's biographer, media and foreign policy gurus, and high-ranking muckety-mucks from all aspects of cultural life. Members of the commission met at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Washington, D.C. bureau on February 10 to discuss how changes in digital media may create new audiences in 'specific markets.' ... The Innovation Commission has an ever-changing membership . ... Members are tasked with advising the Broadcasting Board of Governors on their ongoing transition from radio broadcasts to Internet content; the BBG is responsible for, among others, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, and the Voice of America. Although shortwave transmissions still go out, web radio and web content appear to be the BBG's future outside of exceptional cases such as Burma/Myanmar and Zimbabwe." Image from article

Reforming U.S. International Broadcasting (Part Three): A New Structure - Alex Belida, MountainRunner: "Instead of the current multi-entity structure, I would integrate VOA, RFE-RL, RFA, MBN and Radio/TV Marti into a single organization, eliminating all language duplication. This new operation would be headquartered in Washington D.C. at the existing VOA center with satellite production bureaus as needed in strategic locations in addition to smaller news bureaus."

Sesame Street and the Importance of Soft Power - securityandconflict.umwblogs.org: "[C]ontinued U.S. bias towards Israel in the humanitarian domain, writes Ibrahim Sharquieh of the Brookings Doha Center, could 'irreparably harm the U.S. image in the region.' This issue falls in line under the sphere of 'soft power,' a highly popular phrase that was first coined by political scientist Joseph Nye. Public diplomacy and international development initiatives can be highly effective strategies in bolstering the United States’ reputation abroad, argues Nye – whose work has made waves in both academia and public policy. While the sentiment is garnering leverage in the '3rd D' after diplomacy and development–defense–the criticism of soft power as a 'touchy-feely, feel-good'

approach continues to stunt its potential. Thus the promotion of 'smart power'–the entwinement of hard and soft power–must be amplified beyond the confines of the State Department (which advocated for the strategy in the 2010 QDDR) and think-tank roundtable discussions so that its influence can be felt among key legislators." Image from

Isolating Israel? - Arsen Ostrovsky, Jerusalem Post: " Prior to the Palestinian approach to the UN for a unilateral declaration of statehood in September 2011, there was no shortage of pundits predicting Israel would face a 'diplomatic tsunami.' Instead, Israel has ridden wave after wave of success, clearly belying the oft-quoted narrative that the Jewish state is 'totally isolated' and 'adrift alone at sea.' Just to be clear, Israel still has many enemies seeking to delegitimize and isolate the state. And while there are many legitimate criticisms to be made of the government’s public diplomacy, we must also acknowledge that these successes would not have been possible without the effort, foresight and leadership of the government, and in particular the Foreign Ministry."

Fundamentally Freund: The end of Palestine - Michael Freund, Jerusalem Post: "By forging a unity agreement with Hamas earlier this month in Doha, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority president [Abbas]

has inadvertently corroborated one of the central tenets of our political philosophy: the Palestinians cannot and must not be granted a state. ... The Qataris are now obviously trying to shepherd Hamas to power as well in order to further their own interests, and they will surely make a concerted effort to see that come to pass. However dangerous this development might be on the ground, it does present a significant opportunity in terms of Israel’s public diplomacy. Simply put, Abbas’s embrace of Hamas should be used to make a strong case against the prevailing notion that a 'two-state solution' can bring about peace." Uncaptioned image from article

Film captures life and art of Satish Gujral - twocircles.net: "New Delhi : As part of its public diplomacy outreach, the ministry of external affairs has donned the mantle of filmmaker with the premiere of 'A Brush With Life', a special documentary on the life of master modernist

Satish Gujral, the artist who overcame physical challenges to become a stalwart of contemporary Indian art. The movie, commissioned by the ministry and supported by History TV 18 as a showcase of contemporary Indian arts, has been made by Sujata Kulshrestha of Wide Angle Films. It was premiered at the Oberoi Hotel Wednesday evening. The film traces the life of sculptor and painter Satish Gujral as a boy in Lahore to his days of glory in the capital as a multi-faceted artist, who has worked with the widest possible range of material and mediums." Gujral image from

Meeting of Montenegrin Defence Minister with NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General - defpro.com: "Montenegrin Defence Minister Besimi held a meeting today in the Ministry of Defence with the NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, Stefanie Babst, who will participate in the regional conference 'Goals of Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council – degree of achievability'. During the meeting, which was held by request of the host of the one-day conference, the Euro-Atlantic Council of Macedonia, Minister Besimi greeted this initiative and informed Ms, Babst on the percentage of the representation of females in the Army of the Republic of Macedonia and in the Ministry of Defence, a fact which, even though is not directly connected with Resolution 1325, is significantly important to mention as a fact. In that context, the Minister added that efforts are being made for increasing the percentage of women in the ARM, and in analogue with this, in the peace missions as well."

China land deal upsets Tajiks‎ - Mark Vinson, Asia Times: "Despite its increasing economic influence, compared with Russia, Iran and the West, China suffers from a deficit of soft power in Tajikistan.

In recent years, China has stepped up its public diplomacy efforts by launching several Chinese-language learning initiatives. However, its lack of traditional ties to the region, dearth of cultural capitol [sic], and opportunistic trade policies mean that even potentially mutually beneficial partnerships are increasingly interpreted negatively by a wide segment of the population." Image from

'National hero' Djokovic given Serbia's highest honor‎ - CNN: "Novak Djokovic's domination of men's tennis has made him a hero in his homeland of Serbia, and the world No. 1's achievements were recognized on Wednesday when he was awarded the nation's highest honor. ... Serbian Tennis Federation president Vuk Jeremic described

Djokovic, who was part of Serbia's Davis Cup-winning team in 2010, as the greatest sporting hero the country has produced. ... As well as the impact Djokovic has had on the court, Jeremic also hailed the positive impact he has had on Serbia's image around the world. 'No athlete in our history has become such a national hero. And as far as Serbia's image abroad is concerned -- can you think of a better public diplomacy vehicle?'" Image from article, with caption: Sportsman of the year Novak Djokovic poses next to his likeness on February 9, 2012, at the wax museum in the central Serbian town of Jagodina.

Winning Australian Network tender 'was hijacked' - Christian Kerr, The Australian: "[Minister for Foreign Affairs] Kevin Rudd never received a recommendation on who should run the Australia Network, before he was stripped of responsibility for the decision and a new tender was called, giving the ABC another opportunity to win the $223 million, 10-year contract. ... Opposition Senate communications spokesman Simon Birmingham said last night: 'Julia Gillard's own department intervened to prevent

a cabinet submission from Kevin Rudd's department proceeding with their recommendation for the awarding of this contract. It is clear that no matter how compelling the case for the winning tender was, [Prime Minister] Julia Gillard wouldn't let Kevin Rudd get his way or a tenderer remotely connected to News Limited succeed. The best use of taxpayer funds and most effective means for public diplomacy fell victim to the personal animosity between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.'" Gillard image from

Aramis Hernandez writes about his experience in the International MA in Political Science in Action at Tel Aviv University - asiancorrespondent.com: "Aramis Hernandez came all the way from Mexico to be part of the Political Science in Action: Leadership, Communication and Elections MA program and now he will share his personal experience. ... [Hernandez:] [D]uring a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized as part of the program, I had the possibility to meet and get acquainted with some of the top experts responsible with designing and implementing the israeli strategies in communication and public diplomacy."

Students to create documentary on trip to Iceland - Laura Gomez, Berkeley Beacon: "As part of a public diplomacy project and cultural immersion initiative, five Emerson students who went on a four day trip to Iceland last weekend will be creating a mini-series of webisodes documenting their trip. Alex Castillo, Heather Corazzini, Kerry Velez, Jeremy Sender, and Christopher Eyer -- also the Beacon’s sports editor -- along with Dr. Gregory Payne, associate professor of the communication department, met members of the Icelandic community and toured some of the nation’s geographical landmarks as part of a trip with the Communication Politics and Law Association and Model United Nations."

The Four Paradigms of Public Diplomacy - Robin, Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence: "Having spent the past few months digging into the history of public diplomacy programmes in different countries I now think that it’s possible to identify four distinct ways of thinking about external communication. ... 1. Expanded Diplomacy. PD is an adjunct (or part of) diplomacy. Hence it needs to be closely integrated with the routine operations of foreign ministries. Historically the organizational expression of this is the press office or news department. It will often express itself through an engagement with the media 2. National Projection. Public diplomacy is a matter of creating a favourable impression of our country often this will be regarded as the concern of the trade department but historically any other external communications activity will tend to take on some aspect of projection concern. Nation branding is the latest and most elaborated version of this paradigm.

3. Cultural Relations. In this version our external communications are part of an effort that will lead to a transformation of overall relations with other countries though the development of cultural relations. The concern is with medium and long term processes. The emphasis on the cultural is also reflected in an argument for the autonomy of this activity from the day to day influence of foreign policy. Within the cultural relations paradigm we can see a continuum between exporting our culture and a genuine mutuality. 4. Political Warfare (ideological conflict?). PD is a matter of defeating an ideological opponent or spreading a set of political values. One aspect of this paradigm is that PD should be separated from the work of the foreign ministry because the MFA is too wedded to the niceties of diplomacy." Image from

Models as Mirrors or Cultural Diplomacy? - Robert Albro, PD News-CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "The work of cultural diplomacy might indeed foster 'mutual understanding.' But it is not a certainty. In fact exactly the reverse often happens. ... [T]o engage with the question of culture is less an appreciation of different 'ways of life' and more a case of appreciating culture as a site of meaningful struggle. International affairs are informed by multiple definitions and locations for culture, together with variable understandings of rights, of identity, and of the sources of violence. Cultural diplomacy takes place within this field of often competing conceptions, as much a potential source of shared goodwill as of misunderstanding or conflict."

Mulberry Bayswater Red Wrinkled Leather - mulberry3.bloggd.org: "Between public opinion and politicians 'determining dislocation', is the relationship between the State and one of the causes of instability. In this

environment, with State-led, through public diplomacy mode, even more important, this paradigm, also known as public diplomacy. Known as 'the father of public diplomacy of the United States ['] scholar says public diplomacy goes beyond traditional diplomacy." Image from

Wisma Putra Responds - Ahmad Rozian Abdul Ghani, posted at Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger: "Ahmad Rozian is Undersecretary of Information and Public Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs Ministry."

Vacancy Announcement from US Embassy - Liberia - employmentdirectorylib.blogspot.com: "Position: INFORMATION ASSISTANT Duty Station: Monrovia Deadline: February 23, 2012 Under the supervision of the Senior Support Specialist and the Public Affairs Officer (PAO), the

incumbent is the primary person responsible for information outreach initiatives for the US Embassy, including press events, media related training, media professional exchanges and other ECA/IIP programs as relevant. ... MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: ... Clips articles and makes tapes of programs, and summarizes those regarding the Ambassador’s public diplomacy activities." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

A new China, a new test for the U.S.: America has to play the long game and get China policy right, not just for this month or year but for this decade and century. We are interdependent and stuck with one another - Nina Hachigian, latimes.com: As the United States ramps up in Asia, it needs to continue to assure China that America welcomes its prosperity.

On Iran, a stark choice: Either Iran, with its fanatical, brutal leaders, will get nuclear weapons, or it will be prevented from doing so by military assault - Benny Morris, latimes.com: The choice is clear and stark. Either Iran, led by fanatical, brutal and millenarian leaders, will get the bomb, or it will be prevented from doing so by military assault on its nuclear installations, by America or Israel. If the Americans, who have the capability to do a thorough job, don't do it — and they don't seem to have the

stomach for it after Iraq and Afghanistan — then the Israelis, with their more limited capabilities, will have to. Image from

This War Is Not Over Yet - Mary Dudziak, New York Times: Mr. Obama brought his definition of war in January 2010 by declaring that the United States is “at war against Al Qaeda.” This broadened the scope of Mr. Obama’s rhetoric on war by divorcing it from geography. And it provided a way of bringing into the ambit of American war terrorists outside of Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Obama is trying to have it both ways. Ending major conflicts in two countries helps him deliver on campaign promises. But his expansive definition of war leaves in place the executive power to detain without charges, and to exercise war powers in any region where Al Qaeda has a presence. By asserting, for political purposes, that the nation’s two wars are ending while planning behind the scenes for a longer-term war against Al Qaeda terrorists, the man who pledged to bring America’s wars to an end has instead laid the basis for an endless battle.

Legitimization of counterterrorism policies - Jack Goldsmith, Washington Post: When Obama continued his predecessor’s counterterrorism policies, most people assumed that the presidency as an institution was out of control. In fact, the opposite is true. Obama continued most of Bush’s policies because other institutions pushed back against Bush’s excesses and then blessed the changed policies.

Obama too felt the sting of these checks when he pushed too far in trying to close the Guantanamo Bay facility. In sum, two presidential administrations with starkly different views about executive power and proper counterterrorism tactics ended up in approximately the same place because constitutional forces more powerful than the aims and inclinations of the presidents were at work. Image from

Cyber Attacks Can Spark Real Wars: The U.S. and Israel are not ready for a sophisticated cyber attack from the likes of Iran and China - Richard A. Clarke, Wall Street Journal [subscription]

Egypt's cold shoulder: A sudden new wave of anti-Americanism is thriving in Cairo - David Schenker, latimes.com: Anti-Americanism has become Cairo's preferred populist recourse. Although a solution might be found for this particular controversy — with or without U.S. foreign assistance — this bilateral dynamic assures that the next crisis is not far off.

Image from article, with caption: A man waves the Egyptian flag in Tahrir Square ahead of the first anniversary of the revolution.

New analysis makes case for higher ranking for U.S. schools - Greg Toppo, USA Today: The idea that U.S. public schools are falling behind the rest of the world is widely accepted, but a new analysis of international data suggests that using rankings to

sort global winners from losers is often misguided, exaggerating tiny differences between countries that may be producing nearly identical results. In other words, maybe U.S. schools are not as bad as you might think. Chart from article

AMERICANA

"All groups other than Hispanics are non-Hispanic."

--Caption for above chart in USA Today