February 4-6

"They proclaim the intellectual functions are only respectable to the extent that they are bound up with the pursuit of concrete advantage."

--Julien Benda (1867-1956), La Trahison Des Clercs, p. 151, referring to intellectuals; Benda image from

CONFERENCE

Public Diplomacy in the Age of Social Media - "Hosted by: New America Foundation
Category: Politics & Government Location: New America Foundation Thursday, February 16 at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM[:]How does social media change how statecraft is practiced in the 21st century? Who’s participating and why? What have been some lessons learned from the pioneers who have logged on to listen and engage? Three representatives from the U.S. Department of State will share case studies and professional experiences gleaned directly from the virtual trenches." Via MA on twitter

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Fill the Public Diplomacy Leadership Vacuum - Helle Dale, heritage.org: "The U.S. government’s public diplomacy institutions are running on autopilot. While other nations, such as China, are ramping up public diplomacy and soft-power capabilities, the attention of the political leaders in this country is focused elsewhere: the budget deficit, the economy, the presidential election, etc. The effect is that the people who should be advocating for the importance of public diplomacy and think about its strategic role in U.S. foreign policy are simply not in place, so much-needed leadership in this area is lacking. ... Consider for instance, the position of under secretary for public diplomacy, which was created under President Clinton when the United States Information Agency was incorporated into the State Department in 1999. This key policy position has been unfilled 30 percent of the time and been a veritable revolving door—under President Bush occupied by Charlotte Bears [sic], Margaret Tutwiler, Karen Hughes, and James Glassman. Judith McHale, who held the position from May 2009 to July 2011, is in fact the longest serving under secretary for public diplomacy. Until December, it was not clear that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton even wanted to fill it before the presidential election. ... In order to improve the performance of the U.S. government’s public diplomacy institutions, including international broadcasting, the White House and Congress

should: Send up nominations for vacant positions and vote on confirmations in a timely fashion, indicating the seriousness of the U.S. government’s need to communicate with publics around the world. Consider reorganizing U.S. international broadcasting, making the leadership more streamlined, more professional, and more accountable to Congress and the State Department—for instance, replacing the board with a director appointed by the Secretary of State. Renew funding for the Advisory Commission for Public Diplomacy. As an advisory board for the State Department, it has a role in generating new ideas, keeping a record of best practices, and reaching out to other government departments with public diplomacy functions. ... In spite of the challenges facing the United States over the past decade, the last President who truly appreciated the significance of public diplomacy was Ronald Reagan, who considered it a powerful and indispensable tool in ending the Cold War. As a consequence of President Reagan’s leadership and the stellar team he gathered for the war of ideas, public diplomacy was a key element in policy toward the Soviet Union." Image from

State Joins the Drone Corps. Why? - Patricia H. Kushlis, Whirled View: "I was, to say the least, nonplussed about a New York Times front page story January 29, 2012 that described the State Department’s latest security protection toy: a fleet of drones to be deployed in Iraq to protect 11,000 American employees and 5,000 more security contractors when they make forays outside of the fortress embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone, consulates elsewhere in Iraq and, I suppose, other lesser properties that the US may have hung onto after the troop withdrawal in December. ... Of course, the Embassy needs a superb spokesperson to handle questions from the international and local press. That office, however, doesn’t need to be humongous. It just needs to be staffed with a few skilled press officers and assistants. It needs, therefore to be run by experienced media experts able to deal with the pushiest of foreign correspondents on the one hand and the recalcitrant and secretive State Department bureaucracy on the other. How about the cultural/educational side of the public diplomacy ledger? There is, according to a November 22, 2011 report in The New York Times, an American Corner in the Baghdad University Library which gathers dusts and few visitors. Unlike the busy stand-alone America Centers I was involved in running elsewhere in the world - even in countries where our presence was not universally applauded - the small American Corner in Baghdad was reportedly eerily empty of visitors. ... [R]unning successful exchange programs is complex – likely the most difficult and detailed of all public diplomacy related activities. Such programs also require knowledge of and contact with well educated and trained Iraqis on a regular basis. ... But how is that possible with a phalanx of drones buzzing around heavily armed convoys every trip away from America’s 'secure' fortresses

on the Tigris? If that’s how public diplomacy and other State Department officers must travel when they visit an Iraqi university or go elsewhere in the country, maybe the larger question of how many official Americans should remain in the country needs to be carefully reconsidered." Image from

Public Diplomacy and the Supremacy Sweepstakes - Rob Asghar, PD News – CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "One of the most intriguing aspects of public diplomacy involves efforts by various emerging nations to portray themselves as the 'next' world power. Just as intriguing is the willingness of American influencers to reinforce the notion that the United States will inevitably be passed by others as a global power. ... Is America 'over' on the world stage? Not in the short term, and quite possibly not in the long term. Meanwhile, the rising and falling of its competitors will be more unpredictable than many would guess."

Amb. Kathleen Stephens named Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy (and Public Affairs) - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner: From the State Department: [']The Secretary announces that President Obama has designated Ambassador D. Kathleen Stephens as the Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs pending the Senate’s confirmation of the President’s nominee, Tara Sonenshine. Ambassador Stephens will begin work on February 6, 2012, and will exercise all of the authorities of the office for the duration of this designation.'"

RISD Partners with US State Department - risd.edu: "As it approaches its 50th anniversary, the US State Department's office of ART in Embassies (AIE) has chosen renowned sculptor Jim Drain 98 SC to create a site-specific work for a new US embassy compound being built in Rabat, Morocco. The unique, multiyear collaboration with the State Department – only the second of its kind between the federal agency and an art and design college – involves a select group of RISD [Rhode Island School of Design] students who are working with Drain to explore the history and culture of Morocco through

the intensive Wintersession studio Art in Embassies: Morocco. The partnership is made possible by funding from RISD Board of Trustees Vice Chair Lisa Pevaroff 83 TX, whose own work is on view at the US Embassy in Montenegro, and also involves Dean of Fine Arts and Textiles Professor Anais Missakian 84 TX and Interim Associate Provost and Graduate Studies Professor Patricia Phillips." Image from article, with caption: Sculptor Jim Drain 98 SC, at far left, examines textiles with students and colleagues as part of the Wintersession studio Art in Embassies: Morocco

In Israel, Talk of Attacking Iran Transcends Idle Chatter - haaretzdaily.com: "Few who have spent time with Israel’s decision makers recently have come away believing that the talk of a military assault on Iran is merely a scripted act of public diplomacy."

Audio: Christians in the Moslem World and Moslems in the Christian World - A7 Radio's "The Jay Shapiro Hour" with Jay Shapiro: "The New Intolerance. A look at what's happening to Christians in the Moslem world and Moslems in the Christian world. Plus, Another loss in the public diplomacy war. The French parliament has issued a scurrilous report about Israel apartheid regarding water supply to the Arabs and the Israeli response is too little and too late."

Conservative Judaism movement to establish first community in Ukraine -  Revital Blumenfeld, haaretz.com: "Sunday morning, when Reuven Stanov was accredited as a rabbi, the Conservative movement moved one step closer to realizing a mission it describes as almost messianic: building the first Conservative Jewish community in the Commonwealth of Independent States. ... According to the statistics of the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry, there are 250,000 Jews in the Ukraine, half of them living in Kiev. The number doubles if one includes those who have

at least one Jewish grandparent, which entitles them to immigrate to Israel on the basis of the Right of Return." Image from article, with caption: Ukrainian-born Stanov, 38, being accredited as a Conservative rabbi by the Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.

Greece’s International Profile and the Financial Crisis - George Protopapas, jofr.org: "The financial crisis and international profile of states are two interdependent elements that influence negatively all aspects of foreign policy, especially the tools of public diplomacy. In an age of globalization, public diplomacy is considered a useful communication tool for governments that aim to influence the public opinion of third countries and in particular, seeks to improve their national image and reputation in the world. Greek foreign policy has not managed in the past years to develop an effective public diplomacy and the financial crisis has destroyed to a large extent its international profile.

According to 2010 Country Brand Index 'Greece presents the most conspicuous shift, dropping 8 places from 14 to 22, set against a widely broadcasted background of financial crisis and subsequent industrial relations problems following government spending cuts and tax increases'. Greek Public Diplomacy (GPD) is indeed characterised by lack of a national communication strategy, both at governmental and non-governmental institutions, as well as in the media. This paper tries to find strategies that could improve Greece’s international image and could create an effective Greek PD even at this difficult and ominous period of financial crisis. ... In general, Greece should realize that PD is something broader than a simple transmission of ideas, symbols, images, policies or public relations or communication actions in the global world. What is required is a well-coordinated strategy for the promotion and the positioning of the country in the complex and multilayered international environment. Thus, the international presence, position and role of Greece can be strengthened through: Greek cultural heritage, Greek tourism, Greek Diaspora, Greek Orthodox Church and Greek maritime tradition. ... An effective Greek public diplomacy strategy requires a more open and transparent communication policy, based on a productive and genuine dialogue with state and non-state actors and a long-term diplomacy strategy." Image from

'Vibrant Keralam' Launched - yentha.com: "Trivandrum: Touted to be Kerala's first ever magazine in the public diplomacy sector, 'Vibrant Keralam' gained its pulse on Thursday, February 2, when Chief Minister Oommen Chandy handed over the first copy of the magazine to Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty. Published by Trivandrum headquartered media convergance company, Sherwood Communications, the magazine is intended to focus on the land, legend and legacy of Kerala to the readers outside the state and the nation, according to Editor Sabin Iqbal."

Image from article, with caption: By being the 'International Mouthpiece of Kerala', 'Vibrant Keralam' is to be an effective tool in public diplomacy by promoting Kerala, complimenting with the Department of Tourism. The magazine would be reaching out to defined groups of readers and to almost all Malayali organisations across the world.

Public Diplomacy Snapshot: 2011 - Naomi Leight, PDiN Monitor, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "After a tumultuous year, what has public diplomacy accomplished in 2011? This past year brought publics to the forefront – people matter in international relations and diplomacy more than ever before. Advances in using tools for public diplomacy, and also in listening and working with publics, have begun to be accepted by governments around the world."

http://twitter.com/#!/BartvanBolhuis/status/165176547051974656/photo/1 http://pic.twitter.com/GXnMTgSH - @BartvanBolhuis: "

Talking about public diplomacy with honorary consuls and @DutchEmbassyDC in Washington. http://pic.twitter.com/GXnMTgSH"

Chief Prosecutors of International Criminal Court to Visit Estonia - Estonian Embassy in Moscow: "From 7-8 February the current chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo and Fatou Bensouda, who will soon take over the role of chief prosecutor, will be in Estonia for a visit. Journalists, photographers and camera operators interested in covering the visit should be accredited no later than Tuesday, 7 February at 12.00. Please write to the email address centre@mfa.ee or call the Foreign Ministry public diplomacy department at 637 7630"

5 Question Fridays with Elvisa Pasic - Katherine Shanahan, UC Info - The James R. Connor University Center at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater "In this week[']s '5 Question Fridays' we chat with

Elvisa Pasic. Elvisa is very involved on campus and shares with us how this has prepared her for her future. ... Major: International Studies with an emphasis in Public Diplomacy." Pasic image from blog

Monday, 6 February 2012 - employmentdirectorylib.blogspot.com: "Vacancy Announcement from US EMBASSY Position: FINANCIAL ASSISTANT Duty Station: Monrovia Starting Salary: US$14,809.00 Deadline: February 13, 2012 The U.S. Embassy is seeking an individual for the position of Financial Assistant within the Financial Management Section. BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION: Is the accountant and expert voucher examiner for State’s Program, INL and Public Diplomacy allotments and provides substantial input for related budgets."

RELATED ITEMS

Who reviews the U.S. 'kill list'? There has been remarkably little public debate in the U.S. about drone strikes, which have killed at least 1,300 people in Pakistan alone since President Obama came to office - Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times: The administration says it has the authority to kill U.S. citizens who are active in Al Qaeda, but it's never explained how that squares with the Constitution's guarantee of due process. It's past time that it did so.

Obama leads from behind; the Middle East reels - Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post: The Obama team

came to office saying it needed to restore our place in the world. In fact, on one critical issue after another it is evident with each passing month that we have less and less will to act in defense of our own interests and that of our allies. We are bullied and defied by friendly and unfriendly regimes alike. Nowhere is this more dangerous than in the Middle East. The vacuum left by the erosion of American power and prestige will be filled by Iran and other powers who no longer consider the United States as the guarantor of peace and stability in the region. The result will be less democracy, more violence and more humanitarian crises. Image from

India’s strategic importance to the US - R. Nicholas Burns, Boston Globe: If coping with a more powerful China will be the great challenge for the United States in the next half century, India may be the great opportunity. Americans have learned that we cannot shrink from our global responsibilities and that we cannot hope to succeed by acting alone in the world. We will thus need to rely on friends new and old alike to defend against the tough challenges and to take advantage of the more positive opportunities that lie ahead. If we are patient, India can be one of those friends

Are you smarter than a US diplomat? Take our Foreign Service Exam - Jacob Turcotte, Christian Science Monitor: Diplomats working for the US Foreign Service are responsible for carrying out the policy of the United States.

In order to serve at one of the 265 US diplomatic missions around the world, applicants must pass a series of examinations. The tests consist of a job knowledge test, English language test, essays, oral exams, and a qualifications panel. Our 20 questions are modeled after the job knowledge portion of the Foreign Service Officer's test. The real examination consists of 60 questions and is administered over 40 minutes. Think you know enough to become a US diplomat? Take our quiz. Image from

Africa Should Be Wary of U.S. Propaganda on Intellectual Property - Brett Davidson, blog.soros.org: The U.S. Department of Commerce is organizing an Africa-wide intellectual property forum in Cape Town in early April. Again, this is presented as an effort to protect starving African artists and musicians from exploitation, or to promote African growth through innovation. But the agenda is all about IP strengthening and enforcement and not about stimulating innovation.

BBC, ‘propaganda arm’ of European Union - ebookcashstreams.com: The BBC’s impartiality has been called into question by British lawmakers after the corporation was accused of becoming the “propaganda arm”

of the European Union. The revelation came when the BBC admitted in a letter that it has received nearly £3million in grants from the EU since 2007, The Daily Telegraph disclosed. It also acknowledged that its commercial arm the state-run BBC Worldwide has borrowed more than £141million from the European Investment Bank since 2003 — and £30million is still due to be repaid by the end of May this year. This is while questions have been raised about the uncritical tone of the BBC’s EU coverage. Image from

disney and ABC propaganda - ruderod.livejournal.com: One of the largest companies in the world spreads lies on so called "news" programs. ABC'sJanuary 31 report on Iran failed to challenge official claims about the supposed threat from Iran. At a time of heightened tension, journalists should act to question official rhetoric--not generate propaganda.

Iran's HispanTV officially launches with Ahmadinejad's "viva España, viva América Latina" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Press TV, et al, react to Ofcom's closure of Press TV in the UK - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

China Tries Twitter Diplomacy? - Adam Segal, the-diplomat.com: This week, the China-watching twitterverse was surprised to discover that Hu Xijin, the editor of the Global Times, was now tweeting. That the editor of the Global Times, an 'angry government mouthpiece' that

supports China’s policy of Internet censorship, was accessing a site blocked in China raised a few eyebrows and provoked several people to ask what VPN (a Virtual Private Network) he was using to evade the controls. ... Two years ago, the Beijing-based technology analyst Bill Bishop argued that it would be hard for China to build soft power successfully without a global Internet strategy: hard to win hearts and minds when you censor Twitter and Facebook, language would be a barrier, and no major Chinese Internet firms would succeed in foreign markets. This seems right, but perhaps the Chinese have lowered their sights. The goal may be to stay safely in the Chinese Internet (and ensure the safety of the Chinese Internet from the outside) while only occasionally dipping in and out of the Internet in the West. At this point, it’s hard to tell if Hu Xijin thinks he can actively engage outside of China. As Tom Lasseter notes, right now Hu is only following one account on Twitter: The Global Times." Image from

Amazing Soviet Propaganda Posters: Stalin And World War 2 - Among them:

“Let’s raise the generation utterly devoted to the cause of communism!” Viktor Ivanov, 1947

AMERICANA

MIT'16 EA Tube goes to Near Space!  From Boing Boing: "16-y-o girl, accepted to MIT, sends her admission letter into space at 6:45 pm Saturday, Feb 4."

ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Catholic children would be wearing little electric chairs round their necks instead of crosses."

--What Lenny Bruce speculated would be the case if Jesus had been killed in the twentieth century; cited by J. C. in The Times Literary Supplement (January 20, 2012), p. 32; image from