"Two apologies at once would make it look like everything's unraveling."
--A senior U.S. official, regarding the U.S. expressing regret to Afghanistan and Pakistan at the same time for the behavior of the U.S. military in those countries in two specific instances (U.S.-led forces accidentally killing two dozen Pakistani troops; U.S. military personnel burning Islamic books, including Qurans, in Afghanistan); image from
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Defense Policy Bill - Jamie Dupree, blogs.ajc.com [May 17]: "The House will consider issues big and small in a major defense policy bill that is now before lawmakers. Listed below are the 141 amendments made in order - everything from forcing a withdrawal from Afghanistan to very parochial issues back at home. Take a look through what the House will be wading through on Thursday. ... 114. Thornberry (TX), Smith, Adam (WA) #85 Would amend the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (known as the Smith-Mundt Act) and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 to clarify the authorities of the Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors to prepare, disseminate and use public diplomacy information abroad and to strike the current ban on domestic dissemination of such material. Would clarify that the Smith-Mundt Act's provisions related to public diplomacy information do not apply to other Federal departments or agencies (including the Department of Defense). (10 minutes)1 15.
Thornberry (TX) #87 Would require the President to submit to Congress a charter to establish an interagency body to coordinate and deconflict full-spectrum military cyber operations. (10 minutes) 116. Tierney (MA) #228 Would require the President to submit the final report from the National Security Council’s (NSC’s) Interagency Policy Committee on Security Sector Assistance and the Secretaries of Defense and State shall jointly submit a plan to institute mechanisms to better coordinate, document, disseminate, and share information, analysis and assessments regarding United States foreign police assistance activities. (10 minutes)" Image from
Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 introduced in the House - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner: "Last week, Representatives Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced a bill to amend the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to “authorize the domestic dissemination of information and material about the
Jazz, Hip Hop, Broadway Taught in Bangkok, Beyond - Daniel Schearf, voanews.com: "A U.S.-funded arts program is training students in the Middle East and Asia with American style music, theater and dance. The 'Yes Academy' strives to build bridges between the U.S. and countries emerging from conflict. One of their biggest programs is in Iraq. Grammy nominated jazz instructor Gene Aitken has conducted some of the top military bands in Asia and the Middle East. From Thailand he travels to countries emerging from conflict and isolation to bring young people from different religions and cultures together. 'There's one common language and that's the arts,' said Aitken. 'Throughout China, throughout the Middle East, and everything, everybody understands the arts. Everybody wants to be involved either as a participant or as someone who observes. Because, when we go into Iraq, maybe we have a day's notice on when there's going to be a concert. And, the concert halls are packed.' Jazz musician Rang Kawa is from Iraqi Kurdistan and traveled to Thailand to study under Aitken.'Jazz music, and rock music, pop music, it's one of the new things in my country. But, when American Voices
Yes Academy program came to Iraq, it [was even] better,' said Kawa. Aitken's jazz classes are part of American Voices' 'YES Academy' or Youth Excellence on Stage. The U.S. funded non-profit offers free professional training in unique American performing arts such as hip hop and Broadway musicals. YES Academy also runs in Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan and Syria, but Aiken says they work the most with Iraq. Iraq has great orchestras, music and theater schools, as well as eager students, but decades of conflict have deprived teachers of proper training says director John Ferguson. 'We're trying to help re-build the cultural infrastructure there, helping train the teachers, helping train the next generation of teachers, and giving the students some motivation to keep going with their interest in music, dance, and theatre,' Ferguson said. erguson says they are not allowed to teach dance in conservative Afghanistan. But, otherwise, across the region, Western performing arts are quite popular because of Hollywood films and a lack of classes and professional teachers." Image from
Returning to South Florida June 7, 2012 2nd Annual Thurgood Marshall College Fund - "Distinguished Young Leader" Awards: 5 Local Leaders Will Receive This Prestigious Award - Saif Ishoof globenewswire.com: "2012 Honorees [included] ... Saif Y. Ishoof, Esq. is the Executive Director of City Year Miami where he leads the organization's staff, oversees the operations and provides support to the Board of Advisors. Earning his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, Mr. Ishoof completed his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law. A co-founder and trustee of EmergeUSA, Mr. Ishoof is an Advisory Board member of the Good Government Initiative and a graduate of America's Leaders of Change, a program of the National Urban Fellows. He has served as a member of the Public Health Trust, which is the oversight body for Jackson Memorial Hospital, is past Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Asian American Advisory Board, and is a graduate of Leadership Florida Class 28. In the international realm, Mr. Ishoof participated in a US State Department exchange with Turkey of Young American/Young Turkey leaders as part of a public diplomacyinitiative. He was named a '20 Under 40' Leader by the Miami Herald in 2010, and as a '2010 Diversity Leader' by the American Jewish Committee (Miami).
Secrecy still shrouds CEO and consolidation plans at Broadcasting Board of Governors - BBGWatcher, USG Broadcasts/BBG Watch: Sources told BBG Watch that in the face of strong internal and external criticism, some Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) members and executives keep changing details of their plans for
creating a new CEO position at the BBG. Top officials of the BBG’s International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), headed by Director Richard Lobo, are still maintaining secrecy while promoting legislative changes described by critics as designed to limit Congressional scrutiny and oversight. A top executive advised BBG members not to discuss the latest proposals with anyone outside of the Board, including the proposed elimination of the requirement that the CEO position be Presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed, a source told BBG Watch. One outside expert speculated that the executive staff does not want BBG members to reach out to legislative and legal experts and members of Congress." Image from
Broadcasting Board of Governors executives were too busy to answer Annette Lantos’ letter - BBGWatcher, USG Broadcasts/BBG Watch: "BBG Watch has learned that as of last Tuesday, Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) executive and public relations staff, now working for International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) Director Richard Lobo, still have not answered the letter sent to BBG members on April 4, 2012 by Mrs. Annette Lantos, a highly respected human rights advocate who was the wife of the late Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos. Her letter included a powerful plea to the Broadcasting Board of Governors to give up its plans to end some of the Voice of America (VOA) broadcasts to Tibet and China and to restore radio and television broadcasts to Russia, which the BBG ended in 2008."
VOL. VIII NO. 10 May 04-May 17, 2012 - The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media
"Internet Good? When it comes to the 'Gulf Wars' mullahs OK social media - SofiaM, iranian.com: "As the points continue to add up, the Islamic Republic of Iran is frantic to change the debate about Iran, yet again. Its recent focus on seeking to win the Persian Gulf – Arabian Gulf battle proves that the Islamic Regime in Tehran will play both sides of the coin if it means buying time for its nuclear weapons program. After discouraging Nowruz events year after year, essentially banning Zoroastrian inspired holidays and customs, and sometimes outlawing relics of pre-Islamic Persian culture, it seems very odd for the Mullahs to suddenly rally to save the name 'Persian Gulf,' rather than perhaps offering a newer, more Shi’a Islamic name. With the everlasting Iranian-Arab rivalry aside, the only reason the Regime would productively join this debate, it to navigate attention from a different one. In the last month, there have been numerous revelations concerning Iran’s actions in regards to its pursuit of nuclear weapons, as well as its other rogue political interests and endeavors. As the pressure mounts, especially as the second round of P5+1 talks loom, the Mullahs haul their efforts to divert, and unify, the people of Iran’s energy. The rebirth of the Persian Gulf vs. Arabian Gulf Saga is reborn, here. ... With all this going on, oddly enough, it benefits the Islamic Republic to engage itself in the rhetorical Gulf War.
Surely, Iran’s people are already fighting this battle on Facebook and Google, and of course the Mullahs will use it to their benefit. This is perhaps the Islamic Republic’s first true Public Diplomacy campaign – sadly enough, as has been proven time and time again, the intentions behind it are absolutely sinister. Interested in following the debate more closely? Check out a colleague’s Facebook group, The Cold War in the Gulf, which follows the discourse regarding this event." Image from article
Public Diplomacy vs. NationBranding – Paul Rockower, Levantine: "Guerrilla Diplomat Daryl Copeland has had some great blog entries for CPD on the difference betweenpublic diplomacy and nationbranding. Such tidbits as: -If public diplomacy is thought of as a nations’ book, then a nation’s brand is something like its cover, designed to appeal viscerally to the consumers of international policy by encouraging potential buyers to open the book (or visit the country, buy the product, or support the international policy objective). -if branding is about selling dreams, public diplomacyis about sharing them. Have a read of his ongoing blog series. Thus far: I, II, III."
Yelena Osipova -- on Facebook: Comments on the below with the following: "... or 'public diplomacy' :P"
CIICS to Improve China's Communication Abroad - english.cri.cn: "A ceremony was held on Wednesday to mark the founding of an organization dedicated to studies into improving China's public image and conducting people-to-people diplomacy with other countries. The China Institute for International Communication Strategy (CIICS),co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) and the Communication University of China (CUC), is dedicated to research in public diplomacy, promotion of culture, art, media relations and other related fields, according to its press release. The CIICS, aiming to becoming a think tank and academic research institution with global influence, was established as recent years have witnessed increasing exchanges between China and other countries in all walks of society. Zhao Qizheng, a senior member of the CIICS council and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, said at the ceremony that the fundamental purpose of the institute is 'to tell the world about a true China.'"
Comments on: China should adop[t] - garyivy.fiftiz.f: : World-wide social crisis caused by financial crisis will lead to a restructuring of international political and economic new order. ... Third, foreign policy seminar held on a regular basis. discussion and debates on China's foreign policy. encourages and supports the popular understanding of foreign policy and domestic support. public diplomacy for the new development, vigorously carry out the Omni-directional diplomacy."
Public and Cultural Diplomacy: A group blog by students at London Metropolitan University
--milayna12, Revisiting Public Diplomacy
-- nisha7x, Critical Review: “Public Diplomacy of Kosovo: Status Quo, Challenges and Options”
RELATED ITEMS
What will Hillary Clinton's diplomatic legacy be? - Richard Wolf, USA Today: From her first days on the job, Clinton refused to take the advice she said she received from a predecessor: Don't try to do too much. "It seemed like a wise admonition, if only it were possible," she said at the time. Her in-box, she said, included two wars, conflict in the Middle East, threats of violent extremism and nuclear proliferation, global recession, climate change, hunger and disease. Later, she was handed an earthquake in Haiti, a tsunami in Japan and Arab uprisings from Tunisia to Egypt's Tahrir Square. Her solution: Get the State Department involved in everything. She created an emphasis on economics, insisting that deputies and embassies go to bat for U.S. businesses operating overseas. She started a global counterterrorism forum to boost countries' abilities to fight terrorists. She linked her department to the Pentagon, trading staff members and ideas as part of a "smart power" initiative linking diplomacy, development and defense. She worked to advance Internet freedom around the world and use the latest technologies to aid U.S. diplomacy. Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi greets Clinton following a meeting at Suu Kyi's residence in Rangoon, Burma, on Dec. 2, 2011. "It's a question of whether you see a lot of singles equaling a home run," says Heather Conley, director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "She's had a lot of singles."
U.S. Agonizes Over Apology to Pakistan - Adam Entous, Siobhan Gorman And Julian E. Barnes, Wall Street Journal: For nearly six months after U.S.-led forces accidentally killed two dozen Pakistani troops at the Afghanistan border, officials at the highest reaches of the Obama administration have been locked in a heated debate over what might appear to be a small step—apologizing for the loss. The U.S. had expressed "regret" for the Nov. 26 deaths.
But whether to publicly apologize, at the risk of appearing weak to Pakistan or American voters, was argued in dozens of video conference calls, nearly 20 high-level White House meetings and hundreds of confidential emails. The administration came to the brink of saying sorry several times. One mission to deliver an apology by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was aborted midflight. Image from article, with caption: The funeral of a Pakistani soldier killed in the November airstrike.
NATO’s undue optimism on Afghanistan - Ronald E. Neumann and Michael O’Hanlon, Washington Post: In Chicago this weekend, while recommitting their forces to a gradual, careful withdrawal, NATO officials also need to make clear that reducing Afghan forces in the coming years is a hope — and not a binding plan.
The Arab Spring and American Ideals: We do not get to choose if a freedom revolution should begin or end in the Middle East or elsewhere. We only get to choose what side we are on - George W. Bush, Wall Street Journal: The people of North Africa and the Middle East now realize that their leaders are not invincible. Citizens of the region have developed habits of dissent and expectations of economic performance. Future rulers who ignore those expectations—who try returning to oppression and blame shifting—may find an accountability of their own. As Americans, our goal should be to help reformers turn the end of tyranny into durable, accountable civic structures.
Turn the tide against Bashar al-Assad - Joseph I. Lieberman, Washington Post: Unfortunately, the United States is not yet doing anything decisive to turn the military tide against Assad — nor will any other country or coalition of countries do enough, absent U.S. leadership. Without greater intervention the current course of events will lead to greater danger: a humanitarian and strategic disaster that will directly implicate our moral values and national security interests. The way to avoid this outcome is for the military balance inside Syria to change, quickly — and once again that depends most of all on U.S. leadership.
Revitalizing the Atlantic Alliance: A decade ago, European members accounted for half of NATO's total defense spending. Today they're less than a third - Patrick Keller and Gary Schmitt, Wall Street Journal: Given America's strategic turn toward the Asia-Pacific, European NATO members will have to take on greater responsibility for their own continent and neighborhood—a role for which they are not fully prepared. NATO's member states must resurrect a shared security vision.
Anti-American rhetoric subsides in Russia - Kathy Lally, Washington Post: The harsh anti-American tone that sounded so loudly here over the past six months has grown quiet, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visits the
was made by President Vladimir Putin,
China's CCTV in Africa: "We try to portray more positive news" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
AMERICANA
Is there a drone in your neighbourhood? Rise of spy planes exposed after FAA is forced to reveal 63 launch sites across U.S.: Unmanned spy planes are being launched from locations in 20 states and owners include the military and universities - Julian Cavaghan,dailymail.co.uk. There are at least 63 active drone sites around the U.S, federal authorities have been forced to reveal following a landmark Freedom of Information lawsuit.
The unmanned planes – some of which may have been designed to kill terror suspects – are being launched from locations in 20 states. Most of the active drones are deployed from military installations, enforcement agencies and border patrol teams, according to the Federal Aviation Authority. Red flags show active sites and blue show those locations where licences have expired since 2006. But, astonishingly, 19 universities and colleges are also registered as owners of what are officially known as unmanned aerial vehicles. It is thought that many of institutions, which include Cornell, the University of Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Eastern Gateway Community College, are developing drone technology.
Upper image from article, with caption: Exposed: Location of sites where licences have been granted for the use of drones within the U.S. There are 63 active sites based in 20 states. Lower image from article, with caption: Watching you: Most of the drones are likely to be small craft, such as the Draganflyer X8, which can carry a payload of only 2.2lb. Police, border patrols and environmental agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), could use for them effectively. Via JC on facebook
Study: 96% of restaurant entrees exceed USDA limits - Bruce Horovitz, USA Today: A whopping 96% of main entrees sold at top U.S. chain eateries exceed daily limits for calories, sodium, fat and saturated fat recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, reports the 18-month study conducted by the Rand Corp. and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
America’s changing demographics - Editorial Board, Washington Post: Minorities account for more than half the babies born in America, a milestone in the path toward what demographers forecast will be an overall majority-minority population in 30 years. That watershed bit of data from the Census Bureau, reported this week, was seized on by the multicultural left, which reads it as a triumph of demographic inevitability, and the Chicken Little right, which sees it as a portent of socioeconomic disaster. In fact, it is cause for neither elation nor alarm but for a rational response from policymakers, who have so far tended to pretend nothing is happening.
‘Moonrise’ Among Stars: Cannes, With ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ and an Auteur Spirit - Manhola Dargis, New York Times: Sometime after the entree had been served at the opening-night dinner on Wednesday at the 56th Cannes Film Festival, after Harvey Weinstein had pumped half the hands in the room, and Wes Anderson, Bill Murray and Bruce Willis had entered to applause following the premiere of their film, “Moonrise Kingdom,” the pink lights were dimmed, and the waiters began weaving among the tables, carrying large, heavy blocks of illuminated ice. The French seemed somewhat cool toward “Moonrise Kingdom.”
Perhaps its scripted subtleties had been lost in translation, although the Cahiers du Cinéma critic gave it three of three stars in one poll. The Americans, many of whom will weigh in when it opens in the United States next Friday, seemed generally pleased. Image from article, with caption: Bill Murray, left, and Wes Anderson of “Moonrise Kingdom,” at the Cannes festival.
RUSSICA
Russian man jumps in chute to escape girlfriend - BBC: A man in central Russia had to be rescued by emergency workers from a rubbish chute after he jumped into it to hide from his girlfriend. He plunged three floors from the eighth floor of an apartment building in Tyumen, Siberia, before getting stuck.
Residents then heard the 31-year-old man's cries for help. Rescue workers had to use tools to cut him free. He was not seriously hurt. He had had a row with his girlfriend, officials said, without elaborating. Soviet-era buildings in Russia frequently have a metal rubbish chute in the stairwell, with a latch opening on each floor. Image from article. Via YO on facebook
IMAGE
Art Collection: Proto Comic Strip By Frederick Opper, Ca. 1890 - Princess Sparkle Pony's Photoblog
