"A crocodile, having seized a woman's son, said that he would restore him, if she would tell him the truth. She replied, 'You will not restore him.' Was it the crocodile's duty to give him up?"
--Quintilian; cited as as an example of crocodilinae (a kind of dilemma) in Richard A. Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms (1991), p. 43; image from
PUBLICATIONS
CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy - USC Center on Public Diplomacy
VIDEO
Where the Hell is Matt? 2012 - Via MC on Facebook: comment by PR on Facebook: "some of his footage is from YES Academies in Iraq and Syria."
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
SU holds public diplomacy symposium - centralny.ynn.com: "U.S. Under Secretary of State Tara Sonenshine helped kick off Syracuse University's annual Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars Symposium Thursday. This year's two day event held on the SU campus will focus on the politics of change, highlighting challenges and opportunities public diplomacy is facing and will face in the future.
Sonenshine gave SU students her insight on the role of modern public diplomacy, discussing the attacks in Libya, which recently came up in the last presidential debate. Her ultimate goal is to get students and youth engaged, interested and informed on international affairs for future global success. Sonenshine said, 'They are the ones who are going to build that prosperous, stable, secure and safe world that we all want.' 'It definitely is something important. It gives you a different perspective of the world. It changes your world view. I think that's important and it's a really good tool for success,' said SU graduate student Kelly McCray. The symposium will continue Friday and will feature cultural performances and panel discussions addressing the importance of building relationships across borders." Sonenshine image from entry
R's Take on Collaborative Diplomacy - Amanda, Applied Public Diplomacy Group 3 Blog: "On Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to hear Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine speak at the inaugural event of the Public and Cultural Diplomacy Forum at American University. A major theme throughout her remarks was the notion of collaborative diplomacy. Using the analogy of Hollywood, she elaborated that, just as a movie needs writers, agents, producers, a director, and a crew in order to be made, public diplomacy also requires the same amount of teamwork through public-private partnerships or social networks. In the words of Secretary Clinton, 'it takes a village' to implement public diplomacy well. ... However, while she made a case for the value of collaborative power, I am left wondering how collaborative partnerships impact the actual implementation of public diplomacy. Do these partnerships make U.S. public diplomacy more effective? Then, there is also the issue of evaluation – how do evaluate what works and what does not work in public diplomacy when there are multiple actors involved? Should you attribute success to an actor’s contribution or to the end result? Moreover, how do you quantify something that may be unquantifiable (such as feelings, values, or norms)? Although the Under Secretary addressed many of the concrete questions surrounding what the State Department is doing for public diplomacy, I feel that many conceptual questions still remain up in the air. To read the entire transcript of the Under Secretary’s remarks, click here."
US Ambassador meets editors, senior journalists - observer.org.sz: "Newly appointed US Ambassador to Swaziland Makila James yesterday met editors and senior journalists from various media houses. ... Quoting the US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Tara Sonenshine, Ambassador to Swaziland Makila James said 'media freedom is the moral equivalent of oxygen'. ... James said with advancement in technology, especially the social network, young people were taking advantage of this and could use it to develop. 'Social media gives them (youth) hope,' she said. 'Young people are anxious.'”
Germany-Turkey-United States as a New Triple Entente - Tabish Shah, atlantic-community.org: "We need to take into account the adversary population's culture and religion as well as that of the chosen allied nation. This would mean a higher degree of success of either neutralising the adversary without further military engagement or influencing the adversary population to neutrality or becoming an ally in a post-conflict scenario without continual military expenditure. With this in mind and taking into account the geopolitical environment we are operating in, it would make greater sense to engage in smart defense via pooling through a Germany-Turkey-United States partnership.
This is not to diminish or enhance the role or importance of any one nation over another in our alliance, it's simply to channel energy and resources in ways that ensure they are used in the most cost-effective way, whether that be militarily or in terms of our public diplomacy capabilities. The Arab Spring, the on-going conflict in Syria, the anti-American/anti-Western nature of protests in the Middle East, the state of European military capabilities and budgets, and increasing tension over the Iran nuclear problem has created a new set of geopolitical challenges. Ultimately, the current geopolitical and economic climate requires a more prominent and robust role, both in terms of soft-power and public diplomacy and military cooperation, for the Germany-Turkey-United States partnership in order to advance NATO states' collective interests." Image from
Why do the Taliban fear Malala Yousafzai more than American missiles? - Michael Duffin, PD News–CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates realized several years ago that education is a central component for combating extremist ideologies, which is why education is now a central element of American public diplomacy and nation building in Afghanistan."
U.S. Department of State Welcomes Haitian Performer BélO to the United States - politicalnews.me: "The U.S. Department of State announced that from October 21- November 17, 2012, Haitian musician BélO will travel from Pétion-Ville, Haiti to communities across America as part of a cultural diplomacy. ... Building on Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s emphasis on utilizing 'smart power', Center StageSM brings performing artists from Haiti, Indonesia, and Pakistan to the United States to interact with American audiences in 60 medium and small-sized towns and cities, using the performing arts to create opportunities for greater understanding. ... Center StageSM is a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, with support from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, the Asian Cultural Council, and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc."
Haitian Artist Performs in Maine as Part of Foreign Public Diplomacy Effort -
- maineartscommission.blogspot.com: "Center Stage, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the largest public diplomacy effort to bring foreign artists to American stages in recent history. ... One of the acts participating in this program is coming to Maine in November.
Belo is a young, socially conscious artist from Haiti. He is committed to the Haitian cause. He and his band deliver a high-energy sound, mixing jazz, reggae, and 'Rara' traditional Vodou rhythms. Belo is active in many humanitarian efforts to rebuild Haiti." Image from entry. See also.
October 24th: Coker Dance Residency Part of Cultural Diplomacy Initiative - peedeearts.blogspot.com: "As part of the Department of State’s Center Stage initiative, internationally renowned choreographer Jean-René Delsoin
will bring his 10-member troupe from Haiti to Hartsville for a public performance at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 24 in the Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Performing Arts Center’s Watson Theater." Image from entry
Voice of America, 70 Years Later, Faces Bureaucratic Troubles: But some see a necessity and a vision for the U.S. broadcaster - Elizabeth Flock, U.S. World and News Report: "Voice of America ... has been the
Though the service will still be heard on shortwave, the majority of its efforts will be put toward the Internet. An angry Radio Liberty employee told NPR the management was caving to pressure from the Kremlin; management says the broadcaster just needed to do more with less. Voice of
Mullah Radio - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "If ever there ever was a case-in-point of why Voice of America needs more, not less, funding: Mullah radio."
Needed: A "Voice of America" Aimed at Islam - Paul Eidelberg, israelnationalnews.com: "[I]f America relegates Obama to the political wilderness, the U.S. should go on the ideological offensive against Islam as it did when it inaugurated the Voice of America (VOA) and beamed its radio programs into Russia and the communist-dominated states of Eastern Europe. ...With the ascendancy of Internet, the
The 'Voice and Video of America' should point out that the despotic character of every Islamic state violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It should emphasize the fact that Islamic discrimination and hostility toward non-Muslims is a form of racism no less evil than the racism practiced by
Is jamming of international broadcasts illegal? Is it a health hazard? Do "hi-tech anti-jamming" systems work? - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Public Relations Efforts for Judea and Samaria Should be Encouraged - Ronn Torossian, algemeiner.com: "Owning 5WPR, a top 25 US PR Agency I watch media reports on Israel and am often frustrated. As a Zionist who grew up as a member of the Betar movement of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, I know that Israel doesn’t dedicate enough attention to vital initiatives that educate the media about what is really going on in the Middle East. It is indeed a David vs. Goliath situation – and Israel is the small guy fighting Arab giants. As such, I was thrilled to learn that the Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs is launching a campaign to boost the global image of the residents of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank.) The program is a wonderful idea and will help educate media, bloggers and digital media users. Israel won the land in a defensive war – and the land is Jewish land, with religious and strategic importance to the entire State of Israel. Educating the media about the settlements is important for the entire country."
Israeli Arab Faces Public Reaction For Telling About Israel Like It Is…… - tundratabloids.com: "A secular, liberal woman from the Galilee, Boshra Khalaila leaves passionate critics of
I next saw her last January at the first preparatory meeting for the Faces of Israel program, which I have previously written about. She had again volunteered to defend her country and taken time off work to drive from
UNSC countdown: The public diplomacy challenge to come - Caitlin Byrne, PD News–CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "As the countdown to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) election intensifies, diplomacy takes a silly turn. Australia, Finland and Luxembourg – competitors in the race - continue to outdo each other in pursuit of the diplomatic prize: a temporary seat on the UNSC. ... [T]he greatest public diplomacy challenge for the current UNSC competitors is still to come. Official and public audiences will be watching the reactions of both the successful and unsuccessful candidates. As with the Oscars, gracious acceptance of success or defeat is noted. ... [F]or middle power states like Australia, public diplomacy should move into full swing after the UNSC vote. Significant international challenges persist and diplomacy does not end with the UNSC contest."
Ethiopia to Launch Cultural Center in Delhi - Meron Tekleberhan, 2merkato.com: "The Ethiopian Embassy in India has announced that it is to launch a Cultural and Tourism Center to introduce African culture to Indians in November 2012. It is expected that center is to be the first of its kind in India. The center is to be an indispensable element to promoting African values and Ethiopian culture in particular according to Metasebia Tadesse, Counselor for Political, Public Relations, Public Diplomacy. The cultural center built to promote Ethiopian culture will also be used to organize various African get together including for scholars and diplomatic delegates congregating for various purposes he said."
Twiplomacy: Worth Praising, but with Caution - Philip Seib, PD News–CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "[G]overnments using Twiplomacy need to better understand where their information is going.
Only with that knowledge can policymakers comprehend the effects their social-media products may have." Image from
Career diplomat speaks on experience, public dialogue - Lauren Tubbs, badgerherald.com: "A leader from a nonprofit international organization came to the University of Wisconsin Thursday to speak about her U.S. Department of State diplomacy experiences in an effort to inform students interested in diplomatic careers for the future. Vice President and Program Director of the American Council on Germany Helena Finn said she hoped to provide UW students with an idea of what a career in diplomacy looks like and what skills are important in the field. She said she would describe her work as 'public diplomacy,' involving reaching out to people of foreign nations and especially countries currently experiencing violence or internal conflict. 'The job of a public diplomacy officer is outreach,' Finn said. 'It involves representing America abroad and bringing representative voices from the U.S., especially in creating public dialogue.' ... Finn said the best ways for college students looking into diplomatic careers to prepare are being involved in organizations, learning a second language and taking opportunities to travel whenever possible. She said it is important for students to be involved in organizations that bring them into the company of people different from themselves."
The Politics of an Election: Local Poli-Sci Doctor's Expert Opinion - myabc50.com: "ABC50 got an opportunity to interview one local political science expert. Political Science Professor for over 30 years and Public Diplomacy expert- Doctor Raymond E. Petersen is also a novelist. Doctor Petersen spoke ABC50 and weighed in on the debates with a fresh perspective.
Amongst being an expert in public diplomacy as well as energy, Doctor Petersen has been moderating mock debates in his classroom for years now and although there is no high stakes involved, he told ABC50 the challenges moderators face. 'It is very difficult to be a moderator…' Doctor Petersen told ABC50 after watching nearly every debate in the past 30 years or so. Doctor Petersen went on to state “Each side has a position they want to press forward with so they are going to answer any question with a memorized answer.” Petersen image from article
Woman of the Week: Kelly Mcray - prizmproject.org: "What have you been up too for the last three years? Well three years ago I moved to Chiang Rai, Thailand, to teach English for one year. After that I began working as a PR Officer at Mae Fah Luang University. Most recently, I moved back to the States, worked on Capitol Hill for a while, and now I’m in graduate school at Syracuse University, studying public diplomacy. Why did you make the decision to stay on in Thailand?
I initially made the decision to stay on because I wasn’t ready to leave Chiang Rai, a place I had grown to love and consider home; and because I felt there was still a need for me and people like me in northern Thailand. he region is growing rapidly, and has so much potential; I think with excellent PR, Chiang Rai can become a hub for tourism, environmental education and international cooperation (given its strategic location)." Mcray image from article
RELATED ITEMS
Local dancer takes global leap - Jenny Mayo, Washington Times: Four months ago, Miss Keenan Kampa joined Russia’s storied Mariinsky (formerly Kirov) Ballet — the first American in the company’s nearly 300-year history. Since then, her days have brought a dizzying level of newness: new honor and scrutiny, new country and culture, new directors and repertory, new pace and competition, new media attention and probing questions, a new documentary and a proposed feature film.
And, of course, there’s the matter of being the new girl in a troupe that’s anything but. Image from article, with caption: Keenan Kampa, seen here at the Reston Town Center on Aug. 31
Foreign Propaganda Channels Target the U.S. - Cliff Kincaid, gopusa.com: We are borrowing from China to help public broadcasting air Chinese propaganda in the U.S. CCTV, an official propaganda arm of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, is being distributed to public television stations in the U.S. through a public television programming service called MHz Worldview, a project of MHz Networks. Florida broadcaster Jerry Kenney has taken a look at this aspect of the bias. His analysis shows that the federally-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funneled $27,580,113 into MHz Networks and its affiliates in fiscal year 2011. MHz Networks is a division of Commonwealth Public Broadcasting, based in Richmond, Virginia, and distributes Al-Jazeera, the voice of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Moscow-funded Russia Today (RT) channel, and CCTV, under the rubric of “Programming for globally-minded people.” MHz Worldview calls itself “alternative programming for U.S. public TV stations and other distributors.” One of the foreign propaganda channels not yet carried by MHz is English-language Iranian Press TV, which has a studio in Washington, D.C. and is available in the U.S. through YouTube and the Internet. It has a “U.S. Desk” that covers the United States, and its correspondents operate in the nation’s capital and beyond. Kenneth Timmerman has noted, in a major investigative report for Accuracy in Media, that the Obama Administration permits Press TV “to operate on American soil without a license and in violation of U.S. sanctions regulations, which ban commercial transactions with Iran. It appears to be another example of Obama coddling the terrorist regime.”
CIA seeks to expand drone fleet, officials say - Greg Miller, Washington Post: The CIA is urging the White House to approve a significant expansion of the agency’s fleet of armed drones, a move that would extend the spy service’s decade-long transformation into a paramilitary force, U.S. officials said.
The proposal by CIA Director David H. Petraeus would bolster the agency’s ability to sustain its campaigns of lethal strikes in Pakistan and Yemen and enable it, if directed, to shift aircraft to emerging al-Qaeda threats in North Africa or other trouble spots, officials said. If approved, the CIA could add as many as 10 drones, the officials said, to an inventory that has ranged between 30 and 35 over the past few years. Image from article, with caption: CIA Director David H. Petraeus, shown in Afghanistan when he was the top U.S. military commander there, is urging the White House to expand the CIA’s fleet of armed drones.
Stop fiddling around on foreign policy - David Ignatius, Washington Post: Every time a new crisis comes along, the “correct” political response is: America should fix it. There’s no benefit in our system for saying: Hey, wait a minute. Or for deciding (as Ronald Reagan did cold-bloodedly with Lebanon in 1984) that spending U.S. taxpayer money to save a small, strategically unimportant country doesn’t make sense.
The Risks of Ignoring Strategic Insolvency - Michael J. Mazarr, csis.org: The post-war U.S. approach to strategy is rapidly becoming insolvent and unsustainable. If Washington continues to cling to its existing role on the premise
that the international order depends upon it, the result will be increasing resistance, economic ruin, and strategic failure with consequences harming U.S. credibility, diplomacy, and military operations. Image from
America in Decline? It’s a Matter of Choices, Not Fate - Robert J. Lieber, World Affairs: Absent some extraordinary “black swan” event, America’s history and fundamental strengths are likely to be a more reliable guide to its future than the pessimistic assessments that currently dominate the national dialogue. This is not to disparage the thoughtful articulations
of concern that have appeared during the past decade, but to note again that even some of the most astute observers have underestimated both the resilience and sense of purpose of the United States. Moreover, public and elite reactions to the September 11th attacks and, nearly a decade later, the expressions of national satisfaction in the killing of Osama bin Laden suggest the reservoirs of national solidarity that exist, whatever the dysfunctional elements of partisanship and animosity in national political life. Via WK on Facebook. Image from article
The Foreign Policy Debate: How Romney can show Americans he can be a capable Commander in Chief - Review and Outlook, Wall Street Journal: It has occurred too late to the President and his advisers that "smart diplomacy" mainly entails the calibrated uses of power, not the promiscuous promotion of personality. Mr. Obama's first term has been marked by economic decline at home and less respect and influence abroad. Four more years of the same will tempt the world's rogues to become even more assertive.
Among the Snipers of Aleppo - Benjamin Hall, New York Times: Salafi jihadists talk of slaying the minority Alawites, and call for both the immediate support of America, and its immediate demise. These extremist groups are getting weapons from Saudi Arabia and Qatar already; they are not groups that the West would choose to arm. Compared with them, it is not clear that Mr. Assad is the bigger foe. So for all the horrors on the ground, it seems almost impossible that the United States and Europe can do much to help while the future is so blurred and so bleak.
Syrian propaganda, in German - Deutsche Welle: Everything is great in Syria - at least according to the German-language news broadcast by Radio Damascus. Syria's state broadcaster is trying to improve the government's image abroad with foreign language news.
Cuba's paper wall falls: Under a new policy to go into effect in January, exit permits will be eliminated and Cubans will be allowed to travel abroad more easily - Editorial, Los Angeles Times: Under a new policy, scheduled to go into effect in January, those exit permits will be eliminated and Cubans will be allowed to travel abroad more easily, more inexpensively and for up to two years or more at a time. While the new travel rules are less ambitious than they could be, they nevertheless represent a significant shift. The United States should respond by abandoning some of its own outdated Cold War rules. The Obama administration has already taken some steps in this direction, including relaxing restrictions on remittances and travel to the island. But it can do much more, including lifting the long-standing trade embargo, which is both archaic and ineffectual, and ensuring that visa applications from Havana are not subject to unnecessary delays.
How the Russian 'Reset' Explains Obama's Foreign Policy: The president's naivete about Vladimir Putin is the root cause of his failure - Douglas J. Feith and Seth Cropsey, Foreign Policy: Obama can't seem to understand why, now that his predecessor is no longer in office, Russia is not more friendly and cooperative. He does not view Putin's Russia as a complex, troublemaking, declining power with great potential to damage its own people, its neighbors, U.S. allies, and America itself. Rather, he is intent on chasing the Russian president in the hopes of signing yet another outmoded arms control treaty that can be misrepresented as moving the world another step closer to the dubious fantasy of nuclear zero.
To facilitate the chase, he must downplay the Putin regime's violations of human rights. This he does with no apparent appreciation of the way that promoting democracy in Russia could not only uphold American principles but also serve American interests. The one thing that can be said for the administration's Russia policy is that it truly reflects Obama's understanding of world affairs and of America's proper place therein. This is not good news. Image from article
Chinese government canceled visa for former U.S. ambassador - Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy: Former U.S. ambassador to China and Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman was set to give a speech in China last month, but the Chinese Communist Party government intervened and thwarted his visa application, he told Foreign Policy.
Huntsman said his penchant for speaking critically about the Chinese government's treatment of its own citizens was just too risky for the China at its political leadership is preparing for a major transition. Image from article
US Army Activates “Warrior Diplomats” … Unlike State’s Expeditionary Diplomats, These Got Guns - Domani Spero, DiploPundit: We can expect at least five battalions of “warrior diplomats.” Since a battalion has around 300–1,200 soldiers, the new warrior diplomats brigade can have a as low as 1,500 soldiers or as high as 6,000 for a brigade consisting of five battalions. To put this in perspective: the diplomatic service, officially called the United States Foreign Service and tasked with carrying out the foreign policy of these United States in over 270 posts overseas has about 13,000 staff members. Only about 6,500 are Foreign Service officers. Indeed, they could easily fit aboard a single aircraft carrier.
Saudi Asks if Israel-Bashing Serves to Deflect From Domestic Problems - Smadar Peri, monitor.com: Al-Mulhim gives the Arab intellectuals something to chew on, confronting them with the questions no Arab national wants to ask, as he himself says: Hasn't the time come to stop the futile war games with the Israeli enemy? Hasn't the time come to put an end to the hatred and frustration and to create a better future for the next Arab generations?
North Korea threatens South with 'strike' over propaganda leaflets - globalpost.com: The North Korean military said it would launch a "merciless military strike" in response to the leaflets. It specifically warned residents near the area where activists launch the balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets to evacuate.
Image from article, with caption: Anti-Pyongyang activists, including North Korean defectors in Seoul, float giant balloons carrying leaflets criticizing North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un from Imjingak park near the North-South border in Paju.
Stanislau Shushkevich: Lies of official propaganda can easily be exposed - charter97.org: Belarusians can visit neighbouring Lithuania to see the lies of official propaganda. “The Belarusian propaganda pours mud on the Baltic counties, but people have a high opinion of these counties. Moreover, the Belarusians prefer not to show their emotions like the Latvians and Estonians and they are as thrifty as the Lithuanians,”
Prof. Stanislau Shushkevich, the first head of the Republic of Belarus and political figure, who signed the Belavezha Accords on the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1999, said in an interview with TVNET. Shushkevich image from article
Haunting smile of girl facing the Holocaust: How Hitler's PERSONAL photographer captured for history the plight of the Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland - The remarkable colour images were taken by the Führer’s personal photographer, a loyal follower given unprecedented access to the Third Reich’s elite. Hugo Jaeger was allowed to travel with Hitler to record his appearances at rallies, intimate parties and in private moments. More usually he dedicated himself to lionising his leader and what the Nazis regarded as their most triumphant moments. Here, it appears, he seems simply to have been fascinated by faces from a different faith in a country under siege.
He is said not to have shared Hitler’s unqualified hatred of Jews. Hence, whether he intended it or not, Jaeger’s camera captured an atmosphere rarely seen before horror and carnage overtook it. Image (one of several) from article, with caption: An elderly man with a yellow Star of David fixed to his chest, speaks with German officers as he and other Jews are rounded up in Kutno, German-occupied Poland in 1939.
AMERICANA
VIDEOS: Obama Roasts Himself, Jabs At Romney And Even Elbows Chris Matthews During Al Smith Dinner; Romney Roasts President Obama, Himself At The Al Smith Dinner
50 Prison Slang Words To Make You Sound Like a Tough Guy - mentalfloss.com
VIDEO: Time-lapse video: Space shuttle Endeavour’s trek across L.A. - liveleak.com. Via SL
RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS
Русский язык в американском кино (The Russian Language in American Film. Image from entry, with caption: «Полицейская Академия». Это слово они написали без ошибок.
("Police Academy": This word [khui - prick] they wrote without mistakes.)
IMAGE: THE ULTIMATE ALL-NATURAL DRINK - SOON COMING TO "WHOLE FOODS"
Note: Unfortunately your PDPBR compiler cannot translate the caption
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