October 7

"Loud peace propaganda makes war seem imminent."

D.H. Lawrence; Lawrence image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Update on Iran's increasingly internal internet includes the efforts of the "little-known" BBG - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Radio Free Iraq receives awards from officials in Basra and at Iraqi Embassy Amman - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

'The Diplomats' Pursue Rock-And-Roll Outreach - Rebecca Sheir, wamu.org: "[N]ot all members of The Diplomats work in the Hungarian Embassy [in Washington], but they do have diplomatic and/or Hungarian ties. ... The band hasn’t recorded an album, though it hopes to eventually. It also hopes to expand its Washington venues beyond the embassy, so as to grow its audience. Part of the reason they want an audience so badly, says Akos Veisz, is to lift that shroud of mystery that’s surrounded diplomacy through the years.

'There is a part which has that secrecy and intimacy,' he says. 'But on the other hand, you have something else as well, which is the people-to-people diplomacy, or public diplomacy. To understand the civilization of two countries, you know, to have a better understanding at the end of the day. And part of this effort is rock and roll: what we are having here with The Diplomats.' Because ideally, Veisz says, this 'public diplomacy' will bring the world together, so it can sing… as the old tune goes… in perfect harmony." Image from article, with caption: The Diplomats’ original members were all employees at the Embassy of Hungary. Today, the rock’n’roll and blues band’s members don’t all work at the Hungariuan Embassy, but they do have diplomatic and/or Hungarian ties.

Bridge No More? Turkish Public Diplomacy and Branding under the AKP Government - Efe Sevin, e-ir.info: "Turkey is a late-adopter of public diplomacy institutions. Despite long-running activities of public diplomacy nature by various state and non-state actors such as the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency and Turkish Red Crescent, a public diplomacy agency did not exist in Turkey until a few years ago. The Office of Public Diplomacy (Kamu Diplomasisi Koordinatörlüğü – OPD) was established in 2010 under the Prime Minister’s Office with the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The objectives of this office is to: (i) ensure better coordination and cooperation between various public diplomacy actors in the country; (ii) improve Turkey’s reputation; and (iii) increase Turkey’s visibility and activity in international public opinion as they are listed on the OPD’s website. Since its establishment, the OPD has launched various programs to connect with domestic and foreign audiences, and established online presence in Turkish, English, and Arabic. It is too early to argue for the effectiveness of these projects as certain public diplomacy projects tend to yield results only in the long term  . ...

Yet OPD’s conceptualization of projects, and its lack of direct organizational contacts with the government press and broadcasting agencies, and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (thus diplomats and Turkish embassies and consulates across the world) make it difficult to stay optimistic about the effectiveness of these projects. ... Public diplomacy will prove to be a viable foreign policy instrument for Turkey in the upcoming years. The country claims to have the potential to become a regional power. In order to realize this potential, Turkey needs to discuss and reshape its brand identity through an inclusive process, and should move beyond a one-way communication understanding of public diplomacy. The keys to success in Turkish public diplomacy are to learn more about its target audiences through listening and to build relationships through advocacy, cultural diplomacy, exchange programs, and broadcasting." Image from

The Tiger's Tail to Taiwan - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "I was pushing for this a few years back: better connections between India and Taiwan. I blogged about it and spoke about it on Radio Taiwan International.  What remains is better public diplomacy connections between India and Taiwan."

RELATED ITEMS

Propaganda, lies and wars - Dennis Kucinich, The Nation: The war against Iraq was based on lies. Thousands of Americans and, perhaps, a million Iraqis were sacrificed for those lies. The war in Afghanistan continues. New wars have been propagated in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia pursuant to the never-ending war on terror. This mindset puts us at the edge of war against Iran. Ten years and trillions of dollars later, the American people, by and large, still do not know the truth. It is time to usher in a new period of truth and reconciliation.

Hugo Chavez election propaganda fill Caracas streets - photoblog.nbcnews.com: Among them, with caption: Election campaign posters of President Hugo Chavez hang by dolls on display outside the doll collector's home in downtown Caracas, Oct. 6.

How Propaganda Works - Alia Hoyt, howstuffworks.com: Propaganda has been around for many centuries, although the term itself wasn't coined until Pope Gregory XV established the Congregation of Propaganda in 1622. The pope created this group for the express purpose of trying to win back Catholics who'd taken up the Protestant faith during the Reformation. Missionary work was nothing new, of course, but people began to realize the possibilities associated with "spreading the word." The technique became widely used not only for religious conversions but also for political and wartime public persuasion purposes.

Today, propaganda is used by many people and organizations, including special interest groups (such as anti-smoking groups and safe-driving campaigns), businesses, political groups, government organizations, political candidates and so on. Typically, these groups communicate propaganda through a variety of mediums, including posters, television and radio broadcasts, and brochures. The Internet has also made it much easier for special interest groups to get their messages out to the masses on a worldwide scale. Image from article, with caption: A USSR World War II propaganda poster shows a German soldier intimidating a mother and child.

ZUCK MEETS MEDVEDEV

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