January 11

"[O]ne recent survey of hoteliers found that of all Western travelers, Americans were most likely to speak the local language."

--LA Times columnist Gregory Rodriguez; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Public Diplomacy Programs for Afghanistan and Pakistan - A Federal Assistance Program - topgovernmentgrants.com

More early history of the Voice of America, by someone who was there [Walter Roberts, "The Voice of America: Origins and Recollections II," American Diplomacy - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Highly recommended reading. Dr. Roberts explores many of the intracacies of US international broadcasting during the war years. We learn that the effort was basically divided into three parts: 1) Coordinator of Information (COI) broadcasts from New York to Europe, 2) COI broadcasts from San Francisco to Asia, mainly via the General Electric shortwave station KGEI (and not apparently called 'Voice of America' until 1944), and 3) Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (CIAA) broadcasts to Latin America, in partnership with private US shortwave stations. I read many histories and memoirs of World War II, looking for accounts of people listening to international radio broadcasts.


In histories of the European theater, it is striking how often the BBC is mentioned, compared to few mentions of VOA. This might be due to VOA having less favorable access than BBC to medium wave transmitters in the UK, and thus having to rely on long-haul shortwave transmissions from the United States. (In Europe, radios with medium wave bands were much more common than those with shortwave bands.) Or it may have to do with the vagueness of the Voice of America brand (as discussed in Dr. Robert's essay), in contrast to the crisp 'BBC,' easy to pronounce in any language, and easy to remember. But I think the main reason is the motivation people had to listen to foreign broadcasts. They wanted to know what what really going on, and they needed to cut through the propaganda that was pervasive on the European continent during the war. The BBC 'single announcer' newscasts provided that. The Voice of America, at the time, was more interested in 'propaganda value.' By the end of the war, however, VOA had a better sense of what its audience wanted. It dropped the Houseman quasi-theatrical news productions, and concentrated more on the transmission of accurate information." Image from

Jeffrey Gedmin will depart as RFE/RL president - Kim Adrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Ice queen Michelle Kwan tests her balance at Republic Poly - Jason Tan, "Republic Polytechnic students from the School of Sports Health and Leisure, have developed a high-tech test of balance and stability.


And putting it to the test was ice skating icon Michelle Kwan, who is in Singapore on a week-long trip as a Sports Ambassador for the US. ... She kicked off her trip on Monday by conducting a skating clinic for kids at the Kallang Ice World. 'I'm here (in Singapore) with the State Department as American public diplomacy convoy. I meet with young groups - young people, students, some student athletes, some skaters. I meet with them and hopefully have a dialogue, some discussion,' revealed Kwan." Kwan image from article

WikiLeaks suggests 9/11 preplanned - Sultan M Hali, sailanmuslim.com: "Of the virtual Tsunami released through the latest disclosure by WikiLeaks, the most dangerous is the revelation that United States officials in 1999 were pushing for a propaganda war, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan, against Osama bin Laden before the deadly terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. 'It is our impression that the USG (United States Government) is not doing as well as it might projecting public diplomacy on Osama Bin Laden (OBL),' adding, 'We would like to suggest that Washington consider a review of this public diplomacy effort.' Cautioning that pending distribution of OBL 'wanted' posters


and matchbooks in Pakistan may increase OBL’s stature as ['] a kind of folk hero', the State Department cable dated January 26, 1999. Noted, 'We frequently hear reports that some in the lower middle and lower classes, both urban and rural, consider OBL (Osama bin Laden) an ‘Islamic Hero’, because the US has named him ‘Public Enemy Number One’.' 'That said it’s our impression that the majority of Muslims, at least in Pakistan, do not necessarily support this view,' it stressed." Image from

WikiCable: Those crafty, U.S.-disliking Swiss -richardbrenneman.wordpress.com: "One of the Aftenposten-released cables from the WikiLeaks cache, this 2 December 2008 CONFIDENTIAL cable offers a unique look at relations between Washington and two of Euope’s most studdiously neutral nations. ... SUBJECT: BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH SWITZERLAND AND THE PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN ... (U) The World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, is unlike any other event of its kind. Over a five-day span at the end of January each year, 2,000 world leaders, Fortune 500 chief executive officers, international media moguls and nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders gather in the small alpine village of Davos to participate on panels, in industry meetings and in 'off the record' sessions. The WEF meetings in Davos have been a ripe target for public diplomacy efforts over the past 38 years, and the WEFs founder, Dr. Klaus Schwab, has preserved the original intent of the forum in maintaining its focus as a place for informal dialogue and debate on major social and economic problems."

Public diplomacy — the tasks ahead - Rajiv Bhatia, The Hindu: "[The] 21st century is characterised by globalisation, assertive public opinion, an ever present 24x7 media and Web 2.0 technology. This combination lends increased significance to public diplomacy. Recognising the magnitude of the changing scene, India has begun well, but it has miles to go for securing optimal projection of its foreign policy concerns. ... Public diplomacy is a web of mechanisms through which a country's foreign policy positions are transmitted to its target audiences. ... Indian diplomats, however, rightly maintain that public diplomacy has to do with both foreign and domestic audiences. When you put out a story on television, blog or YouTube today, it is consumed by a university student in Bhopal as much as by a financial analyst in Toronto. Delhi conference: Recently the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) hosted, in collaboration with the CMS Academy, a two-day conference and workshop in Delhi to explore the challenges of 'Public Diplomacy in the Information Age.' Attended by a cross-section of scholars, communication experts, media personalities, business leaders and diplomats, it aimed at crafting a new understanding of how India could exploit the full potential of public diplomacy. ... Key conclusions: First, public diplomacy and 'new public diplomacy' (which uses social media tools for reaching younger audiences) need to be situated in the post-Cold War context. ... Second, the message nevertheless retains its significance: if it is not clear and credible, it will not get through. ... Third, the link between public diplomacy and foreign policy formulation is inextricable. ... Fourth, thinking about how to put across one's message has undergone a fundamental change. The advice now is to transcend government-to-public communication and, instead, focus on two-way communication, on 'advancing conversations.' ... Fifth, the importance of speed in communication was repeatedly stressed. ... Sixth, management tools such as planning and evaluation are essential for devising and assessing the impact of public diplomacy strategies.


Finally, the concept of nation branding is highly relevant to the task of projecting India. After the conference, Prof. Seib, a keynote speaker, reportedly observed that India lacked 'a consistent profile that it can present to the world,' that it did not have 'a comprehensive public diplomacy strategy.' I find it difficult to accept this assessment. India's foray into public diplomacy in the digital era may be new, but it can certainly lay claim to a decent record of projection abroad." Image from article, with caption: 'The MEA would do well to use all its weaponry of public diplomacy to increase our awareness of the world and India's place in it.' In this picture, External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna along with Foreign Secretary, Nirupama Rao address the media in New Delhi.

USC in the News 1/8 to 1/10/2011 - USC in the News: "The Hindu (India) reported that Nicholas Cull and Philip Seib of the USC Annenberg School spoke at a recent public diplomacy conference on the need for nations to increase access to the Internet and promote Web literacy."

Need to display true picture of Tibet: official - Ge Lili, Global Times: "A political advisor to the Tibet Autonomous Region said a new public campaign is needed to influence and change how the area is perceived overseas. Luosang Suolang, chief of the Committee of Legal System and Foreign Affairs under the region's Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Sunday that officials should come up with a plan to convey a more accurate picture of Tibet through public diplomacy. Public diplomacy is a complement to official diplomacy. Many countries use cultural exchanges, ordinary citizens and unofficial organizations to influence foreign publics. 'Public diplomacy is a good way to allow the overseas public to get a comprehensive, objective and correct views of Tibet,'


he said, adding creating a public diplomacy plan was a top priority of the region's foreign affairs agenda. In July 2009, President Hu Jintao said that public diplomacy would be tied to all foreign affairs issues in the future. The deadly riot on March 14, 2008 raised concerns about the autonomous region. The region's government said the unrest was motivated by separatist supporters and was orchestrated by the Dalai Lama clique. Li Yonghui, a foreign relations professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times that people should learn more about Tibet. Li said nongovernmental exchanges and cooperation should be the focus. Hu Shisheng, a researcher who focuses on Southern Asian affairs at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said China needs more experts in the field of public diplomacy. Hu said public diplomacy should consider the interests of foreigners and not just those of Chinese." Image from

Qin Gang: As the spokesman of “return” of an output press - luxuryehome.com: "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the expression of national positions, the spokesman of concern for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, or even lower, and easier to compare. In general, personality is more affected by certain prominent spokesman, such as Zhang, Kong, Liu and Shen Guofang, foreign reporters are mentioned by many respondents. The rich character of the Qin Gang, a journalist in the eyes of the respondents are full of contradictions. Would be used to describe the meaning of a rich Chinese Qin Gang, a difference of instruction, for example, 'ridiculous' VS 'provocative', 'trust' VS 'vanity', 'hard' VS 'arrogant.' A female foreign journalists, said Qin Gang, used to drink in response to questions, 'the audience with eyes full heat.'


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the regular meetings of a Chinese journalist said he was not too worried about the personality of the speaker, really matters is: Can the expression of China to the outside world know more about China? 'Sometimes we feel the smell of gunpowder is too strong, too aggressive.' A source at the Foreign Ministry said. According to reports, the Information Department Qin Gang, led by Europe and America great and the Office of Public Diplomacy (now the Office of Public Diplomacy). 'His personality on stage and the audience is similar to the” mild-mannered colleagues, and subordinates demanding work.'” Image from

Turkey’s 'visionary' diplomats shape 'visionary' diplomacy - Fulya Özerkan, hurriyetdailynews.com: "To find ways to clarify their mission for themselves, the general public and their foreign hosts, Turkey’s ambassadors gather to discuss the ‘visionary’ diplomacy espoused by the leader of the Foreign Ministry, Ahmet Davutoğlu. Ambassadors say they enjoyed their trip to Erzurum, after days of meetings in Ankara, and the chance to meet locals and learn about the culture and history of the region on the side of the weeklong conference. ... Turkey’s ambassadors spent the weekend in Erzurum shopping, chatting with locals and visiting the historic sites of the city . ... Interesting dialogues happened like when Turkish


Ambassador to Washington Namık Tan asked the locals who they were, one answered, 'You are a spy.' That anecdote was also shared with Davutoğlu, who smilingly said it was because of Wikileaks. The ambassadors were also curious to learn about Erzurum. '... . There should be a reason why we are here. This is public diplomacy,' said one ambassador. The Erzurum trip did not interrupt the foreign minister’s intense diplomacy traffic." Image from article, with caption: Turkish diplomats will not only be firefighters rushing to stop crises in any corner of the world but also city planners, which means the pursuit of a policy preventing crises from happening, says Foreign Minister Davutoğlu (C) at a conference in Erzurum.

The Case for Comprehensive Missile Defense in Asia - Bruce Klingner, Backgrounder #2506, Heritage Foundation: "What Japan Should Do [-]Tokyo should: ... Enhance public diplomacy efforts to explain the imminent security threat from North Korean and Chinese nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and the need for comprehensive integrated mis­sile defense programs with the United States and South Korea."

The Quiet Americans - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "I wrote a year ago about the palpable difference I felt traveling in the age of Obama; I still feel the difference today. Most especially was probably in Indonesia, when I proudly proclaimed, 'Obama,' when asked which country I was from. The discussion is just different now as was in years prior. Less explaining is needed.


As I wrote in my oped last year: No one bothers me anymore about why America is doing what America is doing. Obama's public diplomacy makes my public diplomacy efforts and travel endeavors far easier." Image from

Asian Tribune: The focus, The reach and The impact - Daya Gamage, Asian Tribune: Gamage is "a onetime trained State Department public affairs, public diplomacy and strategic communication employee."

Second Twitter Seminar for Newhouse Faculty - expressions-pilot.syr.edu "Despite being on vacation this week, 17 Newhouse professors and staff attended a seminar Monday about how to use Twitter in the classroom when teaching Advertising,


Communications, Film, Newspapers, Magazines, Media Management, Public Diplomacy, Public Relations, Radio, Television, or ‘pure-play’ Internet media." Image from article

Want to get paid to travel abroad? Learn a language, develop cultural skills, apply for a government job or just go - connectcv.com: "A more traditional approach to working overseas–and one that is particularly promising right now, because of a surge in demand–is joining the U.S. Foreign Service. 'They’re on a real hiring surge,' says Nina Segal, an international career development consultant and author of International Jobs: Where They Are and How to Get Them. They are looking both for new college grads and for more senior people, she adds. Foreign Service hiring has spiked largely because of a demographic cycle that has a lot of workers retiring at the same time, and increased demand in hot spots like Pakistan. Not all the jobs are for diplomats. The State Department offers five Foreign Service career tracks: consular, economic, management, political and public diplomacy. To find out about them, check out the foreign service link at the State Department’s website. The federal government offers a range of overseas jobs outside the Foreign Service too. Search on the government’s central employment website. The departments of Defense, Commerce and Agriculture all have many foreign jobs."

RELATED ITEMS

Stealth test flight overshadows Gates trip - Kathrin Hille and Daniel Dombey, Financial Times: China’s first stealth fighter completed its maiden flight test on Tuesday, just as US defence secretary Robert Gates met Hu Jintao, the country’s president, in a move seen by some observers as an act of defiance by the People’s Liberation Army against the US.


Some observers interpreted the incident as a deliberate propaganda move aimed at Mr Gates, who at the start of his China trip had expressed concern at Beijing’s latest achievements in weapons development. “This is what you call political warfare,” said a diplomat in Beijing. Pictures and written accounts of the test flight first surfaced on Chinese chat rooms, blogs and state media websites just as Mr Gates was heading into a meeting with Mr Hu. Image from

The Jerusalem connection: Those unscrupulous Israel haters - Victor Sharpe, renewamerica.com: The campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state is no doubt bringing a smile to the ghost of Hitler's Propaganda Minister, Josef Goebbels.


The drones who spew again and again the anti-Israel big lies are, perhaps, not aware that their words and falsehoods come straight from Goebbels's own handbook. These western Israel bashers spend all their energies in supporting the unsupportable, namely the Hamas thugdom that has arisen in the Gaza Strip as well as the rival and corrupt Palestinian Authority. But they do it by perpetrating the sin of moral equivalence and by victimizing the victim. They are like the cheering audience in George Orwell's futuristic novel, 1984, who unquestionably accepted the Ministry of Truth's double speak that Knowledge is Ignorance; Freedom Is Slavery. Image from article

Korean hackers mount cyber skirmishes in propaganda warSouth Korean hackers poke fun at Kim dynasty on North Korean web pages, prompting retaliation from Northern counterparts - Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk.


Image from article, with caption: South Korean hackers gained access to Pyongyang’s official Twitter account.

AMERICANA



Book Shelf: The New Joys Of Jell-O Brand Gelatin Dessert Recipe Book, 1973, Princess Sparkle Pony Photo Blog

ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Watching boob jobs on the boob tube, we can see the desperation that a lot of Americans feel to enhance, improve, upgrade."

--Laurie Essig, "In plastic we trust: America's love of cosmetic surgery and credit cards," Washington Post; image from