April 20

“If nothing else, I gave you an interesting life.”

--Stanley Ann Dunham, to her son Barack Obama

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Tweets From Secretary Clinton - Oliver Barrett, foreignpolicyblogs.com: "The U.S. State [D]partment ... is not planning on missing the proverbial train and is harnessing tools like Facebook and Twitter to get their message across to the increasingly connected masses at home and overseas.

The department is 'joining conversations' in the hopes of shaping public opinion and countering uncontested negative commentary circulating in virtual public spaces. As ... [ Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith] McHale stated, 'To put it bluntly: The world has changed, and if we do not change the way we interact with people, we risk being marginalized or made obsolete.' Secretary Clinton has launched several outreach initiatives with the goal of listening and joining the conversations in the 'public spaces'. One of the most ambitious programs, the ‘Digital Outreach Team’ is a ten-person group that actively engages in several languages on blogs, news sites and discussion forums. Its mission is to explain U.S. foreign policy and to counter misinformation. The team operates overtly and identifies itself online as being part of the State Department." Image from

Guest Editorial: WikiLeaks, public diplomacy 2.0 and the state of digital public diplomacy - Nicholas J Cull, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy (2011) 7, 1–8: "The achievements of Public Diplomacy 2.0 are notable and worthy of scrutiny but they must not be mistaken for offering some mechanism for mastery of the new environment. To think such would be to confuse a surfer with the wave he rides and to ignore the impact of the wave as it reshapes the shore. The traditional actors diplomatic actors are attempting to get their message out and to engage with the world, but their competitors are doing precisely the same – often with the advantage of a local affinity – and the world is in flux, fragmenting and regrouping into new networks. Secretary of State Clinton has argued that connectivity is an absolute good and pledged the United States to work to make the blessings of the information society as widely available as possible, but the voters of the United States will have to accept that the voices they empower will be diverse and will include some that are critical and even openly hostile."

US Funds Help Democracy Activists Evade Internet Crackdowns - Nicole Gaouette, Brendan Greeley, Bloomberg: "The U.S. State Department is set to announce $28 million in grants to help Internet activists, particularly in countries where the governments restrict e-mail and social networks such as those offered by Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Google Inc. (GOOG) The program, which has drawn Republican criticism and budget cuts, has produced software that is spreading widely in Iran and Syria, helping pro-democracy activists avoid detection, said Dan Baer, deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor. ... Republicans including Arizona Senator Jon Kyl and Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have criticized the administration for not focusing exclusively on firewall circumvention. Baer argues the broader approach is needed. 'If the objective is to empower

people on the ground, you have to keep them out of jail. That means they have to be able to circumvent any blocks, get out their message, communicate with people and have the self-defense training,' said Baer. To only teach people how to circumvent firewalls 'would be tantamount to painting a target on activists’ backs,' said Courtney Austrian, director of the State Department’s office of policy planning and public diplomacy. Lugar also released a report Feb. 15 that faulted Clinton’s agency for not spending the $30 million Congress allocated last year more quickly." Image from

African Union Commission In Washington To Discuss Political, Economic Tracks - rttnews.com: "A two-day United States-African Union High Level Meeting will begin in Washington on Wednesday. ... During the two-day visit, the delegation will meet with ... [inter alia] Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale."

Public Schedule for April 20, 2011 - U.S. Department of state: "UNDER SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS JUDITH MCHALE: 1:00 p.m. Under Secretary McHale meets with Ambassador David Pearce, incoming Assistant Chief of Mission at Embassy Kabul, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) 1:30 p.m. Under Secretary McHale meets with Alec Ross, Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary Clinton, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)."

State/OIG on US Embassy Denmark: "Ambassador has, in effect, become a first-line supervisor" - Domani Spero, DiploPundit: From the OIG report: "The public affairs section runs an active and efficient public diplomacy program that is well adapted to the Danish environment,

but it should make several administrative improvements, particularly involving grants. The Ambassador should engage in more policy-oriented press activities as part of a long-term media strategy." Image from

Obama’s Young Mother Abroad -  Janny Scott, New York Times: "Ann Dunham, who jettisoned the name Stanley upon emerging from childhood, was just 17 years old in the fall of 1960 when she became pregnant with the child of a charismatic Kenyan named Barack Hussein Obama, a fellow student at the University of Hawaii who was more than six years her senior. ... By January 1968, Ann had gone to work as the assistant to the American director of Lembaga Indonesia-­Amerika, a binational organization financed by the United States Information Service and housed at the U.S. Agency for International Development. She supervised a small group of Indonesians who taught English classes for Indonesian government employees and businessmen being sent by U.S.A.I.D. to the United States for graduate studies. It would be an understatement to say she disliked the job. 'I worked at the U.S. Embassy in Dja­karta for 2 horrible years,' she wrote to a friend. As Obama describes the job in his memoir, 'The Indonesian busi­nessmen weren’t much interested in the niceties of the English lan­guage, and several made passes at her.'” Image from article

Inter-Korean media news includes two views of Radio Free Asia Korean broadcasts - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Share culture and host an international student‎ - Shelby Township Source Newspapers: "Foreign high school students are scheduled to arrive soon for academic semester and year home-stay programs, and the sponsoring organization needs a few more local host families. The students are anxiously awaiting news of their new families. These young ambassadors are looking forward to fulfilling their life-long dreams. According to Pacific Intercultural Exchange [PIE] President John Doty, the students are all between the ages of 15 and 18 years, are English-speaking, have their own spending money, carry accident and health insurance, and want to share their cultural experiences with their new American families.

PIE currently has programs to match almost every family's needs, ranging in length from one semester to a full academic year, where the students attend local public and private high schools. 'At this critical time in our country's history, hosting an international teen is the best and purest form of public diplomacy the United States has,' said Doty.' ... PIE is a nonprofit educational organization that has sponsored more than 25,000 students from 45 countries since its founding in 1975. The organization is designated by the United States Department of State and is listed by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel, certifying that the organization complies with the standards set forth in CSIET's Standards for International Educational Travel Programs." Image from

China Makes Global Media Push, But Skeptics Abound‎ - Andy Yee, PBS MediaShift: "In the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs in early March of this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted that her country is losing the 'information war,' naming China's CCTV, along with Al Jazeera and Russia Today, as key rivals. ... China has been actively increasing public diplomacy strategies while Western media outlets, both official and private, are cutting back. ... As China is spending billions of dollars to make its media go global, it also needs to rethink its heavy-handed approach on media control and suppression of free speech. The world welcomes a diversity of voices, including that of China, but not one which is distorted, censored and sanitized."

Time to Reassure Nepal - Nihar Nayak and Ashok K. Behuria, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses: "External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna is starting a three-day official visit to Nepal from 20 April 2011. ... The Prime Ministers of both countries had also met on the sidelines of the 16th SAARC Summit in Thimpu in April 2010. ... In addition to official visits, there has also been sustained contact at the non-official level between the two countries. Leaders of Madhesi and other political parties visited India in March 2011. The first-ever visit of Young Parliamentarians’ delegation from Nepal

took place in November 2010, while an exchange visit of young Indian parliamentarians took place in March 2011. And at the Track II level, the public diplomacy division of the Ministry of External Affairs took the initiative to organise four rounds of dialogue with civil society representatives from Nepal. India has thus continued to work closely with the government of Nepal as well as with political parties and civil society groups with a view to supporting Nepal’s transition to a stable, peaceful, prosperous and democratic state."  Image from

Strengthening an Enduring EU-GCC Partnership - zawya.com: "[A] report released last month by the Committee on Foreign Affair of the European Parliament ... acknowledged that the GCC is the only stable regional organization based on multilateralism and cooperation . ... [T]he Joint Action Programme (JAP) by the EU-GCC Joint Ministerial Council [adopted] in their last ministerial session in Luxembourg in June 2010 ... offers a roadmap for the development of relations in 14 specific areas. ... To take the JAP further, the EU parliamentary report calls for its implementation with a precise and detailed funding scheme ultimately leading to the establishment of an EU-GCC cooperation agency. Such a step would bring together the various other recent initiatives the European Union has taken to institutionalize relations with the GCC, for example, in the fields of Public Diplomacy, Clean Energy, and Cooperation in Higher Education."

Empowering the Macedonian Community to drive policy reform in Australia - onlineopinion.com.au: "The United Macedonian Diaspora supports the efforts of the Australian Macedonian community and its stakeholders to mobilise power and knowledge for internal and external reform for social progress and the common good. Through its outreach and strategic communication activities, it is aiming to inform national, parliamentary and policy

debates and accelerate policy innovation. UMD has worked with the Macedonian community councils and with Australian elected representatives on the preparation and delivery of a policy reform agenda under the title 'Roadmap for Advancing Australia Macedonia Relations and Issues'. With greater financial and political support from the community and from the Australian Government, UMD can deliver better policy outcomes for Australia and the diaspora. Proactive public diplomacy and friendship is the way forward." Image from

Master's in Public Diplomacy students visit Vietnam, Southeast Asia - Jeremy Rosenberg, annenberg.usc.edu: "Five students in the Master's Program in Public Diplomacy returned to USC Annenberg recently from a two-week trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian cities.

While abroad, the students conducted research in their respective areas of interest. ... [T]he MPD contingent didn't engage in formal discussions about topics such as human rights or freedom of the press. But issues such as tourism and the environment proved to be accessible points of entry." Image from article

Results for #SeoSM - [Twitter exchanges IIPState's Bill May skyped w/ @NewhouseSU social media class]

@ASherinian - Aaron Sherinian: "Great discussion w/ Johns Hopkins class on public diplomacy trends tonight - focused on clear, concise ways to discuss global issues."

Cap and Trade – An Immersive Journalism Experience -opennewspress.com: "[***starting point SLURL = bit.ly A collaboration with the USC Annenberg School of Journalism & the Center For Investigative Reporting, based on the PBS Frontline World series 'CarbonWatch'. Written, directed & produced by Nonny dela Pena. This machinima showcases the proof of concept Second Life

experience, which you can visit at Public Diplomacy Island in SL anytime. Stay tuned for expansions and revisions. Video Rating: 5 / 5." Image from

Australian Embassy Intern - blog.daum.net: "The Australian Embassy in Seoul is expected to have several intern positions available in the Agriculture and Public Diplomacy Sections and is seeking applications from university students or graduates."

Message Regarding Ron Post -Management Notice, American Embassy, Tokyo, Japan: " Ron Post passed away this afternoon, April 19, at his home in Tampa, Florida. ... Many of you will recall working with Ron during his tenure at Embassy Tokyo’s Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs, which was one of his many Foreign Service assignments that also included tours of duty in Hawaii, Vienna, Burma, and Manila, among others. Colleagues and contacts alike who met Ron over his long professional career as a public diplomacy communicator were invariably touched by his ... collegial outreach and warm friendship." Via LB

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Obama's lack of moral clarity on Armenian genocide issue: The president puts aside clarity in an effort to maintain the support of Armenian Americans while not offending Turkey - Tim Rutten, Los Angeles Times

How to beat the ‘ugly American’ stereotype overseas - Lindsey Douthit, The Daily Caller: With a little consideration, and a little planning, we Americans can enjoy our time overseas and represent our awesome country well. So, put down the khaki shorts, grab a phrasebook, and have a safe trip. And God bless America.

Dangerous Arts - Salmon Rushdie. New York Times: Art can be dangerous. The lives of artists are more fragile than their creations. When artists venture into politics the risks to reputation and integrity are ever-present. But outside the free world, where criticism of power is at best difficult and at worst all but impossible, creative figures are

often the only ones with the courage to speak truth against the lies of tyrants. We needed the samizdat truth-tellers to reveal the ugliness of the Soviet Union. Today the government of China has become the world’s greatest threat to freedom of speech. Image from