July 19

"Day 1 of USC Center on Public Diplomacy Summer Institute 2011 has finished. A successful day of PD theory and practice, and even better, the group wants to get together for drinks tonight."

--USC Center on Public Diplomacy; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Editorials: Review Of U.S. Public Diplomacy: In a world where power and influence truly belongs to the many, the United States must engage with more people in more places - voanews.com: "'In a world where power and influence truly belongs to the many, we must engage with more people in more places,' U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale said in a recent speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. '[This] is the essential truth of public diplomacy in the internet age.' For most of human history, power has been held by the privileged few sitting atop a widening base of people in a pyramid of systematic social control. In the internet age, the pyramid has been upended: Wide tiers of people, their arms raised in active participation, narrowed to a point. The pyramid of power flipped because people all around the world are clamoring to be heard, and demanding to shape their own futures. 'For many years we looked at foreign publics through a political or an economic lens,' Secretary McHale said. 'We aimed for the top of the pyramid – for political, military, and labor leaders, and the economic elite; which means we missed the young, the unaffiliated, the unemployed,

and anyone else who didn’t fit neatly into one of those boxes. We missed some of the very people who are driving the change we see all around us.' There are also many lone extremists and extremist groups who pump their ideas into circulation as easily as legitimate activists. 'These new challenges force us to ask: How do we stand out and respond in such a crowded and complex environment?' Secretary McHale continued. 'Our answer is simple: By taking our public diplomacy into the marketplace of ideas. 'If we want to be part of the deliberations, we must go to them. We must be out there in as many ways as possible, and at every hour of every day,' Secretary McHale concluded. 'Being in the marketplace of ideas means using the same venues and platforms that communities and activists use. . . To proactively engage with global media, and to push back against inaccurate information. To tell our own story where others are telling stories about us.'" Image from article, with caption: Protesters used the internet during the 2011 popular uprising in Egypt

Internet Freedom is Not About Regime Change - Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence: "Via the USC twitter feed this link to a video interview with Alec J. Ross of the State Departmen[t] which contains this exchange RFE/RL: Iran accuses the U.S. of providing soft help to activists to bring down the Iranian regime. Is regime change in repressive countries such as Iran, which are considered hostile to the U.S., one of the unstated goals of the U.S.’s Internet-freedom push? Ross: Absolutely not. Internet freedom is about helping people exercise their universal rights: the freedom of expression, the freedom of assembly, the freedom of the press. It is not a regime-change agenda. If you look at the video he seems to having difficulty restraining himself from bursting out laughing. Also you can’t see his hands so I bet his fingers are crossed. Of course there is a slight possibility he really believes what he says. That would be really worrying."

Pope Shenouda gives his blessings to Egypt's new envoy to Addis - Dina Ezzat, Ahram Online: "This morning at the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Abbasiyya, Pope Shenouda III,

the Coptic Patriarch, received Mohamed Edrees, Egypt's new ambassador to Ethiopia. ... In statements to Ahram Online, Edrees stressed his intention to work for the promotion of cooperation between Egypt and Ethiopia in making the best use of the Nile water resources to serve the interests of both countries. 'We can find ways to consolidate cooperation and to serve the interests of both sides, and I am confident that this is the intention in Cairo and in Addis,' he said. Edrees added that once misgivings are dispelled it will be possible for both sides to move forward in good faith. He stressed the role of public diplomacy, religious institutions and cultural bodies in promoting relations between the two countries. 'We should not allow any disagreements to hijack the relationship, and we can turn the Nile water file into a platform for a new phase of strategic cooperation,' he stated." Pope Shenouda III image from article

Ayalon launches campaign to tell 'truth about W. Bank': Deputy foreign minister asks YouTube video’s viewers to stop calling Judea and Samaria "occupied territories" - Ben Hartman, Jerusalem Post: "Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon stars in a video released by his ministry on Thursday, in which he presents a historical narrative meant to help wage the public diplomacy battle. The video, titled The Truth About the West Bank, was made in cooperation with the StandWithUs student NGO, by filmmaker Shlomo Blass of Rogatka Ltd, and director Ashley Lazarus. ... Ayalon’s office said that the video was meant to put forward Israel’s 'long-standing but neglected position' ahead of the Palestinians’ attempt to have a unilaterally declared state recognized at the UN in September. 'For too many years, our public diplomacy has been mainly based

on a ‘peace narrative,’ where Israeli officials talk about how much we are willing to concede for peace, while the Palestinian public diplomacy is all about supposed rights and international law,' Ayalon said. 'It is time for Israel to return to a ‘rights-based diplomacy’ and talk about the facts, rights, history and international law which are little known but give a dramatically different viewpoint to what is currently accepted.' His office went for the online video format because 'Israel’s case is harder to make in an era where context, background and history are less important than an image or a headline. Social media in general and YouTube in particular are major battlegrounds in the clash of narratives and public diplomacy. It is vital that a strong rights-based Israeli presence is seen and heard, especially for the YouTube demographics who are more interested in easy to digest explanations.' The video will eventually be translated into a number of languages including Arabic, Spanish, French, Russian and German, and will be shown in 'hundreds of schools and educational centers worldwide as part of their curriculum.'" Entry includes video. Image from

Introducing the Class of 2011 CPD Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy - "The USC Center on Public Diplomacy will kick off its 2011 Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy at USC on July 18 and will run through July 29, 2011. Currently in its sixth year, the CPD Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy is an intensive two-week course designed to immerse participants in the critical study of public diplomacy by uniquely combining traditional classroom instruction with collaborative hands-on exercises. 'Through sophisticated training, the Summer Institute is designed to elevate the professionalism of those in and out of government who are involved in public diplomacy,' said CPD Director Philip Seib. Taught by some of the world’s most distinguished public diplomacy experts, this exclusive program has garnered global attention and attracts participants of the highest caliber from a wide range of public diplomacy career fields including foreign ministries, intelligence and economics agencies, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, defense and homeland security, public relations, and the private sector. This year, the Center expects 17 participants from 9 countries: Canada, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Russia, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States." ["Summer Institute Tuition Fee Only $5,500"]

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More on Michele: Winning is the only issue - wndcpd.wordpress.com: "Dana Milbank leads off his 'Washington Sketch' piece on Michele Bachmann (WP, 7/14) with Bachmann’s answer to an interviewer’s question whether higher unemployment would increase her chances of winning the Presidency. She answered, 'I hope so'. ... The best bet on an honest answer is to take Bachmann’s 'I hope so' at face value. Winning is the goal. Winning is the value. Her voters would understand that. Following the 2004 election I wrote an article for the University of Southern California’s Public Diplomacy Press Review in which I said that Bush’s winning issue was winning. 'In polarized America, politics is war. You can’t win unless you put your 'team' first… the belief they were the 'strong' team held on to and expanded Republican voters, regardless of issues.'"

RELATED ITEMS

Weekly theme – Propaganda - Michelle Karunaratne, artsasculturaldiplomacy.wordpress.com: Propaganda has been used for promoting agendas, ideologies and to change the public perceptions. The use of propaganda demonstrates how arts, culture and the myth of access can be used for cynical purposes.

Propaganda is the embodiment of the opposite of the goals of cultural diplomacy, as it promotes stereotypes and sometimes inaccurate views about other nationalities and cultures. Nevertheless it is important to discuss this topic in order to create awareness about how art has been used as propaganda to note the fact that art and culture promotion can be used for positive as well as negative aspects. Image from article

Can Spotify blaze a music trail in America? For the first time, the major record companies have embraced an online music service that lets people play the songs of their choice for free, in unlimited quantity - Ediorial, latimes.com: The long-awaited arrival of Spotify, a popular European music service, in the U.S. last week marks an important milestone for the music industry. For the first time, the major record companies have embraced an online music service that lets people play the songs of their choice for free, in unlimited quantity (at least at first).

There's no monthly fee, no per-song charges. It's not exactly a new era, and Spotify hasn't unlocked the secret to making a profit off of online music giveaways. But it is another step forward for the entertainment industry as it adapts, slowly and fitfully, to the disruptive force of the Internet. The long-awaited arrival of Spotify, a popular European music service, in the U.S. last week marks an important milestone for the music industry. For the first time, the major record companies have embraced an online music service that lets people play the songs of their choice for free, in unlimited quantity (at least at first). There's no monthly fee, no per-song charges. It's not exactly a new era, and Spotify hasn't unlocked the secret to making a profit off of online music giveaways. But it is another step forward for the entertainment industry as it adapts, slowly and fitfully, to the disruptive force of the Internet. Image from article, with caption: A webpage displaying Spotify Ltd.'s Spotify music site is seen on a computer monitor in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, July 14, 2011.

Russian-Backed Propaganda Networks Claim Obama is a CIA Agent - Cliff Kincaid, newswithviews.com

Exclusive First Look: Captain America Propaganda Posters From Mondo - Hugh Hart, wired.com: Captain America returns to his propagandistic roots in new posters commissioned by Mondo, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s collectible art boutique. It’s part of a promotional blitz targeting San Diego’s Comic-Con International, where Captain America: The First Avenger will make its world premiere later this week. Mondo is also making its Comic-Con debut, hosting a booth stocked with new prints and archival pieces. Below images from article:

Eric Tan created this Captain America: The First Avenger propaganda poster, one in a series being released by Mondo.

The Red Skull and evil organization Hydra push for a new world order in this Captain America screenprint by Eric Tan.

This Olly Moss piece for Captain America: The First Avenger delivers the message: "A is for victory."

Hydra targets America's star-spangled Avenger in this Captain America poster by Olly Moss.