September 25

"Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better."

-- André Gide; Gide image from

SITE OF INTEREST

From Brazil: Public Diplomacy Bibliohistogram. Via RR

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

U.S. Now Actively Cultivating Muslim Minorities in Europe - creepingsharia.wordpress.com: "In what amounts to a significant but largely unreported shift in U.S. diplomacy, embassies are broadening their traditional focus on national elites and established leaders in politics, trade-unions and the like, and expanding the mix to include under-represented minorities. In France, this new focus has been dubbed by Rivkin as a 'Minority Engagement Strategy' aimed at helping potential leaders in the Muslim banlieues learn the tools of U.S.-style democratic change.

Part of this outreach (and its political acceptability) is that it includes mainstream French leaders, hoping to raise consciousness in their ranks about the advantages of overcoming social exclusion and promoting real diversity and not just pay lip service to the notion of it. This new U.S. approach is now being applied in many democratic countries (and in some, notably in the Middle East, that aspire to be democratic) – an effort to walk the walk that goes with the pro-democracy talk of public diplomacy emanating from Washington." Image from

Passé Public Diplomacy? - John Brown, Notes and Essays: "[W]hile PD is becoming increasingly passé, as a term and activity in the U.S., it is -- ironically -- fashionable among 'emerging powers.'"

[Pakistani] [c]ommentator criticizes USIP report on Pakistan but describes [VOA's] Deewa Radio debate as "a welcome step" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Columnist describes RFE/RL Azerbaijani broadcasts as "weird and rather disturbing," but provides no examples - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Washington Times, 27 Sept 2011, Xandra Kayden: 'There is something weird and rather disturbing about Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) - a U.S.-funded media outlet that is famous for broadcasting information during the Cold War to support our friends and undermine our enemies - attacking an ally over our mutual enemy, radical jihadism. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has claimed repeatedly that Azerbaijan is not at risk from the threat of spreading Iranian-backed radicalism and therefore, accuses it of human rights violations for considering banning head scarves in public schools (something France did recently) and imprisoning radical clerics who foment the overthrow of the government in favor of becoming a satellite of the mullahs in Iran. ... Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been vehemently and relentlessly attacking Azerbaijan for closing mosques that preach Islamic fundamentalism, banning head scarves in public schools and imprisoning radical clerics. ... U.S. foreign policy and concerns are certainly not served by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in this instance. As part of its mission, the service claims that it provides 'uncensored news, responsible discussion and open debate.' This is a noble mission, yet even a brief look at the RFERL’s coverage of Azerbaijan shows a clearly negative bias toward Azeri authorities. Perhaps, such an approach was justified during the Soviet years when the objective was to use all means necessary to undermine our Cold War enemy. But what value does it have today against one of the very few friendly nations we have in a strategically critical area of the world? The issue is not RFERL’s freedom of speech because it is a U.S. taxpayer-financed entity established to advance U.S. interests. Given that, one would expect that its message to Azerbaijan would confront the one broadcast by the Iranian government’s propaganda outlet, Sahar TV, rather that echo it.' See also the comments.

(Illustration by Alexander Hunter for The Washington Times.) [Elliott comment:] This commentary is of very little value because it does not cite a single RFE/RL news story, nor quote so much as a sentence, to support its point about RFE/RL's coverage of Azerbaijan. Some of RFE/RL's coverage of Azerbaijan is available, translated into English, here. It is not necessarily representative of all of the news and current affairs content provided by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service (Radio Azadliq), but it does show that Radio Azadlik reports on dissatisfaction within Azerbaijan that is probably not reported by Azerbaijani domestic media. The US 'surrogate' international broadcasters do have a dilemma. They must focus on the domestic affairs of their target countries, especially on news ignored by the target countries' domestic media. As such, they can be perceived as the bad-news-about-the-target-country stations. As I discussed in my Foreign Service Journal essay, reporting neutral news and good news about the target country, whenever it is news, makes the bad news more credible. Furthermore, a consolidation of US international broadcasting would 'smooth out' the content of the surrogate stations by adding coverage of the world and of the United States. It would show that there are problems in the rest of the world, not just in the target country."

"Increase the budget of VOA Persian," and more international broadcasting to Iran in the news - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting. Below image from

Taliban warlord found out from a VOA Pashto broadcast about the $5 million bounty on his head - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Remembering Vicki Morgan - weddingsuitrentals.com: "Ronald Reagan named Alfred Bloomingdale to his Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and to a Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy."

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Leading D.C. Art Foundation Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Smithsonian's Archives of American Art Medal - The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE): "The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE), the leading non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the United States' image abroad through American art, announced today that the leaders of FAPE – Ann L. Gund, Jo Carole Lauder, Wendy W. Luers, Carol Price and Eden Rafshoon – will receive the Smithsonian Archives of American Art Medal on behalf of the organization at the Archives' Annual Benefit in New York City on October 25, 2011.

The award comes during FAPE's 25th Anniversary, and celebrates a quarter-century of FAPE's contributions of American art to the U.S. Department of State for display in U.S. embassies around the world. ... Ellen Phelan, artist and event chair, noted that, 'The Archives of American Art is very proud to honor the history and contributions of FAPE, a remarkable organization that steadfastly pursues a course of quiet cultural diplomacy for our country. This award could not have gone to a more distinguished organization working to support the American arts.'" Image of FAPE founders from. See also

Remember the footsoldiers‎ - Paul Grabowsky, The Australian: "The federal Government has recently released a National Cultural Policy document as a basis for submissions towards the first major policy initiative in the area since Keating’s 1994 Creative Nation. The terms of its discussion look at the place of culture generally within the contemporary Australian experience, and speaks broadly, if somewhat vaguely (it is a discussion paper, after all), of the general importance of cultural industries to our ability to be a creative, dynamic society moving forward. ... With regard to Australian work the most useful function of the highly subsidised multi-artform festival is in its advocacy of local content, particularly through the commissioning and presentation of new work of a kind not achievable via other means. Then there is the possibility of contextualizing Australian work within a high-end festival international lineup. As large festivals

are tied into an international network of similar events, the possibility of international co-commissioning raises the likelihood of new Australian works of scale reaching high-profile international podia. ... This relates to the primary problem: linking the Australian performing arts in a practical way to an international touring circuit. With the emergence of a Chinese middle class, and the increasing liberalisation of public expression in various parts of South East Asia, we find ourselves entering into an era of what could, and should, be increasing cultural exchange with our immediate neighbourhood. There is mention in the Minister’s discussion paper of the importance of cultural diplomacy, but if this is to be achieved, there would need to be greater expertise and resourcing in DFAT [Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] to allow such a thing to occur meaningfully. For every artform there is a different network: cultivating these takes time, and is totally dependent on information sharing between the artist’s own initiative as entrepreneur and the ability of the cultural attaché to make the equivalent contacts on the ground. Grabowsky image from article

Soft side to Chinese diplomacy‎ - Miriam Cosic, The Australian: When a high-level exhibition of contemporary art from China opens at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra next week, visitors should not expect to see the highest flying stars of the international art world. ... Instead, we will see an official survey of art since the inception of the People's Republic in 1949: plenty of socialist realism, an overview of brush-and-ink developments and some more recent works, a few by global names. It is highly conservative but interesting and instructive, and contains many striking works. The word contemporary, however, seems lost in translation. ... Jocelyn Chey, visiting professor of Chinese studies at the University of Sydney and a former diplomat in China, refers to the word xuanchuan, which makes no distinction between advertising, PR and propaganda, and has no connotation of lying or bias. ... [D]uring the Cold War, it was not high art as much as the subversiveness of American pop culture -- blue jeans, rock 'n' roll -- that attracted people behind the Iron Curtain. It was radical dissent and free-market commerce in strangely equal measure.

And this is what is happening now between China and the world. On the one hand, it is busy disseminating its official image, via 500 Confucius Institutes and these special exchanges, just as it has since the Tang dynasty, when China dominated its region and merchants took its products westward on the Silk Road. 'As an old and rich civilisation, China has a long view about its cultural heritage and is under no pressure to prove or showcase it to other countries,' suggests Pookong Kee, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne. Kee points out that Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai were using soft power -- ping-pong diplomacy, it was dubbed, when Mao and Zhou were easing towards rapprochement with the US in the 1970s -- long before [Harvard Professor Joseph] Nye popularised the term. And he points to something else. 'In films, music and creative writing, a unique aspect of Chinese 'soft power' is the Chinese diaspora. The films of Ang Lee, John Woo and others at the periphery of the Chinese culture zone, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, and to a lesser degree Singapore, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Sydney and Melbourne, are attracting a global audience . . . This is occurring independent to Beijing's cultural diplomacy.' Which brings us to the other hand. Even while China is promoting its official line, its dissidents and its diaspora, irritatingly out of its control, are burnishing China's image even more brightly and by default." Image from article, with caption: Tide, by Zhan Jianjun, in A New Horizon: Contemporary Chinese Art, part of a cultural exchange between China and Australia

Australia: Another Confucius Institute established - Geoff Maslen, University World News: China continues its 'soft power' diplomatic efforts to expand its influence around the globe with the establishment of ever-more Confucius institutes at universities around the world and, recently, the spread of an offshoot aimed at schools called the Confucius Classroom scheme. La Trobe University in Melbourne last week became the 12th university in Australia to establish a Confucius Institute, in an arrangement with Chongqing University, a national comprehensive institution on the upper reaches of Yangtze River. As is the case with each of the growing number of Confucius institutes, the La Trobe version has been set up as a non-profit institution with the support of the Chinese government. Likewise with the other 322 Confucius institutes scattered across some 100 countries, La Trobe's will have a strong focus on Chinese language and culture. ... In a discussion paper 'Confusion about Confucius institutes: Soft power push or conspiracy?' Falk Hartig, an academic intern at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, writes about the role of the institutes in Germany and concludes: 'Cultural diplomacy is the instrument through which soft power is wielded and Confucius institutes in turn should be understood as one instrument of China's cultural diplomacy to wield and bolster Chinese soft power globally. But the engagement with foreign publics is hampered by one crucial aspect. Due to the connection and links to the Chinese government, and the authoritarian characteristics of the Chinese government, Confucius institutes lack one feature which is essential for institutions like Germany's Goethe-Institute or the British Council: the principle of non-intervention by the government.."

Strengthening Cultural Ties‎ Through Motion Pictures - Leadership Newspapers: "Nigeria and Mexico are poised to strengthen cultural bilateral relations with the hosting of the maiden edition of the Mexican Film Festival. The film festival which took place at the Silverbird Galleria in Abuja on September 16, saw both countries exploring opportunities inherent in their motion picture industries for cultural diplomacy."

PM condoles the passing away of veteran Parliamentarian Vasant Sathe - "The following is the text of the Prime Minister’s condolence message: I was deeply grieved to hear of the demise of your father Shri Vasant Sathe. Shri Sathe was one of country’s senior most political leaders and parliamentarians. He held a number of positions in the Union Cabinet, notably as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

He was a socialist at heart and was known for his frank expression of views on various critical subjects of the day. He was a strong advocate of India’s cultural diplomacy and held the position of President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations with great distinction." Sathe image from

Internships: Making Your Summer Work‎ - Faye Docherty, University Observer Online: "Brian Mahon, a final year History, Politics and International Relations student [at UCD], spent the summer working in The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD), a non-governmental organisation based in Berlin."

RELATED ITEMS

Islamabad not responsible for Nato security: PM - Abrar Saeed, The Nation, Pakistan: Terming the recent US propaganda blitz against Pakistan as unfortunate and counterproductive, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani

has, once again, emphasised the need for deeper engagement with the United States in the ongoing war on terror but on the basis of mutual respect and devoid of mutual recrimination. Image from, with caption: Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani waives hands to supporters on the occasion of inauguration ceremony of a Sui Supply Project to Sillanwali and Farooqa held in Sargodha on Saturday, July 31, 2010

Palestinians need an audience for their story - josephdana.com: For 63 years Israel has perfected one of the most effective propaganda machines in the Western world. Hasbara, the Hebrew word for propaganda, has become a near religion in Israeli society, with impressive results. Israel’s 44-year-long occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has, until recently, been free of moral challenge from the West. The country enjoys a special relationship with the US in which the superpower provides diplomatic, economic and military cover for virtually every action Israel conducts against the Palestinians. Israel’s dominance over the narrative of the conflict has been key to its success.

NATO Brutal Rape of Libya Intensifies with Help of Traitors and Obedient Media While UN Silent -panicattacks.battlingyourdepression.info: "Al Jazeera, CNN, BBC, SkyNews and other NATO control media slightly changed the tactic, this time claiming that many Southern Libyan towns have been occupied, some media even claim that Bani Walid and Sirte is the last two towns controlled by the Libyan Jamahiriya Government, in a desperate attempt to pretend that NATO and traitors control most of the country.

The irony is, even though they have created this false perception on your TV, observers on the ground, once again suggests that NATO will fail to create a puppet regime. All the NATO propaganda hype that a puppet government will be announced by next week might turn in to a joke when the time comes, similar to last week."  Image from article, "Obama Who's on First In Libya"

Propaganda is War by Other Means - Ted Belman, americanthinker.com: When a government intends a war of aggression, it must first inculcate hatred of the indented victim. This is done through propaganda which follows the following principles: 1) Select a target to be hated. Personalize it. Focus attention on it. 2) Keep messages on target. Avoid conflicting messages. 3) Attach labels and employ narratives causing the object of the hatred to be ridiculed, scorned and feared. 4) Have appropriate messengers deliver the messages. Thus a liberal delivers the message to a liberal and a Republican to Republicans and so on. 5) Keep hidden the communications of messages and the compensation between propaganda directors, media managers and content producers. Keep it secret. 7) Employ substantial numbers of creators of media content and media managers to ensure propaganda is script, timely and plentiful. 8) Make certain that the public believes that the creators and managers are independent. 9) Make few points and repeat them incessantly. 10) Have public personalities express out-loud contempt, scorn and fear of the target of hatred in order to render such expressions socially acceptable and to crystallize attitudes of hatred which otherwise would be fleeting. These same principles apply when any group or entity want to shape public opinion to achieve its ends. They do their best to control the message and succeed to varying degrees.

FOUND ON THE WEB

Art Under Fascism: Propaganda: A blatant use of art as a tool of the state. Image from article