December 21-24

"The one thing women don't want to find in their stockings on Christmas morning is their husband."

--Comedienne Joan Rivers; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SCHOLARLY RESOURCES

Public Diplomacy: Books, Articles, Websites #59 by Bruce Gregory

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN THE NEWS

Few Virtues to "Virtual Embassy in Iran" - Paul Mutter, Foreign Policy in Focus: "The U.S. has announced that it will be opening up a 'virtual embassy' in Iran in order to facilitate American engagement with the Iranian people . . . at the same time Congress is trying to de-facilitate American engagement with Iranian officials and cripple the Iranian economy. This administration has been putting greater focus on 'public diplomacy' efforts -- Hillary Clinton in particular. But at the risk of sounding trite, actions speak louder than words. ... 'We want all Iranians, especially the very large population

of young people inside Iran, to see that the United States has deep respect for the Iranian people and its civilization,' said the U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs. But explicitly tying the virtual embassy in with sanctions against Iran -- and yes, we have done just this -- is probably not going to make #virtualembassy trend on Iranian Twitter accounts. ... [A]lmost any video we will put up on that site will only confirm Iranian perceptions that ... 'U.S. public diplomacy since 9/11 has been widely seen as self-serving rhetoric, a cover for unilateral efforts to pursue the war on terror and expand U.S. influence in the Middle East' so long as our elected officials -- and the intellectuals and lobbyists riding their coattails -- bay for regime change.(PS: When considering the efficacy of the virtual embassy model, please bear in mind that the State Department maintains a Gazan e-consulate.)" Image from

Obama Hits Iran-Venezuela Ties. Now What? - José R. Cárdenas, foreignpolicy.com: "One certainly hopes that President Obama's recent criticism of Iran-Venezuela relations indicates a new willingness on the part of his administration to confront the growing menace of the radical Islamist regime in the Western Hemisphere. In comments submitted to the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal, the president said that Hugo Chávez's ties

to Iran 'have not served the interests of Venezuela or the Venezuelan people' and expressed concern about his anti-democratic behavior and his failure 'to contribute to the security in the region.' ... [I]t is time for ramping up actions to back up the president's words. This includes not only identifying more individuals, companies, and/or governments found to be aiding and abetting Iran and Hezbollah in their nefarious activities and bringing the full weight of sanctions against them, but also conducting a full-bore public diplomacy campaign for regional audiences on Iran's intentions and activities in the region and the dangers for their societies therein." Uncaptioned image from article

Tumultuous Year Strains US-Pakistani Relations - voanews.com: "Despite the tense political situations throughout the year, educational and cultural programs have continued in an attempt to bridge the differences through more personal interactions. But whether this kind of public diplomacy outreach can overcome the two countries' deep political conflicts remains uncertain."

Negative implications of US policies on citizens - Rabia Bibi, thefrontierpost.com: "From 2001 to 2011, US spent their tax income on War on Terror.

US spent public diplomacy to increase the positive image of US in front of world. From FY 01 to FY 11, US spent $806 billion in Iraq war, $444 billion in Afghan war, $29 billion were spent to enhance the security. The war death number is 225,000 approximately. The interesting thing is this, US spent on wars and public diplomacy to secure and enhance the security and image respectively. But it neglects the internal problems or feelings of American public. US has been spending their taxes on other states so poverty and unemployment level is increasing day by day. So the superpower image has declined in the eyes of their own people."  Image from

Arab poll results and the way forward - Saliba Sarsar, moroccotomorrow.org: "[W]ith billions of dollars of US economic and military assistance entering the Middle East each year, public concerns in both the United States and the Middle East about regional assistance could be helped by linking such assistance to the ability of governments to achieve country-specific goals. These would mainly entail concrete and transparent democratic improvements, as well as economic measures aimed at improving quality of life and opportunities for the general public. The United States could complement assistance by augmenting its public diplomacy, cultural outreach and educational exchanges. Ultimately, if the United States is to have a more viable foreign policy in the Arab world, its strategy should be anchored in basic American values of equity and transparency, as well as common interests with the region."

Using Information to Beat Gadhafi - Matt Armstrong, mountainrunner.us citing The Takeaway, a co-production of WNYC Radio and Public Radio International: "The United States is considering a range of options to deal with Libya, including military action and sanctions. However, there’s another possibility for

Libya: an information campaign and the Pentagon has reportedly explored at the option of jamming Libya’s communications so that Gadhafi has a harder time talking to his forces. Matt Armstrong, lecturer on public diplomacy at the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism and publisher of the blog MountainRunner.us, takes a closer look at how an information campaign might work in Libya."

Note to Newt (Part II): Rethinking Palestine - Martin Sherman, Jerusalem Post: "Clearly, the view of the Palestinians as an invented people – particularly one invented for the sole purpose of getting rid of the nation-state of the Jews – makes advocating establishment of a Palestinian state 'inappropriate.' However, it also calls for the presentation of an alternative approach to address the fact of their physical presence – if not as a coherent national entity, then as a diffuse amalgam of individual human beings. Moreover, since any such policy prescription would constitute a dramatic departure

from the 'holy grail' of conventional wisdom – the 'twostates- for–two-people' principle – it would require lengthy public debate to establish it as a legitimate alternative approach. This would include not only a comprehensive exposition of all its elements, but also a thorough discussion of its ethical justification and operational feasibility, the scope, size and substance of the public diplomacy initiative required to accompany it, its economic costs and international acceptability together with an assessment of its merits relative to other proposals. This is clearly beyond the scope of a single opinion column. The best that can be hoped for here is to spark a vibrant and sustained public exchange over the proposal that will thrust it into the discourse as a viable – and desirable – option." Image from article

Burgers w/o Borders and PD Success - World-Wide-Matel: My personal observations and opinions. I write about what was happening around me and this blog reflects my idiosyncratic interests. I do my own writing, take my own pictures and I speak only for myself. My opinions are not those of my employers or the various organizations I work with. Feel free to share: "I would call it a public diplomacy triumph and I don’t think it is hyperbole to say so. We held 'visa days' in Rio, São Paulo and Brasilia for student going to the U.S. on Science w/o Borders scholarships. There were about 600 served today. The Brazilian government estimates that they will have sent 1500 to the U.S. by summer and more from then on thousands more. In Brasilia, we held a big event to talk to them about the U.S. and get them ready to go to the U.S. We called it 'Burgers w/o Borders.' We had the Ambassador and others cook hamburgers, American style, on a Webber grill.

I cooked too, as you can see in the picture. Always I try to learn from our successes as well as our failures. Getting this first wave of Brazilians to the U.S. only a few months after the Brazilian president announced the outlines of the program is a definite success. ... have written earlier about the larger program. You can read about it here." Image from article

The Fulbright Program - Alan R. Freitag, PR Fulbright in Poland: "[M]y field of public relations encompasses the increasingly important arena of public diplomacy, an arena well suited to Fulbright program goals. PR scholars should, therefore, serve the program well. The 2007 Private Sector Summit on Public Diplomacy, sponsored by the U.S. State Department

and the PR Coalition, in fact identified three areas of activity that circumscribe public diplomacy: Develop business practices that make public diplomacy a core element of international corporate public action. Promote understanding of U.S. American [sic] society, culture and values in other countries. Build relationships of trust and respect across cultures. You can review a summary of that important summit here: http://www.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/PrivSectorSummitPaper.pdf. To be fair and balanced, the concept put forward by the Summit has its detractors; here's an example: http://www.prwatch.org/node/5967. Nevertheless, the point is that a Fulbright Fellowship embodies a role beyond the teaching and/or research purposes for which it was awarded." Freitag image from his blog

Chetty completes Fulbright Scholarship - Ioane Burese, fijitimes.com: "American Embassy in Suva yesterday presented Tara Chetty with a certificate in recognition of her completion of the Fulbright Scholarship. Ms Chetty was awarded the Fulbright Scholarship in 2009 to pursue a two-year Masters in Gender Studies at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. According to an embassy statement, her

interest in gender studies and feminist analysis made Rutgers her first choice because it houses the Centre for Women's Global Leadership, an organisation with some of the most renowned activist feminist scholars. ... Ms Chetty said doing a Masters was useful and gave her a particular way of approaching work and analysing information. ... 'Being a Fulbright scholar also carries a lot of weight locally and internationally, as the Fulbright program is recognised worldwide.' [she said]" Image from article, with caption: Tara Chetty receives her certificate from Doug Morris, regional public diplomacy officer at the US Embassy in Suva.

‘Old white guys’ – National Review links to BBG Watch discrimination and mismanagement story - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "[P]erhaps if you think that CNN International should be the standard of U.S. public diplomacy, then you might get your wish. Those of us who have lived abroad and watched CNN International think that it is one of the reasons the world needs the Voice of America. To correct the anti-American bias. As for the 'old white guys' of U.S. international broadcasting — don’t count on the Broadcasting Board of Governors to protect you."

RIP U.S. Public Diplomacy Commission - skepticalbureaucrat.blogspot.com: "U.S. Government programs are the closest things to perpetual motion machines that the first and/or the second law of thermodynamics will allow. But don't call them immortal, because sometimes they do, actually, really, and in truth, get closed down. The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy is

no more, a sudden victim of our vastly overextended federal budget and of a sunset provision in its last legislative authorization." Image from, with caption: Faith No More to Play Williamsburg Waterfront for OSA

Nominations to the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy sent to the Senate - Matt Armstrong, mountainrunner.us

When public policy made a difference: American paintings in China in 1981 - Meredith Palmer, Washington Post: "Early in 1981, when I was a young arts specialist for the State Department, I got the assignment of a lifetime: to help organize the first official art exchange in the People’s Republic of China. It was five years after the death of Mao Zedong and only two years since Washington and Beijing reestablished diplomatic relations after a generation of Cold War hostility and decades of often violent anti-cultural political upheaval in China. My office, part of the State Department’s public diplomacy efforts, was responsible for enlisting museums to assemble art exhibitions that would be presented overseas, creating cultural links and displaying art that would 'tell America’s story.' So after discussing whether we should send American Indian artifacts or a survey of American paintings, we decided on the survey approach, but with a strong emphasis on contemporary abstract painting. We hoped to inspire the Chinese artists and members of the public who had never seen original American painting of any kind and, through the most current works, to underscore free artistic expression. It worked, even beyond our expectations: Chinese artists described it as a 'shock wave.' ... Zhang Wei, 59, part of the earliest avant-garde 'No Name' (Wuming) group in Beijing, was recently in New York for an

exhibition at the China Institute on 'Blooming in the Shadows: Unofficial Chinese Art, 1974-1985.' He explained, with tears welling up in his eyes: 'Especially in China at that time, people had no freedom to say things, to think, to do things. So a show like this in China, you cannot imagine how important it was to us.' For him and this close group of artists who were exploring art for art’s sake in opposition to the party line, the exhibition hit 'like a bomb, a shock.' ... When today’s stalled economy in the United States and budget-tightening call for cuts in the arts and in international exchange programs, it is worth remembering the lasting impact made in China by a single art exhibition." Image from

When Santa, Rudolph, and Eisenhower Took on Global Hunger - blogcritics.org "Christmas is coming and all eyes are on the sky for Rudolph, his fellow reindeer and, of course, Santa Claus. Back in 1953 Santa's sled was extra heavy, with hundreds of thousands of food packages for the hungry worldwide. That year President Dwight Eisenhower started 'Operation Reindeer.' He wanted to build goodwill with Christmas food packages to fight global hunger. Everyone got involved. Charities, the U.S. military, and also the public took part in either buying the CARE packages or making the

deliveries. ... Observers of Operation Reindeer felt that more publicity about the program would have further enhanced this public diplomacy outreach. ... Operation Reindeer was only a quick relief program and it was discontinued after 1954 in favor of longer-lasting projects. ... What followed in Italy was Food for Peace, with school feeding for millions. Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Peru, India and others also received school meals during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. Food for Peace programs, whether school meals or other projects, helped turn many countries from recovery mode to self-sufficiency.' Eisenhower image from article

MOE readies Taiwan families for international guests - Kwangyin Liu, taiwantoday.tw: "A program that prepares families in Taiwan for the challenges of hosting international students has been a tremendous success, Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji said at a Dec. 22 news conference. 'The host family training scheme has been a vital part of the MOE {Ministry of Education] initiative to increase the number of international students in Taiwan,' Wu said. 'We sincerely thank the hosts for their hospitality and their role in public diplomacy.' Since

2009, 1,162 families have been prepped with the essential knowledge for receiving international guests, according to the MOE. It added that the families have hosted a total of 327 students from nearly 20 countries, including Australia, Germany, Japan, Norway and Vietnam. The students come to Taiwan for language, exchange or degree programs, with the period of their stay varying from one week to two years, said Hsieh Pei-hsuan, an official at the Taiwan Host Family Program." Image from article, with caption: Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji (center) extols the program preparing local families for receiving international students at a news conference in Taipei.

Through Chinese eyes: Pang Zhongying (part 1) - Peter Martin and David Cohen, lowyinterpreter.org: Professor Pang Zhongying of People's University: "[T]his university [People's University], like other leading universities in China, has established and operates Confucius Institutes around the globe. But you know, such behavior is not led by NGOs or private organisations. This university is a national university, and the Confucius Institute is owned

and managed by the Chinese Government. This a limit of China's projection of soft power, and maybe this is 'Chinese characteristics'. But in my view, the experiences of others show that you project your soft power not by the government, but mainly by civil society organisations. China should encourage the full development of Chinese civil society, and let them play larger roles in Chinese diplomacy. And maybe a very good news is in recent years, is China promotes public diplomacy. Maybe the Government now takes the lead, and if it faces some failures and setbacks, China will realize the importance of NGOs and civil society in pursuing Chinese objectives." Pang Zhongying image from article

‘New Urban Cultures’ strengthen ties between Spain and India - Madjur, publicdiplomacyblog.com: "The Government of Spain's Ministry of Culture - Casa Asia, the Cervantes Institute and the Spanish embassy in New Delhi joined hands to promote the Spanish 'cultural industries' in India through the third edition of 'New Urban Cultures' programme. The two-day event that took place on Dec 17th and 18th represented the best possible amalgamation of Indian and Spanish culture in fashion, video games, sports, music, design, gastronomy and films. The program showcases the diversity and creativity

inherent in Spanish culture to young Indians and encourages a dialogue and exchange between professionals, designers and artists in the 'national cultural industries' of both countries. The program seeks to take advantage of India's growing political and cultural clout in the international arena, and a growing interest about the world among Indians, to create a forum that can explore possibilities of 'cultural industries' in these countries to collaborate. ... Casa Asia is a public diplomacy institution formed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Spanish Government, the Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council and Madrid City Council. Its mission is to promote knowledge concerning Asia in Spain and to foster relations between the civil societies of Spain and Asian countries." Image from article, with caption: L to R: Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Jivi Sethi and Ritu Kumar at the exhibition "Carteles."

India-Arab Relations, a Week Later - Mona El Hamdani, indiapublicdiplomacy.com: 'I have been also focusing on digging out new information and new manifestations of Indian Arab relations from a public diplomacy perspective, since my research interest has been focused around this issue. ... Unfortunately, beyond the

important economic interests India shares with its Arab counterparts, there is little emphasis given to other aspects of public diplomacy by all parties. The priority is given to business and trade exchanges at the expense of strengthening human, cultural and social ties. In fact, there are few cultural and social initiatives that are carried out by India and Arab states which do not reflect the high volume of economic interests that unite them together." Uncaptioned image from article

From the ocean's churn - Amitava Sanyal, Hindustan Times: "Another classic has been given a new lease of life. Bhinna Shadja (Note Extraordinaire), Amol Palekar and Sandhya Gokhale's film on Kishori Amonkar has been released on DVD by the good people at Enlighten Film and Under Construction distributors (Rs 499). The film, with interviews in Marathi, Hindi and English, is more of a lavishly crafted ode rather than a sharp documentary. (The film was part-funded by our foreign ministry for use as a tool of 'public diplomacy'.) Amonkar shows a disarming candour in sharing the learnings that made her the diva she is. At once fragile and formidable, she says, "Once I enter the meditative state of a performance, I ask god to take me away and just leave the raag and its mood." Zakir Hussain says Amonkar reaches that state at every performance. It's a state all musicians aspire to, but few achieve - ever."

Iran's Top Envoys Convene in Tehran: Heads of Iranian missions and the country's ambassadors to the different world states convened in Tehran on Saturday to start a weeklong meeting on 'Diplomacy and the Islamic Awakening' - farsnews.com: Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast ... reiterated that different issues, including the Islamic Awakening, developments in the Middle-East and North Africa, economic self-sufficiency jihad, issues related to public diplomacy and the Iranian people and regional Muslims' role and place in Tehran's public diplomacy will be discussed during the conference.

The rising tides of Islamic Awakening, which many even in the West believe to be inspired by Iran's Islamic Revolution, have swept many countries in the Middle-East and North Africa. Since the start of 2011, the region has witnessed a growing wave of popular protests resulted from the people's growing awareness and vigilance." Uncaptioned image from article

Non-corrosive diplomacy: A Necessity in a World of Globalization, Technology and Communication Advancement and a Modern Definition of National Interest - khadawardi.com: "Diplomacy can make a strong contribution to international security at much lower cost than armed force, namely by addressing not only the immediate causes of organized violence—anger, resentment, humiliation—but also the underlying, structurally embedded ones. This is where the definition of diplomacy flourishes into a number of applications including public diplomacy which involves efforts by governments to promote their policies and interests abroad by influencing international public opinion through interaction with other polities, forging partnerships with civil societies and using the media strategically. The approach is non-coercive and based on the use of ‘soft power’—the attractive rather than coercive power to make others want what you want and to harness public opinion in support of particular interests. In other words, public diplomats use the tools and tactics of public relations to connect with populations abroad, and they count on that connection to produce intelligence and to move host governments toward desired ends. Re-imagined and linked integrally to development, diplomacy can and should displace defence at the centre of international policy and global relations. Saudi Arabia’s international engagement has been considerably in line with such a modern practice of diplomacy."

My Day in Court [cont'd 1] Full text: Israel reports Committee decides bloggers are journalists - Marian Houk, un-truth.com: "[Cited in the entry is] a press release announcing new rules, as transmitted from the Israeli Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs in conjunction with the Israeli Government Press Office [GPO] which is part of the Prime Minister’s Office [PMO] currently headed by Benyamin Netanyahu. ... It should be noted, here, that I arrived in Israel in May 2007 having fulfilled all the Rules and Regulations for a GPO press card, to the letter. Two weeks later I did receive a GPO Press Card. Circumstances changed, and in 2009 — after Operation Cast Lead — my GPO Press Card was not renewed, but instead I was issued a 'Certificate', which I questioned. I was told that the 'Certificate' was the same thing as the 'Press Card'. So, I asked, why don’t you simple issue a GPO 'Press Card', if it’s really the same thing. My appeal to the PMO’s [the only route] was somehow 'lost, I was informed later in the year. ... Without an Israel

GPO press card, I am unable to go to Gaza — which severely hampers my ability to work and report — and I do not have a journalists’ visa which permits me to 'work', however that is defined [this is still unclear as well]." Image from

Propaganda Leaflets Surviving - Public Diplomacy and International Communications: Thoughts and comments about public diplomacy, soft power and international communications by Gary Rawnsley:  "Going back to November I have identified an interesting pattern developing in the Korean Peninsula, and I will be interested to follow how this thread evolves in the wake of North Korea’s current power transition. These reports describe how North Korea has entered the 'Twitter Era' for its propaganda, despite the internet being strictly off-limits to ordinary North Koreans. The propaganda website, Uriminzokkiri, has added Facebook and Twitter tags but the 'share' function is restricted to posts criticising South Korea and the US. Meanwhile, the propaganda regime also posts propaganda footage to Youtube. This suggests that new communications technologies are available in the North and that someone within a government agency has the technological understanding of how to use them. This is quite revealing for a society we are told is somehow hermetically sealed from the rest of the world. Meanwhile, South Korean propagandists are still using the old Cold War technique of distributing to North Korea leaflets attached to helium balloons.

A military source in November noted the decision to suspend this campaign 'was partly made because the wind currently blows in the wrong direction.' It is understandable why South Korea would resort to such ancient and unreliable techniques given the proximity of the target audience and the inability of North Koreans to access other means of communications. But it is fascinating to think that as Pyongyang finally

embraces the information revolution - albeit in a limited way - South Korea is forced to depend on balloons and leaflets." See also (1) (2) (3) (4) (5). Above Image from;  below image,  Putin condoms in Moscow anti-government demonstration,  from

Christmas Truce - Selwyn R. Cudjoe, trinicenter.com; "There were smiles galore; enough to fill the entire room and a little left over for langniappe. There, boldface in the front page of the Mirror (and the Guardian too) was

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Prime Minister of the country[the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago], in the tender embrace (or so it seemed to me) of Maxie Cuffie, the publisher and CEO of the Mirror. Another shot showed Wade Mark, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, clasping Cuffie's hands with a broad smile on his face with Timothy Hamel-Smith, President of the Senate, equally gleeful, overseeing the tete-a-tete. Viewing these photographs, it looked as though it was a major breakthrough in public diplomacy; a feat of realpolitik and diplomacy of which Otto von Bismarck, President of Prussia (1862-1890), would have been proud." Image from

Taiwanese firm accuses AIT project contractor of bullying - "Taiwanese construction company said Wednesday it is planning to protest against what it called bullying by the main U.S. contractor on a new building project in Taipei of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Wei Chuan Arch Contracting Co., one of the subcontractors on the project, accused the U.S. company of changing the terms of their contract and delaying payments. Wei Chuan said it will stage a protest Saturday if the issues cannot be resolved in the current talks with the American company, Weston Solutions Inc., which is building a new AIT compound in Taipei. Asked to comment on the issue, AIT Public Diplomacy Section Chief Sheila Paskman told CNA it is a matter between Wei Chuan and Weston Solutions.'

Consul: Despite Cameron's Veto, U.K. 'Fully Committed' to EU - globalatlanta.com: "Annabelle Malins, Britain’s consul general for the Southeast, leaves no doubt that the United Kingdom is fully supportive of the European Union and its objectives of open and free markets. Britain’s current disagreement with members of the European Council concerning regulation of key industries, including financial services, is not about obtaining special treatment or unfair advantages, according to the consul general. ... Ms. Malins

took up her appointment as Her Majesty’s Consul General in September 2009. She leads a staff working throughout the Southeast on a wide range of issues, including support for British nationals, public diplomacy on the UK government’s policy priorities, scientific co-operation, and trans-Atlantic trade and investment. " Mallins image from article

Take note when women of talent leave workforce: Seminar focuses on helping female employees take ownership of success of their jobs - Amelia Naidoo, gulfnews.com: "Cari Guittard, ex-special adviser to former Secretary of State Colin Powell for public diplomacy and public affairs, spoke to women about having a global mindset and being aware of intellectual capital, psychological capital and social capital. Intellectual capital is the education that people have and this should be continued as a life-long

endeavour but when it comes to psychological and social capital, women sell themselves short, Guittard said. 'Psychological capital, which comes from engaging with multiple cultures and learning from them, is an area that women in particular have incredible strengths but they don't recognise or utilise it in the workforce.'" Image from article, with caption: Dr Amanda Nimon Peters talks to participants during the seminar at the Hult International Business School, Dubai Campus.

Iraqi Photographers Captured the Costs of War - Anne Barnard,lens.blogs.nytimes.com: "As the Boston Globe’s Baghdad bureau chief, I hired Sa’ad al-Izzi, a refrigerator salesman who learned his startling command of American slang from movies. He moved from translator to reporter and Washington Post bureau manager and now works in the U.S. in public diplomacy.)"

Ed Miliband Appoints New Chief of Staff - labour.org.uk: "Tim Livesey is to join Ed Miliband’s office as the Labour Leader’s Chief of Staff. The appointment will bring Tim’s huge experience of government, policy and politics into Ed Miliband’s office. ... Tim Livesey has been the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Secretary (senior adviser) for International Affairs

since September 2010 following four years as his Secretary for Public Affairs 2006-2010. Before that he was a diplomat for 20 years serving in Morocco, Nigeria and Paris where he was head of Press and Public Affairs. He was Assistant Press Secretary to the Prime Minister 2000-2002, Principal Adviser to the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster 2002-2004 (on secondment from the Foreign Office) and Head of Global Public Diplomacy and Assistant Director for Strategy and Information in the Foreign Office 2004-2006. Image, presumably of Livesey, from article

RELATED ITEMS

The Soviet propaganda comes to America: Soviet Posters from World War II enliven a Chelsea gallery in New York - Xenia Grubstein, Russia Beyond the Headlines: A unique chance to view Soviet war posters with its exhibit “Die, Nazi Scum! Soviet TASS Propaganda Posters 1941-1945.” The collection of World War II posters, forming a direct message to the Third Reich and the Nazi machine, were produced by the nation’s greatest talents--on order of the Soviet government.

Xenia Vytuleva, a New York-based Russian art historian and curator, wrote an essay for the catalog that accompanies the exhibit. “Putting the Soviet Anti-Nazi propaganda posters in the context of the white cube of a Chelsea Gallery is an artistic gesture per se as well as a political statement,” she said. Image from article, with caption: This poster is a good example of the Soviet anti-war propaganda.

Soviet USSR Propaganda Posters, 1980s – Part 2 - Amy@AQ-V, aqua-velvet.com: "Another installment of delicious Soviet propaganda ephemera I purchased from the Soviet Shop (formally Soviet Reality), hosted by Michail Sapoval in Lithuania. As always I look forward to expanding my collection further."

Follow the shop link to see many more works including classic red and stern to eerily upbeat posters similar to examples above. In either case, it appears the Soviets were notably fond of exclamation marks. Allegiance and conformity with enthusiasm were to be encouraged obviously. Among the images: Metal must be used in a sustainable way!

North Korean Propaganda Posters - Lawrence Lai, abcnews.go.com: Many communist countries’ propaganda artwork has similar themes and North Korea’s is no different. Subjects such as a leader’s cult of personality, military might, utopian society and devotion to the state are common, and most North Korean billboards carry slogans rather than advertisements.

Late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is credited with mythologizing the Kim family and making its identity inseparable from the country’s. The Kim family have ruled the nation since its founding by Kim Il Sung in 1948.

Above poster caption: Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on a propaganda poster, May 10, 2010, in Pyonyang, North Korea. Below poster caption: Kim Jong Il the soccer fan, on a propaganda poster in North Korea, June 17, 2009.

Pyongyang Metro Propaganda - americaninnorthkorea.com: Beautiful propaganda murals, mosaics, and statues from the Pyongyang Metro. Blogger Joseph describers himself thus: "Raveling to North Korea has been a life changing experience but its [sic] far from being my only one.

I have hiked at Mt. Everest, worked as a white water rafting guide, hung out with rebels and liberation armies in various war zones, been killed off in a Chinese kung-fu film, studied Vietnamese at a university in Hanoi, and most recently passed my exams for the US Coast Guard's highest license, Master Unlimited.

Images from blog

Winning the propaganda war: Anti-Israel press propagandists should not be accommodated or rewarded - Manfred Gerstenfeld, ynetnews.com: Ministers should be asked why certain journalists (read: Palestinian and Arab propagandists) enjoy privileges. Let them fend for themselves without the rights press cards offer. In the physical war against Israel, its leaders search for and find solutions. The same approach should be applied to the propaganda war.

Syrian regime propaganda - As'ad AbuKhalil, angryarab.blogspot.com: "One of the worst element in Syrian regime propaganda is a racist notion that basically rejects the legitimacy of all Arab uprisings and portray them as part of a Western conspiracy. I mean, it is very convenient for the lousy Syrian regime to promote this view, but I have read and heard progressives in Lebanon promote this view. That requires an article in Arabic."

British Propaganda Aims at Triggering Syrian Genocide: Channel 4 makes Goebbels proud with conveniently timed propaganda piece - Tony Cartalucci, Prisonplanet.com:  Channel 4 in England has released shocking images of violence and child abuse that proves Syrian torture policy,” reports the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail claims they are the most graphic images ever shown on British television, and surely such an exception has been made because Wall Street and London’s efforts to justify NATO intervention in Syria have stalled.

Anti-Serb Propaganda And Other Myths Of Bosnia - There Must be Justice: "The US military-industrial establishment in the beginning armed covertly the military formations of the Muslim president of multiconfessional B&H Alija Izetbegovic. ... Izetbegovic succeeded to realise his strategic political objective outlined already in 1992: 'To get the West to defeat the Serbs and establish a Muslim dominated state for him' (Bodansky, Yossef, 1995)."

AMERICANA

Snow Cone Machines for Homeland Security - Mark Frauenfelder, Boing Boing: A federal- and state-designated homeland security agency in Michigan recently purchased 13 snow cone machines at a total cost of $11,700. A spokesperson for the agency explains why the purchase was

essential: 'It is used to attract people so they can be educated and prepared for homeland security," Dey said from his office in Muskegon. "More importantly, they (homeland security officials) felt in a medical emergency the machine was capable of making ice packs which could be used for medical purposes." Image from article.