"Put simply, it is time the US recognized that the 'war on terrorism' never really happened."
--Think tanker Anthony H. Cordesman; image from
VIDEOS
8 insanely dated education and propaganda movies made by Disney - Erin Sullivan, "Disney wasn’t always solely affiliated with theme parks, happiness and light – in fact, a big part of Disney’s history has been its educational fims, which ranged from hygeine films to wartime propaganda to science movies for the public.
Here are eight of our favorite super-dated educational films Disney’s ever made. ... [Includes:] 3. 'The Story of Menstruation,' (1946), brought to you by Kotex, does not approve of the use of tampons." Image from entry
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Africa: Re-Establishing Rapprochement in U.S.-Africa Relations? - Dimpho Motsamai, allafrica.com: "[T]he US and Africa have had a donor-client relationship which, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of African Affairs Bruce Wharton admitted, had not worked well in the past. It is commendable that the Obama Administration has shown some commitment to 'putting Africa back at the center of US foreign policy' with the launch of its Africa strategy. In practice however, and despite this policy, there is lack of distinctness in the approach. Seemingly, rather than setting out substantively new outlines, Obama's Africa focus, it is largely an expression of continuity with the previous administration's tenure. Foremost to this continuity is the fact that US-Africa relations have remained largely pivoted on unilateral measures."
The Search for Stability and the “Non-War” Against “Non-Terrorism” - Anthony H. Cordesman, csis.org: "More than a decade into the 'war on terrorism,' much of the political debate in the
on the legacy of 9/11. US politics have a partisan fixation on
Political Warfare: Policy Innovation Memorandum No. 33 - cfr.org: "The Obama administration could learn from the example of the early Cold War, when the U.S. government first organized itself for political warfare. This concept was defined in a May 4, 1948, memorandum produced by the State Department's policy planning staff under George Kennan: [']Political warfare is the logical application of Clausewitz's doctrine in time of peace. In broadest definition, political warfare is the employment of all the means at a nation's command, short of war, to achieve its national objectives. Such operations are both overt and covert. They range from such overt actions as political alliances, economic measures (as ERP—the Marshall Plan), and 'white' propaganda to such covert operations as clandestine support of 'friendly' foreign elements, 'black' psychological warfare and even encouragement of underground resistance in hostile states.['] ... [A]t its best, the United States aided fighters for freedom behind the Iron Curtain and beyond, helping win the Cold War. It is the latter tradition, neglected for too long, that should be rediscovered. Reinvigorating the U.S. government's capability to wage political warfare will not cost much—in all likelihood less than the $37 million price tag of a single Reaper drone—but it will require mobilizing autonomous bureaucracies to act in concert. In particular, this will require overcoming the normal balkanization of government operations in which al-Qaeda specialists focus only on al-Qaeda, Iran specialists only on Iran, and public diplomacy specialists only on buffing America's image. Waging effective political warfare will require crosscutting skill sets. ... [First] President Barack Obama should take a keen interest in the problem and appoint a highly respected coordinator for political warfare, to be located in the National Security Council. Without the personal support of the president, this initiative will fail. ... Second, the president must create a strategic operational hub—an interagency coordinating body that pulls all of the local efforts together—housed in the State Department. ... Third, the president must direct the top-level government officials— the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the CIA director—to create political-warfare career tracks, which would result in the training and promotion of specialists in this area. ... Once an effective institutional framework is in place, the U.S. government can get to work helping intellectuals and political leaders in countries from Pakistan to Mali. Some activities could be carried out overtly, others covertly. ... Such operations must be conducted carefully so as not to run afoul of the 1948 Smith-Mundt Act, which prohibits the State Department from making any attempt to influence domestic opinion. But even in the Internet age it is possible to ensure that the messaging is aimed overseas and not at home. 'Political warfare' may be an alien-sounding concept in 2013, but that is precisely the problem. The United States will never best its rivals and enemies without enhancing its capacity to exert influence in countries whose futures are up for grabs. That this can be done successfully should be clear from the experience of the Cold War, even if there are many differences between the situation then and now. It is high time to rediscover lost skill sets and get to work countering the attempts of various anti-American actors to shape the world—and in particular the Muslim world—in their own image. It will be difficult to measure the outcome of a political warfare campaign—hard metrics are easier to come by for kinetic targeting than for political-influence operations, which is why American leaders naturally prefer the former to the latter. But U.S. enemies, from Iran to al-Qaeda, work hard and often effectively to shape public opinion with influence operations, not just with the use of force. Unless the United States counters their efforts in kind, it is likely to find the greater Middle East developing in a dangerous direction." See also.
Inspecting the International Information Programs at State: Kicking Delivered - Robin, Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence: "The empire of the American Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs has three parts: Public Affairs, Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and International Information Programs (IIP). Last week the Office of the Inspector General issued an inspection report on IIP and it’s not a
pretty picture. There are implications of cronyism and poor management and there have already been changes in the leadership of the Bureau. ... What struck me in reading this report is how familiar these problems are -not just in American terms but in terms of the history of PD. One of my general points about PD is that it operates between a complex set of pressures policy/communications. Post/MFA, different publics, centralization/decentralization these are tensions that are not going to be resolved but need to be managed. My advice? Push for greater engagement between IIP and the Bureaus, look for greater policy involvement and try to reduce the reliance on contractors. From looking at OIG reports on Regional Bureaus it’s pretty obvious that the IG is less than happy with the way that PD is being embedded into the Department generally. The one exception seems to be in Western Hemisphere Affairs where a 2010 report praises the integration of PD in to the work of the Bureau." Image from
A Day in the Life - Eating and Wandering: "Frequently people ask me what it was like to be a public diplomacy officer in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. 'Hard,' is my off-the-cuff answer. My job as Information Officer, colloquially known as press attaché, included a number of key responsibilities: Daily press briefings with the Ambassador and senior staff [;] Drafting press guidance and talking points on a variety of issues[;] Managing the Embassy’s social media strategy, important in a country with press restrictions [;] identifying speakers for weekly outreach programs [;] Working with libraries and librarians to fund English-language materials [;] Traveling with the Ambassador on site visits throughout the country [;] Coordinating press events such as monthly press conferences and exclusive interviews with the Secretary of State [;] Creating media plans to promote educational and cultural programs in a country with press restrictions [;] Monitoring the on-the-ground situation for working journalists [;] Promoting information about the services of the Embassy’s consular
section, including American Citizen Services and visa services for local citizens [;] There’s definitely more to the job, but that’s a pretty good start. As you can imagine, on any given day I might have other things come up, such as unconfirmed reports that the President of the country had a massive heart attack! When I think back on my favorite aspects of the job, they definitely relate to promoting the cultural programs we worked so hard to present for the Uzbek public. During my time in Uzbekistan we had photographers, poets, basketball players, musicians, and dancers come to Tashkent and other cities for master classes, performances, competitions, and more. I had an amazing time traveling with our cultural envoys and coming up with interesting ways to share their work with the citizens of Uzbekistan." Via PR. Image from entry, with caption: The talented students of the Urgench arts kolej perform for arts envoy and photographer Frank Ward.
Beauties from Boston: Della Mae brings Bluegrass to the Big Room - synthesisweekly.com: "There aren’t many bands that visit Chico not long after making a 43-day jaunt through Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Hell, there aren’t many bands who’ve even heard of most of those places. But the U.S. State Department thought that five prodigiously talented young women, steeped in knowledge of and skill in playing deeply American music, might just be good representatives for our country in that volatile region of the world.
So, Della Mae (in the persons of Celia Woodsmith, Courtney Hartman, Shelby Means, Jenni Lyn Gardner, and band founder Kimber Ludiker) hit the bumpy roads south and east of eastern Europe, pickin’ and singin’, conducting music programs for children, playing concerts for audiences who were hearing their kind of music for the first time, and collaborating with local musicians to merge very diverse musical cultures." Via PR on Facebook; see also (via PR). Image from article
CDO Celebrates Social Media Day at SM City CDO on June 30 - CDOBloggers, cdobloggers.com: "Keynote Speaker: Maria Irene Aserios [--] Maria Irene Aserios is a blogger, social media strategist, publicist, experienced journalist, travel writer and photographer. With solid background and intensive experience in social media marketing, brand management and public relations, she is a trusted digital strategist for various brands, businesses and individuals here and abroad.
She provides brand strategy, content marketing, online publishing and online marketing services. After working in the traditional media community for several years, she discovered the power of the Internet, blogging and social media. She then started her own blogs, some of which have fetched awards from the Philippine Blog Awards. She then created a bloggers and social media club with the aim that it can help enable citizen empowerment, social responsibility and even generate passive income. An active member of several other bloggers and online media groups, she is well-versed in public diplomacy, building communities and using the power of volunteerism. ... In 2012, she was invited by the U.S. Department of State as an official delegate to the International Visitor Leadership Program, a U.S. government-sponsored program for emerging global leaders. She toured the USA and met with high-profile American government officials, community leaders and counterparts." Uncaptioned image from entry
The Guardian’s Tunde Akingbade Brought Honor To Nigeria-United States Consulate - tundeakingbade.wordpress.com: "The Consulate General of the United States of America has said that Mr. Tunde Akingbade, environment journalist with The Guardian who won the United Nations/Prince Albert II of Monaco Prize Medal for Climate Change Coverage 2012 brought honor to Nigeria. In a letter signed by Ms. Rhonda J. Watson, Public Diplomacy Officer of the Consulate General dated June 19, 2013, the US Consulate General said it was delighted to know that Akingbade also received a CNN recognition in 2012 in the Environment Award category.
'As an alumnus of the International Visitor and Leadership Program, you are a living example that one can strive for and attain excellence in all fields of human endeavor,' the statement noted. The Consulate General praised Akingbade for advancing environmental protection in Nigeria as well as the field of investigative journalism." Image from entry
Don’t hinder exchange programs - Letter Writer (Raeann Collins, Eagan), sunthisweek.com: "As [sic] most Americans, I agree a solution must be found for the 11 million hapless undocumented workers who hide in the shadows. The Immigration Bill on the Capitol Hill is trying to do that. Unfortunately, as part of the political horse-trading, some worthwhile programs have been sacrificed. As a student who studied abroad through a program offered at the University of Minnesota, this news is devastating. I have felt the value in studying abroad, and encourage this cultural exchange. Under the current Senate Bill, all J-1 student exchange programs, such as the summer camp counselors, au pairs, summer work and travel students and internship/trainee participants will be eliminated. That is approximately 200,000 young people from all over the world, all elite university students (except for au pair), the future leaders of their respective countries. This is puzzling and disturbing as J-1 programs are the cornerstone of the U.S. public diplomacy efforts."
Kelly Hunt, wounded diplomat with ET ties, recovering at home: Hunt, former KNS copy editor, continues progress - Matt Lakin, knoxnews.com: "Kelly Hunt, the former News Sentinel copy editor wounded in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, is at home with family and offering her thanks to friends across the country and around the world for their support. ... Hunt, 33, came home to Sheffield Lake, Ohio, after more than a month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington.
She suffered brain injuries, a fractured skull, a broken hand and shrapnel wounds April 6 when a suicide bomber drove a car bomb into a convoy delivering textbooks to students in Afghanistan’s southern Zabul province as part of a goodwill mission. Hunt, a public diplomacy officer for the State Department, was walking with U.S. diplomat Anne Smedinghoff when the bomb exploded. The blast killed Smedinghoff, Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Ward of Oak Ridge, two other soldiers and a civilian Defense Department worker." Hunt image from article
Looking Back at a World Tour: After More Than 30 Years, President of Arts Foundation Steps Down - "The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, one of New York's small, but influential arts funders, will soon enter a new era: On July 1, President Margaret Ayers will step down from the post she held since 1979. ... During Ms. Ayers's leadership, the foundation has targeted its grants to entities in New York City or state that relate to three subject areas: improving the performance of public institutions, protecting reproductive rights and promoting international arts engagement. Within the third category, it has supported, in collaboration with the State Department, projects including the Brooklyn Academy of Music's DanceMotion USA, which sent four dance companies to tour four regions of the world this year, and the Bronx Museum's smARTpower, which selected 15 American artists to serve as cultural ambassadors. In 2012, it gave 18 grants in this field totaling $2.2 million. The State Department is currently budgeted to spend between $10 million and $12 million for cultural affairs exchanges. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Ms. Ayers discussed the evolution of the foundation and its support for sending American artists abroad, particularly since the 1999 closure of the U.S. Information Agency. ... [Q:] The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, contributed to a new phase. How did that start? [A:] We noted that global public opinion regarding the U.S. was at a high in the months after Sept. 11. However, after the U.S. sent troops to Iraq, global public opinion sank like a stone. Amidst the mounting calls for change, there were many that questioned what had happened to our public diplomacy apparatus. It was destroyed when ... Congress made the decision to eliminate the U.S. Information Agency. In 1999, USIA's cultural exchange programs were moved as a block to the State Department. However, there was no arts exchange program.
It had been eliminated by Congress in 1996. By the turn of the century, little was happening on the international front with regard to sending American artists abroad. At this point, I began to consider moving our arts support to international cultural engagement. ... [Q:] How has the field changed over time? [A:] International cultural engagement is becoming disentangled from state policy. Many would describe such engagement activities within the context of a 'third space,' in which creativity and new forms of collaboration among the various public and private participants in the field are enhanced. I believe all of this promotes international acceptance and tolerance—necessary ingredients for producing a more congenial world." Image from article, with caption: Margaret Ayers, the president of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation
The World's Most Reputable Countries, According To The Reputation Institute - Carlo Davis, Huffington Post: "This week, the Reputation Institute, an international reputation management consulting firm based in New York and Copenhagen, released its 2013 rankings of the world's most reputable countries as identified by a survey of over 27,000 G8 citizens. Respondents were asked to rate 50 countries based on the level of trust, admiration, respect, and affinity they felt towards them.
According to the International Herald Times, Charlotte Beers, former chairwoman of the J. Walter Thompson Worldwide advertising agency, was appointed undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs after 9/11 to sell the Bush Administration's foreign policy to the world. As Salon notes, she spearheaded the Shared Values Initiative, which produced a series of roundly criticized video ads [.] She resigned less than a year later." Beers image from
Downsizing the Federal Government - Terry Orr, Keeping it Simple (KISBYTO): "Which of these do you recommend to be significantly downsized or out right closed down? Government Agencies We Should Get Rid Of Immediately ... 149. Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (State Department) 150. Radio and TV Marti (Español)"
Tara Sonenshine – Broadcasting Board of Governors is in urgent need of reform - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "In an emailed farewell note, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara D. Sonenshine said that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the federal agency in charge of U.S. international broadcasting, 'is in urgent need of reform and new approaches to the entities,' which include the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN – Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting ( OCB – Radio and TV Marti). ... With the departure of Tara Sonenshine, the BBG will see its 5th representative from the State Department in in three years. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton never attended any BBG meetings, but she met with BBG members and IBB executives."
Broadcasting Board of Governors – Information War Lost – Dysfunctional, Defunct and Way Out Of Order – A Hearing on the Hill - The Federalist, usgbroadcasts.com: "[T]he agency [BBG] is dead."
South Africa’s Renovated Mission Encapsulates Traditions, Aspirations - Martin Austermuhle, washdiplomat.com: "Sometimes a building is just that: a brick-and-mortar structure used for utilitarian purposes. But other times, a building is much more than a simple structure — it's a symbol, and one that can speak to the traditions, values and aspirations of the organization and people within its walls. That's what South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool hopes for the two buildings that have long served as the country's diplomatic presence in Washington and are approaching the end of a multiyear renovation. ... More than a modern interior, though, the new embassy's most striking — and contrasting — addition will be a glass-and-steel atrium that will connect the two buildings.
The atrium will be used for cultural functions and exhibitions and, as Rasool tells it, best exemplifies the attempt to use the renovated embassy to convey the message that South Africa is both traditional and modern. ... Once the renovations are done, said Rasool, a 10-foot statue of the former president [Mandela] and Nobel Peace Prize winner will be placed in front of the embassy. ... The renovations — designed by architect Davis Brody Bond and implemented by Turner Construction Co. — should be completed by July, and Rasool plans an opening ceremony in September. 'It's going to be the culmination and the high point of our diplomacy in the U.S.A.,' he said. Along with the positive public diplomacy that came from South Africa hosting the 2010 World Cup, he noted, the new embassy and the Mandela statue will help further develop the strong relationship between Washington and Pretoria." Image from article, with caption: South Africa's renovated 58,000-square-foot chancery and residence on Massachusetts Avenue — done by architect Davis Brody Bond and Turner Construction Co. — will feature a glass-and-steel atrium that will connect the two buildings.
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission Account 2012-13 - marshallscholarship.org: "The aims and objectives of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission (‘MACC’ or ‘Commission’) are ... to strengthen US-UK relations and to promote British influence in the United States by providing Marshall Scholarships to US Citizens of high academic achievement, who have the ability to be leaders, opinion formers and decision makers in the United States and, by doing so, to express the gratitude of the British people for the Marshall Plan. As future leaders of America, with a lasting understanding and appreciation of contemporary British society, Marshall Scholars will add to the enduring ties between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. The MACC’s objectives are to strengthen the cultural, economic, trade, personal and historic ties between the US and the UK . ... The Commission works closely with the FCO’s Public Diplomacy department which is represented at meetings of the Commission and its Committees. The Commission also works closely with the UK Ambassador to the US and relevant Embassy and Consulate staff."
Nigeria: Britain Reconsiders £3,000 Visa Bond - allafrica.com: "British Prime Minister David Cameron has halted the controversial plan by his country to demand a £3,000 bond from each visa applicant from 'high risk countries'. ... Although the Prime Minister's Office said pilot studies involving the use of migrant bonds - or deposits - for some visitors would go ahead, neither Cameron nor Nick Clegg, his Lib Dem deputy, has agreed the scope of the scheme or the size of the bonds. ... The Home Office said on Tuesday the November pilot would be 'highly selective', focusing only on those visitors from India and other countries thought to present a 'residual risk' of overstaying. ... 'It is certainly a stupid move, but it is also extremely bad public diplomacy. It will raise a hue and cry here,' Brahma Chellaney, a strategic affairs analyst at New Delhi's Centre for Policy Research think tank, said. 'It really just doesn't make any sense. It will have detrimental effect on the UK-India relationship, and it will create a bad image for the UK in India, and also uproar elsewhere in the world.'"
Australians highlight China's economic importance, but place greater weight on US ties - Olivia Rosenman, scmp.com: "Australians are conflicted in their attitudes towards China, seeing the country as a great economic opportunity while at the same time feeling uneasy about growing Chinese investment, according to a Lowy Institute poll on public opinion and foreign policy ... . As well as fear of Chinese investment, more than half of Australians see China as a military threat, unchanged from last year's result and down from a 2009 peak.
Rory Metcalf, director of the institute's international security programme, said China had an 'opportunity … through its public diplomacy, to put a lid on those threat perceptions'. A reflection of that fear was increased support for the US alliance, which the poll's author, Alex Oliver, said remained 'the bedrock of Australian security'. The poll revealed that 82 per cent supported the Australian-US relationship, the highest percentage since polling began in 2005. More than half agreed with hosting US troops on Australian soil." Image from article
Dazzling Miss Israel Brings Message of Jewish Diversity to America: Trailblazing Ethiopian-Born Beauty Proud of Africa and Israel - Yermi Brenner, Jewish Daily Forward: "When Miss Israel, Yityish Aynaw, entered a Solomon Schechter Day School prekindergarten class, in New Milford, N.J., a caretaker excitedly asked the children, 'Do you know where she’s from?' 'Africa!' one confident little girl shouted. The adult quickly corrected the 3-year-old, explaining that Aynaw is in fact from 'Eretz Israel.' ... Aynaw, 21, was one of about 71,500 Ethiopian Jews who immigrated to Israel between 1990 and 2004. ... Aynaw follows in the footsteps of other Israeli beauty queens who reflected demographic changes and concerns in Israeli society. ... Like her predecessors, Aynaw has been doing her share of hasbara.
But the main goal of her one-week trip to the United States was not public diplomacy, but fundraising for social initiatives in Netanya, her home since arriving in Israel. She’s cooperating with the Netanya Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for the city’s residents. One of its projects is to create an after-school culture and music center for kids in the low-income neighborhood in which Aynaw still lives." Image from article
Which Waze Next for the Brand of ‘Start-Up Nation’ Israel? - algemeiner.com: "Google’s $1.3 billion acquisition of Waze, the Israeli-developed traffic crowdsourcing app that has won the hearts of 50 million users in 193 countries, is perhaps now recognized more for keeping the company in its Tel Aviv headquarters than for its nine zeroes, and is being touted as a national victory for Israel. Yet, the pride that flowed from the agreement to keep
Waze’s talent put (Netanyahu himself called company heads to say 'You’ve reached your destination!') indicates an underlying concern that big foreign buyouts could eventually erode Israel’s brand as the 'start-up nation,' a term coined in the 2011 book by Dan Senor and Saul Singer. ... American giants swallowing up promising Israeli start-ups is nothing new. ... Israel, always so concerned with its hasbara (public diplomacy), may not be so quick to forget the roots of its swallowed start-ups." Image from article, with caption: Uri Levine, co-founder and president of the company that developed the Israeli traffic crowdsourcing app Waze, speaks during The Second Jerusalem International Tourism Summit at the Jerusalem International Convention Center on May 28, 2013.
Israel advocacy or Zionist education? - Jeremy Gimpel, Jerusalem Post: "Israel has attracted the highest venture capital investment per capita in the world, 30 times more than Europe. From dirt road beginnings, Israel has more NASDAQ-listed companies than any country outside the US and China – more than all of Europe, India, and Japan combined. Impressive, no? On the other hand, in a recent BBC survey measuring public opinion, Israel placed in the company of North Korea, ahead of only Iran and Pakistan. How could a country accomplish so much yet fail so miserably in its public relations? Recently, Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin complained publicly that the ministry’s budget for public relations was only NIS 9 million, while the Palestinian Authority’s budget for public relations was $200 million. He compared Israel’s PR war to David and Goliath. This is clearly a part of the problem. However, even if Israel’s leadership were to sober up, recognize their failure and invest tens of millions of dollars in PR, I fear it wouldn’t bridge the gap. The root of the failure lies in us, the Jewish people, and our fundamental approach. When training student ambassadors or addressing the world, we explain Israel’s case as advocates and not as Zionists – and there is a world of difference. Allow me to explain. Hasbara (public diplomacy), and 'advocacy' are the words usually used to describe Israel’s PR efforts. Encrypted in those words lies the answers to Israel’s PR conundrum. Hasbara in Hebrew suggests an effort 'to explain' (lehasbir).
From the outset, the goal of hasbara is to explain, defend and excuse Israel for its faults. It’s a defensive, apologetic approach with no positive message or consistent strategy. Instead, our PR efforts are relegated to crisis management and shoot-from-the-hip responses to current events. 'Israel Advocacy' adds another problematic term and faulty approach to the mix. There are hundreds of courses in schools, yeshivas, seminaries and college campuses around the world teaching Israel advocacy. Here too, developing an advocate, literally like a lawyer, aims at teaching students effective talking points giving them diplomatic ammunition to handle anti-Israel activists or teachers on campus. Israel advocacy is important and every lover of Israel needs to know how to defend our rights, but when trying to win public opinion, exercising our Talmudic skills of arguing may not be the best approach. ... We cannot focus exclusively on winning arguments. We need to win hearts. For winning the heart, advocacy and hasbara will always fall short. We need to shift the focus of our message and our education. Instead of training pro-Israel advocates, we need to inspire Zionists. ... [A] Zionist isn’t on the sidelines rooting for his team to win – he’s running the ball down the field. A Zionist sees himself as a player in the game. ... We must shift from Israel advocacy to empowering every Jew to see themselves as characters in the story of the Jewish people. ... When our spokesmen and ambassadors stop apologetically explaining and advocating, and instead speak with clarity of cause and sincerity of purpose as representatives of the Jewish people throughout the ages, I believe world opinion will be changed and unabashed Jewish pride reclaimed. The author is the Deputy Director of the World Mizrachi Movement [See]." Uncaptioned image from article
The Right-wing Plan for Israeli Sovereignty Over Judea and Samaria - Israel's Women in Green, magic-city-news.com: "Over the last few weeks, the Committee for the Application of Israeli Sovereignty Over Judea and Samaria, founded by Women in Green, has been holding a series of conferences throughout the country in order to disseminate the concept of applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. ... 'Women in Green' heads Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar said: 'The Arabs understand that he who controls the land, the soil, is the true sovereign. They operate in this spirit and occupy more and more plots in an agricultural Jihad, as well as political and public diplomacy Jihads, both in Israel and abroad. Israel, in a suicidal mode, relinquishes its cultural and historical heritage, time after time; it gives up parts of the homeland, and on the other hand, each concession invites further concessions'." Uncaptiond image from article
UN Committee on child’s rights gets it wrong - 5mfi.com: "Israel could have publicly and energetically fought the terms of the [Goldstone Report; see] inquiry and the composition of the authoring team. It could have given its input before the report was written. At worst it would have had a heads-up on specific charges instead of a rebuttal written days and months after publication that few would read. Who could argue that Israel’s policy of noncooperation with investigations, has been a public diplomacy fiasco? How could cooperation have been any worse?"
Coalition plans to punish those who boycott Israel - Jake Lynch, thegenerator.com.au: "The charge that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel is anti-semitic fails its only salient test. The target of BDS is not Jews or Judaism, but militarism and lawlessness . ... Universities come into BDS because Israel uses academic exchange as a distraction from its lawless and militaristic behaviour.
The Neaman Report on public diplomacy, published by Technion University Haifa and commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recommends targeting 'educational organisations' as 'beneficial clients' in efforts to sanitise its image abroad. Uncaptioned image from article
Selling Europe’s Human Rights: Loud and Clear or Softly-Softly? - Judy Dempsey, carnegieeurope.eu: "During a hearing at the European Parliament’s human rights committee on Tuesday in Brussels, it became clear just how divided the human rights community is in Europe. Some favor quiet diplomacy. Ashton [Catherine Ashton, Europe’s foreign policy chief] and Lambrinidis [Stavros Lambrinidis, her human rights envoy] are at the forefront of that group. Others, among them Markus Löning, Germany’s human rights commissioner, strongly advocate public rhetoric. ... If pandering to authoritarian practices is damaging to long-term business interests, it is far worse for politics. This is particularly true for the EU, which has built its raison d’être internally and externally on peace, democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. Ashton, like so many other politicians who navigate the difficult waters of dealing with authoritarian regimes, regularly needs to be reminded of one important fact. Quiet diplomacy becomes self-defeating when it is so quiet that nobody listens to it anymore.[Comment by:] Jacqueline Hale, Open Society European Policy Institute [:] Excellent article highlighting the extent to which human rights policy should be elevated to a strategic priority for the EU, and that values and interest are a false dichotomy. There should be no assumption the EU is the only normative or values actor out there. The multipolar world is an increasingly contested marketplace of 'ideas', and it is very much in the EU's interest in continuing to defend its ideas on human rights and democracy. The practical policy question as you highlight is whether the EU has the confidence to develop its public diplomacy? It also involves the EU expanding its definition of what public diplomacy means: recognising that there are many ways of supporting human rights defenders and civil society publicly (in addition to making statements critical of government). Praise for and photo opportunities with human rights defenders and visiting high level officials, convening meetings at the EU delegation, monitoring court hearings, attending demonstrations...there are so many things the EU could be doing better and more confidently."
Can India help undo the Syrian knot? - Sukalpa Chakrabarti, eastasiaforum.org: "India has the potential to encourage a forward-looking development agenda in Syria. It can also play a defining role as a third party between the United States and Russia, facilitating a relaxation of their rigid attitudes toward Damascus, while persuading Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to declare a truce with the rebel factions as a first step. Diplomacy seldom starts with a sure success in the first round, and, given the imbroglio, an honest broker like India should be resilient in its efforts to soften the attitudes of the mentors of the warring parties.
If the situation permits, this can be followed by peace talks with Assad and, depending on the efficacy of its public diplomacy, with Syria’s civil society too. India could also play a part in the national reconciliation that would need to follow, facilitating a democratic transition in good time. Apart from a proactive role in the peace talks, India’s foreign policy objectives should therefore concern collaborating with Syria to facilitate the resettlement of refugees, good governance, gender equality and freedom of the media." Uncaptioned image from entry
Armenia suspends talks on orders from its masters - milaz.info: "The Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations are due to meet at PACE. Special attention is given to an impact that the meeting will have on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Some experts believe that such a meeting will provide an opportunity for the future expansion of public diplomacy. A member of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, MP Asim Mollazade gave his assessment of the matter in an interview with publika.az. ... Q: Do you agree with opinions that this kind of meetings will expand public diplomacy? A [:] First of all, it is not public diplomacy. This meeting of the delegations will be held on the level of parliaments and international organizations, and this is state diplomacy. Diplomatic activity is usually carried out by executive bodies. And this meeting will bring together representatives of the legislative bodies who are members of our delegations in international organizations. I believe that some progress may be achieved in this direction. We are also advocates of public diplomacy in different planes."
Attention Vietnamese Artists: Opportunity to Exhibit Your Paintings in Danish Embassy - hanoigrapevine.com: "From The Culture Development and Exchange Fund (CDEF): Promoting Vietnamese paintings project in Danish Embassy was set up in 2002. The selected works had been exhibited in the opening of first project in Jun 2013 with 9 paintings of 8 talented artists. The initiative of Danish Embassy has contributed to promoting the works of Vietnamese artists, broadening art knowledge and supporting them – one of CDEF criteria.
The works are paintings or graphics with unlimited materials. The paintings selector group includes Danish Ambassador to Vietnam John Nielsen, Deputy Ambassador Lis Rosenholm and 02 members of the CDEF manager board: artist Le Quang Dinh and journalist Truong Uyen Ly. Paintings expect to be hung within 6 months. The Embassy will hold a meeting to promote and introduce in public selected works and artists who involve in the project." Image from entry, with caption: One of the selected artworks exhibited in Danish Embassy, “My daughter” (3) by artist Doan Hoang Lam
Public diplomacy era of globalization - verygoodbag.com: "Since the 1960s and 1970s, under the impetus of the globalization movement, public diplomacy and gradually developed in the world, public diplomacy to become the worlds major powers of cultural output, and an important tool for ideological confrontation. After the end of the Cold War, along with the process of globalization continues to expand and deepen public diplomacy also gained considerable development. Not only the major powers and small countries in the world also have to include the countrys [sic] foreign public diplomacy strategy. In order to effectively promote public diplomacy strategy, States not only established a relatively sound public diplomacy organizations, regulatory agencies, but also to establish the legal, financial and institutional support system. You must feel a little tired after this reading, let us relax for a moment, I will show you various kinds of replica celine cabas and the best real leather replica celine handbags, if you like please select anyone you want. They all real leather best quality replica cabas bag and replica celine handbags!"
US secretary Kerry appoints ex-senator Gary Hart as International Security Advisory Board chairman - breakoutwear.co.uk: "U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has announced that former Senator Gary Hart will serve as Chairman of the International Security Advisory Board (ISAB). The ISAB provides the Department of State with independent advice and insight on scientific, technical, and policy aspects of arms control, disarmament, nonproliferation, international security, and related aspects of public diplomacy.
The duties of the ISAB are advisory only. The ISAB is sponsored and overseen by Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller and provides its recommendations through Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller to Secretary Kerry and the Department of State." Uncaptioned image from entry
Malaysia’s Election and Najib’s Challenged Mandate - Dinobeano, dinmerican.wordpress.com: "The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options. The Center is an independent, public, nonprofit organization with funding from the U.S. government, and additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments in the region. Over fifty years of serving as a U.S.-based institution for public diplomacy in the Asia Pacific region with international governance, staffing, students, and participants, the Center has built a worldwide network of 57,000 alumni and more than 750 partner organizations."
The Seal Problem: The population of gray seals on the Cape has exploded in recent years. Is it time to cull the herd? - Paul Starobin, Boston Magazine: "On a chilly Sunday this past April, I took a trip to Muskeget Island, on Nantucket Sound, in order to have a look at a big seal herd myself. Muskeget is the single largest breeding ground for the gray seal in the region.
I rode out in a small motorboat with Crocker Snow, who owns a cottage on the island. Snow, the director of the Murrow Center for Public Diplomacy, at Tufts’ Fletcher School, is something of an anti-seal activist. He calls Muskeget’s seals 'golf-course geese,' because of how they poop everywhere, and he worries that they’re upsetting the ecological balance on the island by fouling several small freshwater ponds and trampling the habitat and nests of the beach vole, a small rodent unique to the island." Image from article
Public Diplomacy and Policy Outreach Expert -– Team Leader - naombakazi.blogspot.com: "Ecorys is looking to recruit a Public Diplomacy and Policy Outreach Expert –Team Leader to work on 'B-Brussels: ICI+ — EU public diplomacy and outreach in India and in the SAARC' project. ... Professional experience ... General experience of 5 to 10 years or more in public diplomacy, public relations, communication, event management, marketing, policy dialogue ... Desirable experience ... Organising events and public diplomacy campaigns and policy dialogues ... Ecorys UK is part of Ecorys Group an international consultancy with offices across Europe, Africa and Asia. We currently employ more than 500 technical, management and support staff and are one of Europe's largest specialist economic and social development consultancies with an annual turnover of more than $100m."
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EU confronts U.S. over reports it spies on European allies - Ben Deighton and Annika Breidthardt, reuters.com: The European Union has demanded that the
Ecuador and US discuss Snowden asylum - france24.com: Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said on Saturday that he had spoken on the phone with US Vice President Joe Biden to discuss former NSA contractor Edward Snowden’s asylum request. The case has been a major embarrassment for the Obama administration, which is now facing withering criticism around the world for the espionage program known as Prism that Snowden revealed. A German magazine on Saturday, citing secret documents, reported that the United States bugged European Union offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks, which will likely add to the furor over U.S. spying efforts. Via JJ on Facebook
Obama’s puzzling Middle East policies - David Ignatius, Washington Post: Syria is a policy nightmare, and Obama is right to want an eventual negotiated political transition. But that will not happen if Assad and Iran shatter the rebels in the face of an American promise of assistance. Egypt is another puzzling example of bootless Obama administration policy in the Middle East. What is the Obama administration’s position? You would think, surely, that it would remain neutral in the face of broad-based opposition to Morsi and the Brotherhood. It would urge the Egyptian army — the only institution in Egypt that retains wide support — to stay neutral as well, just as it did when protesters challenged President Hosni Mubarak two years ago. But administration policy is so unclear that many Egyptians think the United States is backing Morsi in the face of public rejection, and they wonder why.
U.S. Wastes $2.3 Billion on Messed Up Afghan Air Force - Peter Van Buren, We Meant Well: The sleaze squirting out of the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction’s (SIGAR) office is almost impossible to otherwise keep track of in both volume and awfulness. The expected costs : $771.8 for aircraft purchase, $553 million to the Russians and, at $109 million a year for ten years for ongoing logistics support, over $1 billion. Total = over $2.3 billion dollars in blatant waste. Ka-ching!!!!!!!!
American power in the 21st century will be defined by the ‘rise of the rest’ - Joseph S. Nye Jr., Washington Post: Simply put, the problem of American power in the 21st century is not one of a poorly specified “decline” or being eclipsed by China but, rather, the “rise of the rest.” The paradox of American power is that even the largest country will not be able to achieve the outcomes it wants without the help of others.
Hey, Liberal Arts Graduates: If You Can't Score a Job at Disney, There's Always the State Department - Uri Friedman, Foreign Policy: All you liberal arts students out there, take heart: There are employers out there who want to hire you, and none has more to offer humanities students than the
Walt Disney Company, according to survey data released by Universum and highlighted by Forbes last week. But if that gig at Disney doesn't work out, the State Department would like you to know that it finished third in the ranking, just behind the United Nations (and barely ahead of Google). Image from article
Russia bans gay “propaganda” - euronews.com: Russia’s lower house of parliament, the Duma has passed a new bill that outlaws activism by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and their supporters. The new legislation bans the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations”, which refers to homosexual relations. Critics said it would restrict sexual health education and impede the fight against AIDS and homophobic prejudices. Individuals found guilty of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors”
will face fines of up to 5,000 roubles (120 euros), whilst organisations will be liable for fines of up to one million roubles (24,000 euros) and may have their activities suspended. Uncaptioned image from article
Turkmen Leader Celebrates 56th Birthday With J.Lo Performance - Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe:
spectacular fireworks display, and a performance by
The rise of Turkish soap power - Nathan Williams, BBC News: As Turkish soap operas reach increasing numbers of viewers in the Arab world, the sight on TV screens of Muslims drinking alcohol
or conducting adulterous relationships is becoming commonplace - and the shows have presented a new image of relations between man and woman. Via LO-S. Image from entry
Hollywood helped Adolf Hitler with Nazi propaganda drive, academic claims: Historian Ben Urwand says he has cache of documents that prove Tinseltown enthusiastically cooperated with Nazis' global propaganda effort - Jonathan Paige, independent.co.uk: Hollywood is not widely thought of as providing much support to Hitler's regime, instead producing a wealth of anti-Nazi films during the Second World War, ranging from Casablanca to The Great Dictator. But now a young historian says that in the years before the war, Tinseltown was marching to a very different tune. Ben Urwand, 35 has written a book, The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact With Hitler, in which he cites documents that prove, he says, US studios acquiesced to Nazi censorship of their films actively cooperated with the regime's world propaganda effort.
“Hollywood is not just collaborating with Nazi Germany,” Urwand told the New York Times. “It’s also collaborating with Adolf Hitler, the person and human being.” The book describes many Jewish studio bosses not only censoring films to suit the regime, but also producing material that could be inserted into German propaganda films and even financing German weapons manufacturing. The collaboration of Hollywood with the regime began in 1930, says Urwand, when Carl Laemmle Jr of Universal Studios agreed major cuts to the First World War film All Quiet On The Western Front after riots in Germany instigated by the Nazi party. Image from, with caption: Hitler and Goebbels at the UFA studios in Berlin in 1935.
AMERICANA
Steve Lovelace, Business Insider: "This is my map of 'The Corporate States of America'. I selected a corporation or brand that best represented the 50 states. My criteria are subjective, but in each case, I tried to use a brand that a) is based in that state and b) is still in business." Via RB on Facebook
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Death Row Information - Texas Department of Criminal Justice
AND EVEN MORE AMERICANA
From: End Of The World? Science Artist Ron Miller Envisions Apocalypse Scenarios (PHOTOS) - Huffington Post. Via CDM on Facebook
