It’s a commonplace that most historical studies of U.S. public diplomacy have focused on Washington policies, themes, leaders, and decisions.
They have thus slighted how policies were implemented “in the field” -- in other nations, regions, and societies. There’s not much written on how Public Diplomacy officers at U.S. embassies, consulates, and American centers presented the United States to the people of other societies or how they advanced U.S. policies.
Those who want to gain insight into Public Diplomacy as it is implemented overseas will find a valuable resource in the extensive oral history program of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. ASDT’s offices are on the Arlington campus of the George Schultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center. (In the State Department, the NFATC is usually called the Foreign Service Institute, FSI.)
As of this writing, more than 1,900 transcribed and edited interviews of retired diplomats can be located (and searched) via the ADST website. There’s foreign policy and Public Diplomacy, but much more. Stuart Kennedy, who led the interviews project and conducted many of the oral history sessions, was committed to including social history.
Here are just a few glimpses of Public Diplomacy found in the rich collections at ADST:
How USIA legend Bernard Lavin helped Korea develop “democratic education” in the 1950s and 1960s. (pp. 5-11)
Inside scoops on visits by the President, Secretary of State, and Vice-President – by Lloyd Neighbors. (pp. 75-79, 90-92, 130-133, 192-197)
Public Diplomacy in the wake of 9/11 in Indonesia, by Greta Morris. (pp. 98-100)
Janey Cole‘s first assignment – to Bangladesh. (pp. 24-33)
Paul Blackburn on the reinvention of American Centers in Japan. (pp. 24-28)
Chas Freeman’s take on USIS officers vs. State’s FSO’s. (pp. 92-93)
Public Diplomacy officer, Consul General, and forensic dentist Steve Dachi’s big case. (pp. 100-105)
Philip Seib [JB -- see] of the University of Southern California recently wrote that the Public Diplomacy officers of the Foreign Service are often “underrated.” To understand their work away from the Washington limelight, turn to the oral history interviews.
Image from (one of several) from article, with caption: MS Ocean Dream makes maiden visit to Vladivostok port
The cruise ship Ocean Dream has made her first call this year at the Port of Vladivostok. Today, July 31, 2017 at 09:45 am the ship with over 1,200 tourists on board from South Korea and Japan docked at the Marine Cruise Terminal of Vladivostock, the PortNews correspondent reported from the port. The Ocean Dream will stay in Vladivostok for 13 hours. Then the cruise vessel will continue her cruise to Japan. Traditionally Vladivostok port hosted a welcoming ceremony for the maiden call of the ship. The ceremony included performance by musical ensembles and an exhibition of paintings by local artists and the cruise ship guests were offered the city sightseeing tour. The 205-metre-long, 11-deck cruise ship MS Ocean Dream (built in 1982 at a Denmark shipyard; overhauled in 1998, modernised in 2007) since 2012 is part of the fleet of Japan headquartered International organization Peace Boat. The cruise ship called at the Port of Vladivostok under the auspices of this charitable organization that through public diplomacy promotes peace, protect the environment and helps develop cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere in the world.
Image from article, with caption: "Euphoria around India’s soft power seems to have vanished with recent Doklam faceoff."
Excerpt:
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval’s China trip amid the standoff at the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction has given enough indication that India might well retain the upper hand in Doklam [JB - see], at least in the short run. But unlike China, which has a history of giving away the soft stakes and soft signals while retaining the hard advantages, India has tended to be de facto the other way around – holding on to the soft underbelly but compromising on the hard stakes. ...
[T]he real question is whether we can play hardball with the Chinese for long without letting it spill over into our public diplomacy of treating our Chinese friends with the dignity they deserve ...
[JB note: Odd that AID Program Assistant job should be posted under "U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy Company - Location Kinshasa, CD"]
Job description
Education:
Completion of High school diploma minimum is required.
Experience:
A minimum three years prior experience in program administration is required.
Language Proficiency:
Good knowledge (level III) in English and French is required.
Knowledge:
Thorough understanding of nature of goals of international development in Public Health and Development sectors is required.
Skills and Abilities:
Computer literacy; experience with MS office package (MS word, Excel) as well as strong interpersonal skills is required. S
ELECTION CRITERIA
When equally qualified, US Citizen Eligible Family Members (AEFMs) and U.S. Veterans will be given preference.
Therefore, it is essential that the candidate address the required qualifications above in the application.
Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and residency status in determining successful candidacy.
Currently employed US Citizen EFMs who hold a FMA appointment are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment.
Currently employed NORs hired under a Personal Services Agreement (PSA) are ineligible to apply for advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment, unless currently hired into a position with a When Actually Employed (WAE) work schedule. The candidate must be able to obtain and hold security clearance.
It has been more than a month since the crisis at Doka La or Doklam [JB - see] erupted. It has not been resolved as yet, nor are there any signs of early peaceful settlement of the dispute. Many squabbles and altercations on the 4,000km long frontier between India and China have occurred over the last many years. Chinese forces have encroached into Indian territory several times. All these contretemps have however been quickly settled. None of them has lasted this long. This crisis is obviously different from the earlier ones. ... China ... has stridently maintained that India should vacate the territory and pull back its troops before any talks can take place. India’s publicity and public diplomacy efforts have been found wanting and inadequate. It is no one’s contention that India should enter into a slanging or wrangling match with the Chinese media or officialdom giving a tit for tat to them. But India’s public outreach instruments need to stay upfront to cogently and forcefully explain and rebut the calumny of falsehoods that China has been peddling. It is as necessary to reach out to the Indian populace as it is to inform the international decision and policy makers and thought leaders on the accurate sequence of events. ...
A new Washington research paper released on 21 July recommended warning China that the US will use military force if North Korea does not curtail its nuclear ambitions. Excerpt:
The Washington-based Center for a New American Security (CNAS) recommended aggressive new sanctions that go far beyond previous sanctions initiated by the West. These hard-hitting sanctions appeared in a new policy paper entitled 'A Blueprint for New Sanctions on North Korea’, by the organisation’s Energy, Economics and Security Program. ... The report suggested eight types of sanctions, including attacking secondary sources of income, including everything from textiles to oil. ... Six, start a high-profile public diplomacy campaign to discredit any trade with North Korea, underscoring human rights abuses, nuclear weapons development and regional destabilisation. ...
Bruce Wharton, the first Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy from the ranks of the career Foreign Service, has retired. Wharton has provided stellar leadership and set a fine example for public diplomacy employees since his appointment last December. No successor has been announced.
Nothing indicates that Ambassador Wharton's departure is anything other than a well-deserved retirement. However, it comes at a time when major change looms for the whole State Department.
Deliberations have begun for a "redesign" of the entire State Department, one of Secretary Rex Tillerson’s major priorities.
The budgets for educational and cultural exchanges, international broadcasting and global public diplomacy operations are under debate in Congress, after the White House’s “skinny budget,” endorsed by Tillerson, called for a drastic reduction in exchanges’ funding.
At the same time, State and USAID planners are revising the agencies' strategic goals to reflect President Trump's "America First" policy. These will set the policy focus for the PD bureaus and the posts around the world.
Ambassador Wharton is the highest-ranking PD official to depart. Other retirements have left the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau, which manages those exchanges programs, depleted at the top. The Global Engagement Center, in charge of counter-terrorism messaging, is also without a permanent director since the departure of Michael Lumpkin.
This problem is not particular to public diplomacy, of course. Natural attrition and retirements have taken their toll throughout the Department – the mission-critical Diplomatic Security Bureau lost its assistant secretary last week.
The past few weeks have seen an uptick in nominations. Nevertheless, critical decisions are about to be considered without many of the most experienced leaders of diplomacy.
Sputnik, a radio station funded by the Russian government, is broadcasting from the heart of the nation's capital. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN is a fresh convert to the principle of reciprocity in his dealings with the United States. He ought to take it a step further.
On Friday, the Russian leader, irked at a sanctions billthat sailed through Congress, confiscated two American diplomatic properties in Russia and ordered the expulsion of diplomats and other staff from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The moves matched sanctions that President Barack Obama slapped on the Kremlin in response to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
As long he’s into reciprocity, Mr. Putin might take notice that while Moscow continues to banish U.S. international news outlets from Russian airwaves, Kremlin-funded mouthpieces such as Sputnik radio have enjoyed a field day in the United States, taking advantage of America’s open society to sow misinformation and distrust.
As reported by The Post’s Justin Wm. Moyer, Sputnik, Moscow’s main radio propaganda outlet, has taken over a bandwidth on the District’s radio dial, 105.5 FM, formerly occupied by a bluegrass station, and began airing broadcasts July 1 from offices in downtown Washington, three blocks from the White House.
Meanwhile, there has been no change in Russia’s decade-long banishment of U.S. government-funded outlets airing programs on Russian television airwaves, or Russian-language broadcasts from Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were banned by a 2012 law.
Mr. Trump should also take notice. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One recently, he said, “To me, the word reciprocal is a beautiful word.” As it happens, he was talking about international trade, an area in which he thinks Americans get a bad deal.
Yet in the realm of U.S.-Russian international news, reciprocity seems absent from Mr. Trump’s radar. A 24/7 Russian-language television venture produced by Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, called Current Time, has been up and running for several months, producing high-quality news, but is available only online.
The asymmetry is a problem. Mr. Putin’s government, intent on undermining liberal democracies by casting doubt on the very notion of truth, and sowing division and doubt about basic Western institutions, has become increasingly adept at weaponizing information. U.S. intelligence agencies have called attention to Moscow’s fake news campaign, as have U.S. allies in Europe.
English-language shows on Sputnik and, secondarily, RT — the Kremlin’s not-much-watched but widely available English language television mouthpiece — feature useful American dupes and others who need no instruction from Moscow to reinforce the narrative, already current on the extreme left and right of Western politics, that U.S. capitalism, elections, institutions and media are corrupt. They trade in moral equivalence, eliding the plain fact that the Russian government — cynical, brutal and heedless of democratic norms — pursues interests and subscribes to values antithetical to those prized by most Americans.
The wild disparity in access accorded by Moscow and Washington to each other’s government-sponsored media outlets is unsustainable. If Mr. Trump is a champion of reciprocity, as he asserts, then U.S. diplomats should demand reciprocal treatment for Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. And if Mr. Putin has embraced reciprocity, he should be prepared to live by it.
One can only welcome the ambition stated in the EU global strategy: “European security hinges on better and shared assessments of internal and external threats and challenges. Europeans must improve the monitoring and control of flows which have security implications.”
It is indeed extremely important to try to bring order into European strategic thinking on energy policy and its relationship to security.
It is easy to demonstrate that public diplomacy on energy has many layers and many complications. Often what different actors, notably the American President, are saying tends to confuse rather than clarify. A topical case in point is when President Trump late July tweets that he wants a strong military and low oil prices – what does this mean? Or more precisely – what message is he sending on the latter issue? Is he consistent with his earlier statements?
As often is the case with the American President: when it comes to consistency and clarity one has to look somewhere else. ...
A four-day painting exhibition featuring about 30 artworks of Bangladeshi women artists began at famous Rogue Space Gallery in the Chelsea Art District of Manhattan, New York on Thursday, reports UNB. Consulate General of Bangladesh in New York is hosting the exhibition inaugurated by Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UN Masud Bin Momen. Ambassador Momen touched on the rich culture and heritage of Bangladesh, vibrancy of the artworks of the artists as well as women empowerment in Bangladesh. He thanked the prominent women artists and the Consulate General and partners for the initiative. The exhibition will also reflect a blending of the perspectives of the artists at home and abroad, the ambassador added. Consul General Md Shameem Ahsan thanked the guests and others for their presence and support to organise it. Ahsan felt that the initiative will go a long way in branding the country positively. Jeffrey R Cellars, Area Director at the Office of Foreign Missions (OFM) in New York, also spoke and felt that culture can be an important tool to create better understanding between the two friendly countries. Shameem Subrana, Director of Gallery21 in Dhaka, in her remarks thanked the Consulate General for inviting them to be a part of the initiative. Being organized in collaboration with Gallery21, The New York Art Connection and Bangladeshi-American Artists Forum, New York, the exhibition will showcase artistic creations of prominent 18 women artists from Bangladesh and diaspora. They are Shameem Subrana, Kanak Chanpa Chakma, Rokeya Sultana, Farida Zaman, Gulshan Hossain, Nazia Andaleeb Preema, Dilruba Latif (Rosy), Bipasha Hayat, Afrozaa Jamil Konka and Samina Nafies from Bangladesh and Shamim Begum, Zebunnesa Kamal, Salma Kaniz, Masuda Kazi, Halide Salam, Shameem Ara, Kaniz Husna Akbory and Sazada Sultana from diaspora, said the organisers on Friday. A colourful catalog was published marking the event. An opening reception took place after the formal inauguration where senior officials from the US government, Consuls General, diplomats, members of the US civil society and various cultural organisations, eminent persons of the community, members of the media and a large number of art enthusiasts and culture connoisseurs were present, among others. The painting exhibition was organised by the Consulate General as a part of public diplomacy drive to portray a positive image of Bangladesh to the wider US audience.
2.Political and Economic Assistant : The job offers a starting salary of 2,970.- Euros per month. The selected applicant is expected to start work on 15 August 2017. Probation period is six months. The job description involves closely monitoring economic, political and social developments as well as trends in Finland and Estonia, and to compile analytic reports and reviews periodically. Applicants with experience in related fields (i.e., political science, international economics, international relations, public diplomacy, European studies, Southeast Asian studies, Future studies, history), who possess an excellent command of Thai / English and Finnish / Swedish languages will be given priority. ...
Real stories about the military don’t come from public relations officers or official statements. The real stories come from soldiers who go to the frontline – and, the only way to get those stories is to talk to the soldiers.
In an age of instant global communication, governments have refined their public diplomacy, particularly in the way defence issues are covered in the media, to market their version of events effectively to their domestic as well as the international public. Indeed, ignorance and misinformation are far more dangerous for the military than is informed reporting, however critical in tone. But the media need help here. Because the press is fragmented, competitive, sometimes ignorant of military realities, and constantly whiplashed between the demands of the market and those of journalistic ethics, however defined, the quality of coverage of military events is inevitably uneven at best. The tendency of unprepared reporters, charging from crisis to crisis, unaware of the issues at stake or of how the military functions, is to frame complex matters in simplistic ways. For its part, the military owes access to information both to media and the Indian people. Furthermore, it needs to get its story out—for the military will be competing with other groups, and enemies, eager to put their “spin” on events. To do this, it needs the media. ...
Military journalists inform the public of events and ideas they might otherwise never hear and counteract the effects of enemy propaganda. Embedded civilian journalists, though vital storytellers are at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing inside information and, more importantly, understanding the troops’ perspectives. Journalists within the military in some foreign countries are better able to give voice to the daily lives of their brothers- and sisters-in-arms, delivering the difficult facts without losing sight of the good news (how often do you see that on the 11 o’clock news?).
That makes it all the more imperative for building greater harmony and understanding between journalists and armed forces. The defence forces will keep shooting themselves in the foot if they don’t realize the potentials of media as a force multiplier and a weapon of war. Failure to recognize and counter enemy usage of media could lead to avoidable military failures. We must realize that decisions are no longer based on events but on how the events are presented. So we must lay greater emphasis on the role of media/journalists in war and train them for it in peacetime. They provide a vital service to the troops themselves, keeping them informed and entertained in every clime and place. And let’s face facts: It sure wouldn’t hurt your resume to land a job right out of high school that lets you reach an audience of millions, would it? ...
The Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) acts as the gatekeeper of information. It is the only authorised channel of communication for disseminating information about the programmes, policies and activities of the Ministry of Defence and all establishments of the MoD including the armed forces. Currently, the Directorate of Public Relations (Defence)—a part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)—interacts with the media on matters related to defence forces.
Through its civilian and defence services officers spread out through-out the country, it indulges in PR exercises during peacetime.The Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) is the nodal agency for the dissemination of information to the media and the public about the pant event, events, programmes, achievements and major policy decisions of the Ministry, Armed Forces, Inter-Services Organisations and Public Sector Undertakings under the Ministry of Defence. The Directorate with its headquarters in New Delhi and 25 regional offices across the country is responsible for providing media support to ensure wide publicity in the print and the electronic media. It also facilitates media interaction with the leadership and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces by conducting regular interviews, press conferences and press tours.
As in the previous years, the Directorate conducted Defence Correspondents’ Course for media persons to enhance their knowledge about Defence matters. The Defence Correspondents’ Course (DCC) is one of the most prestigious courses conducted by the Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence. Now Defence Correspondents Course DCC is also conducted annually by Directorate of Public Relations (DPR), MoD for journalists from the print and electronic media, to acquaint them with the nuances of the armed forces to help them become specialist Defence journalists. Eminent speakers and Defence experts from the three Services, DRDO and Coast Guard among others will share their expertise and views with the journalists on varied military subjects. Media publicity for the major events is officially arranged by DPR in India. Coverage was also arranged in the form of photographs and news reports for various military exercises and assignments including those abroad. Visits of the Indian Defence Minister and Armed Forces Chiefs abroad and the visits of foreign dignitaries to India were also prominently covered. Major decisions of the Union Cabinet and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) including the Armed Forces were also widely publicized. The DPR also conducts media tours to various places across the country for major events and familiarization of visits. This Directorate also arranges all media facilities related to the Republic Day Celebrations and brings out a commentary for the parade on the Rajpath. Other important calendar events such as the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort, Combined Commanders’ Conference and NCC Rally addressed by the Prime Minister and Defence Investiture Ceremonies at Rashtrapati Bhawan were also accorded due publicity. ...
Press Release, U.S. State Department [See also, for original, non-State Department, version of this article -- posted below.] Also, see on how the USA-coined late 20th-century term "public diplomacy"-- is forgetaboutitin today's wall-defined American homeland ... [JB: Gentle Warning to the USA literal-minded: This is meant to be a parody, in part a reference to the original article cited above and posted below ...] 1. The 'Republic of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico public diplomacy retreat' took place in Mar-A-Lago on July 27 to discuss ways for the three countries to cooperate in public diplomacy. (host: State Department (typo: Exxon), organizer: Trump Hotels, cooperator: A generous Florida real estate entreprenoor, who wishes to remain undisclosed, currently on a Obamacare-free long-term health-cure therapy for "groping" members of the non-male sex in [country/tax returns not disclosed].)
o The USA-Canada-Mexico public diplomacy retreat was held to provide the three countries' public diplomacy experts from academia and the media, as well as about USA government officials whose states used their electoral-college votes to express support for President Trump, with an opportunity to discuss the role of public diplomacy in building trust among the three countries.
o In Mar-A-Lago, where President Trump has ordered that the next "Miss Universe" (not yet "leaked" to the press), the retreat participants engaged in in-depth discussions on ways to cooperate in public diplomacy through sports, cultural and artistic exchanges, the issue of mutual interest among the three countries and an area where they can work together.
2. The event began with opening remarks by former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and welcome remarks by former WH Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Following the remarks, the participants discussed the role of public diplomacy in advancing relations among the U.S, Canada and Mexico; areas of public diplomacy where the three countries can work together and specific cooperation projects; and the current state of cooperation in public diplomacy among the three countries' state/provincial governments.
o Former USA Ambassador for Public Diplomacy Bruce Wharton said that as enhancing friendship among the people of the three North/South American countries is essential to achieve peace, co-existence and co-prosperity, public diplomacy is all the more important.
o Former lawyer of President Trump, Marc Kasowitz, an invited guest, said that the event was meaningful as it served as an opportunity for the three countries to explore ways to cooperate in public diplomacy, building upon previous discussions on bilateral cooperation in public diplomacy, including on how to improve drinking habits.
o Former USA Ambassador for International Affairs Karen Hughes spoke of sisterhood relationship and friendly ties as well as economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges among Texas/provincial governments are important assets for public diplomacy.
o Key participants from academia, media and state/provincial governments of the three countries proposed substantive ways for the countries to cooperate in public diplomacy in order to establish relations that remain steady even in a time of regional tensions.
3. The public diplomacy retreat among the three countries, which came after 'creating a responsible community in North/South America' and 'promoting national interests through public diplomacy' were selected as the new USA government's key policy tasks in foreign and security affairs, served as an important opportunity for the three countries to share ways to dispel distrust and defuse discord among the people of the three countries through public diplomacy, and to make concrete policy recommendations to the governments of the countries.
* unofficial translation
***
ROK, China And Japan Take Down Walls Around Their Heart In Pye...
Press Release, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea; see also, if you (assuming you're American) wish to be amused ...] 1. The 'Republic of Korea-China-Japan public diplomacy retreat' took place in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, on July 27 to discuss ways for the three countries to cooperate in public diplomacy. (host: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organizer: Korea Foundation, cooperator: Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, Gangwon provincial government)
o The ROK-China-Japan public diplomacy retreat was held to provide the three countries' public diplomacy experts from academia and the media, as well as about 80 provincial government officials (ROK's Gangwon Province, China's Jilin Province, Japan's Tottori Prefecture), with an opportunity to discuss the role of public diplomacy in building trust among the three countries.
o In Pyeongchang, where the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the Pyeongchang Winter Music Festival take place, the retreat participants engaged in in-depth discussions on ways to cooperate in public diplomacy through sports, cultural and artistic exchanges, the issue of mutual interest among the three countries and an area where they can work together.
2. The event began with opening remarks by Ambassador for Public Diplomacy of the Foreign Ministry Park Enna, and welcome remarks by President of the Korea Foundation Lee Si-hyung, Deputy Secretary-General of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat Lee Jong-heon, and Ambassador for International Affairs of Gangwon Province Kim Rae-hyuk. Following the remarks, the participants discussed the role of public diplomacy in advancing relations among the ROK, China and Japan; areas of public diplomacy where the three countries can work together and specific cooperation projects; and the current state of cooperation in public diplomacy among the three countries' provincial governments.
o Ambassador for Public Diplomacy Park Enna said that as enhancing friendship among the people of the three Northeast Asian countries is essential to achieve peace, co-existence and co-prosperity, public diplomacy is all the more important.
o President of the Korea Foundation Lee Si-hyung said that the event was meaningful as it served as an opportunity for the three countries to explore ways to cooperate in public diplomacy, building upon previous discussions on bilateral cooperation in public diplomacy.
o Ambassador for International Affairs of Gangwon Province Kim Rae-hyuk stressed that the establishment of sisterhood relationship and friendly ties as well as economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges among provincial governments are important assets for public diplomacy.
o Key participants from academia, media and provincial governments of the three countries proposed substantive ways for the countries to cooperate in public diplomacy in order to establish relations that remain steady even in a time of regional tensions.
3. The public diplomacy retreat among the three countries, which came after 'creating a responsible community in Northeast Asia' and 'promoting national interests through public diplomacy' were selected as the new ROK government's key policy tasks in foreign and security affairs, served as an important opportunity for the three countries to share ways to dispel distrust and defuse discord among the people of the three countries through public diplomacy, and to make concrete policy recommendations to the governments of the countries.
Press Release, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea; see also, if you (assuming you're American) wish to be amused ...] 1. The 'Republic of Korea-China-Japan public diplomacy retreat' took place in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, on July 27 to discuss ways for the three countries to cooperate in public diplomacy. (host: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organizer: Korea Foundation, cooperator: Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, Gangwon provincial government)
o The ROK-China-Japan public diplomacy retreat was held to provide the three countries' public diplomacy experts from academia and the media, as well as about 80 provincial government officials (ROK's Gangwon Province, China's Jilin Province, Japan's Tottori Prefecture), with an opportunity to discuss the role of public diplomacy in building trust among the three countries.
o In Pyeongchang, where the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the Pyeongchang Winter Music Festival take place, the retreat participants engaged in in-depth discussions on ways to cooperate in public diplomacy through sports, cultural and artistic exchanges, the issue of mutual interest among the three countries and an area where they can work together.
2. The event began with opening remarks by Ambassador for Public Diplomacy of the Foreign Ministry Park Enna, and welcome remarks by President of the Korea Foundation Lee Si-hyung, Deputy Secretary-General of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat Lee Jong-heon, and Ambassador for International Affairs of Gangwon Province Kim Rae-hyuk. Following the remarks, the participants discussed the role of public diplomacy in advancing relations among the ROK, China and Japan; areas of public diplomacy where the three countries can work together and specific cooperation projects; and the current state of cooperation in public diplomacy among the three countries' provincial governments.
o Ambassador for Public Diplomacy Park Enna said that as enhancing friendship among the people of the three Northeast Asian countries is essential to achieve peace, co-existence and co-prosperity, public diplomacy is all the more important.
o President of the Korea Foundation Lee Si-hyung said that the event was meaningful as it served as an opportunity for the three countries to explore ways to cooperate in public diplomacy, building upon previous discussions on bilateral cooperation in public diplomacy.
o Ambassador for International Affairs of Gangwon Province Kim Rae-hyuk stressed that the establishment of sisterhood relationship and friendly ties as well as economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges among provincial governments are important assets for public diplomacy.
o Key participants from academia, media and provincial governments of the three countries proposed substantive ways for the countries to cooperate in public diplomacy in order to establish relations that remain steady even in a time of regional tensions.
3. The public diplomacy retreat among the three countries, which came after 'creating a responsible community in Northeast Asia' and 'promoting national interests through public diplomacy' were selected as the new ROK government's key policy tasks in foreign and security affairs, served as an important opportunity for the three countries to share ways to dispel distrust and defuse discord among the people of the three countries through public diplomacy, and to make concrete policy recommendations to the governments of the countries.
Image from article, with caption: The Temple Mount on Tuesday morning.
Excerpt:
Ever seen how a jackal kills its prey? Usually, it doesn’t kill it with one blow or bite. It surrounds it, it challenges it, it probes for points of weakness. It then gets its jaws around the neck of its prey and won’t let go. Whenever the animal struggles it makes itself weaker.
This is what we have been seeing from Israel. We are caught, like an animal, unable to shake off the obsessive hunger of those who have their claws into us and want to destroy us. Like a wounded animal, we didn’t assess the threat, or appreciate the real danger. In nature, the targeted animal often appears to be so powerful it could easily resist the deadly jackals. They thought their strong and non-offensive posture would appease the hungry killers into not attacking. ...
Through a fear of being disliked, we have adopted an assimilated-Jew psychosis, of trying to appear nice or appeasing the goyim and the Muslims, yet we still fail to win friends or influence people. It is we that are being influenced to surrender all too often and too easily. ...
The author is the senior associate for public diplomacy at the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies. He is the author of Fighting Hamas, BDS and Anti-Semitism, and the best-seller 1917, From Palestine to the Land of Israel.
The Times of Israel
Through fresh content, media strategy rooms, and a new app, ACT.IL helps combat violent and anti-Semitic vitriol online
In 2012, during Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense, and again in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge, a student at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya realized that Israel’s casualties were not limited to the battlefield during times of war – they had the potential to extend to the media, as well.
Now, just a few years later, a large “situation room” within the university is humming with the activity of over a dozen young staffers combing the web and pumping out content, with two similar hubs operating on a smaller scale in the United States, and the ACT.IL mobile and computer app is garnering thousands of downloads a day. A new situation room is slated to open soon in New York, joining its sisters in Boston and New Jersey.
It was in order to protect the Jewish state from the less tangible – but no less harmful – threats of online misinformation during wartime that Yarden Ben Yosef established ACT.IL, a dynamic online community working together to positively influence public opinion when it comes to Israel. But, as it turns out, the battles are always raging against propaganda machines such as BDS (the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movements).
“We saw this it was something we needed to be doing on a day to day basis, not only during times of war, and also we need to reach more people. Because it was great having people here and 40 million people is a nice number, but it’s nothing when it comes to reaching out to the masses,” says Yaron Fishelson, the ACT.IL head of product and community.
Fishelson is referring to the 40 million people ACT.IL reached during Operation Pillar of Defense.
Under the auspices of the Israeli American Council (IAC) and the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), and with the guidance of Prof. Uriel Reichman and former Israeli ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor, ACT.IL has quickly turned into one of the fastest growing Israel advocacy groups ever.
Gur Yalon speaks with interns who are clearly excited about what they do. (Times of Israel)
“Professor Reichman fell in love with the idea straightaway,” says Fishelson. “He’s a really strong Zionist who has a lot of different initiatives here that promote Zionism and public diplomacy.”
ACT.IL’s quick rise to the top can at least partly be attributed to the community’s simple and effective three-pronged strategy: create good original content, teach people to help others make use of the ACT.IL tool kit, and galvanize people into action.
The media rooms in Israel and the US mimic those used by the Israel Defense Forces and help staff coordinate and work on the local level to maximize reach. The initiative – which looks and runs just like any other tech startup commonly found in Israel – has been so effective that in 2015, Time Magazine rated one of ACT.IL’s campaigns as among the top 10 most influential that year.
Meet the crew
Fishelson takes a supervisory role in the IDC headquarters, working alongside Gur Yalon, Mor Dagan, and Yael Tzur who cover training, content, and media room projects, respectively.
Fishelson brings with him experience working in digital marketing and as a “shliach,” or emissary, on behalf of Israel at Stanford University in California. He was in a managerial role back in Israel with the shliach program when he encountered ACT.IL.
“I was here with a Birthright group I was leading, and was so impressed with what was going on I simply had to contribute,” says Fishelson.
The staff and interns hard at work at Act.IL in Herzliya. (Times of Israel)
Now, he’s directing and guiding a group of interns – mostly third-year students at the IDC – as they energetically throw themselves into the work of online Israel advocacy.
“We asked students about their skills, and then divided them into groups,” Fishelson says. “Some were good at social media, some good at languages and translation, others at graphic design, video editing, web monitoring, creating new materials, and more. Harnessing the power of the student initiative, we’ve been able to reach people in 100 countries, 35 languages, with an exposure of 40 million unique users to date.”
While the training, media and content sides of ACT.IL are still very much active, the newer app is snapping up the limelight lately.
Discussing strategy at the offices of ACT.IL. (Times of Israel)
“How many app downloads did we have yesterday?” calls Shira Reich, a Jerusalem-born intern who studies law and business.
“Five thousand,” says Fishelson.
Reich is busy creating a “mission” for the app which takes users to a YouTube video containing instructions on how to stab Israeli military or police forces, and walks them through the process of reporting the video as a violation.
The interns are already seasoned professionals and go about their business of rooting out anti-Israel and anti-Semitic propaganda – much of it quite disturbing – as if they were filing quarterly financial reports.
“Look at this,” says Reich. “There’s a lady sitting on a globe, and she has a Star of David on her chest, and she’s breastfeeding Satan. And the caption says, ‘Israel, mother of terrorism.’ This is actually pretty bad, I actually wasn’t expecting this one.”
A violent YouTube video that ACT.IL made a mission to take down. (ACT.IL)
She picks up her laptop and shows it to her fellow interns, who glance at it blankly and return to work.
“Nobody even says anything,” says Reich.
Across from Reich sits Jeremy Danzig, composing a preemptive solidarity statement for university student unions to adopt before BDS activists attempt to have them sign boycott pacts.
A 22-year-old native San Diegan who made aliyah three years ago, Danzig is in his final year at the IDC. When he graduates, he intends join a combat unit in the IDF.
“This is a potential mission I’m working on, a declaration of solidarity for universities that may be facing BDS resolutions in the near future. So this would help various student bodies understand our position on academic freedom and the interactions between different universities,” says Danzig.
In addition to the missions, the situation room is buzzing about a new video featuring a montage of homemade clips of people doing a variety of extreme sports – the catch (spoiler alert): all of the athletic feats are taking place in Israel.
Interestingly absent from the visually stunning video is any trace of branding.
“We use what we call the ‘no logo strategy,’” says Fishelson. “This way people can feel free to view and share the video without any prejudice, no judgment or conclusions. People are more likely to keep and open mind about something that doesn’t announce what it is beforehand.”
Fishelson says that the approach works – in fact, he says, numerous pro-Israel advocacy groups have adopted the tactic since.
The out-of-the-box thinking that drives ACT.IL is in a way a metaphor for the very country the initiative swears to defend – a dynamic, results-driven approach that focuses on goals rather than the obstacles in front of them.
With the ACT.IL app and initiatives such as the www.4IL.org.il site launched six weeks ago, more and more individuals are invited to find their voice and help fight against the anti-Israel narrative sweeping the web today from the comfort of their own homes.
The plethora of tools, guidance and factual information provided strengthens the formally “speechless” individual and empowers them with the ultimate weapon: the truth.
This article is published in collaboration with the Ministry of Strategic Affairs.
A Princeton PhD, was a U.S. diplomat for over 20 years, mostly in Central/Eastern Europe, and was promoted to the Senior Foreign Service in 1997. After leaving the State Department in 2003 to express strong reservations about the planned U.S. invasion of Iraq, he shared ideas with Georgetown University students on the tension between propaganda and public diplomacy. He has given talks on "E Pluribus Unum? What Keeps the United States United" to participants in the "Open World" program. Among Brown’s many articles is his latest piece, “Janus-Faced Public Diplomacy: Creel and Lippmann During the Great War,” now online. He is the compiler (with S. Grant) of The Russian Empire and the USSR: A Guide to Manuscripts and Archival Materials in the United States (also online). In the past century, he served as an editor/translator of a joint U.S.-Soviet publication of archival materials, The United States and Russia: The Beginning of Relations,1765-1815. His approach to "scholarly" aspirations is poetically summarized by Goethe: "Gray, my friend, is every theory, but green is the tree of life."