November 4

"We will teach them to elect good men."

--Statement reportedly made by President Woodrow Wilson, looking censoriously at some nations to America's south; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Whaddaya Mean Obama Hasn't Done Anything?- John H. Richardson, Esquire: "In June, Obama reset the tone of our relations with the entire Arab world with a single speech — an accomplishment that the Bush administration failed to achieve despite a series of desperate PR moves (anyone remember Charlotte Beers?) and a 'public diplomacy' budget of $1 billion a year." See also.

A Year of Living Dangerously: Expectations Undermining Public Diplomacy – Helle Dale, The Heritage Foundation: "As for public diplomacy, which had been one of the problem areas of the Bush administration, Mr. Obama and his chosen Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emphasized a new era of communication with audiences world wide. Through the use of the new media, Internet and cell phone technology, the incoming Obama administration’s message was pushed aggressively to young audiences.

Marketing the personal appeal of the president – particularly to audiences in the Muslim world and in Africa – promised to be a major focus. It soon became clear, however, that being popular, even winning t[h]e Nobel Peace Prize and displaying an apologetic attitude about the United States is far from enough to conduct effective foreign policy. In fact, setting the bar of expectations so high has created a problem in itself. ... As far as institutional initiatives on public diplomacy that could facilitate the transmission of the U.S. governments message to foreign publics – as well as foreign leaders – the Obama administration is still working on them through the recently begun Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. Even the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the body that overseas Voice of America and the other U.S. international broadcasting services, is in a holding pattern with the terms of all nine board members expired and none yet nominated by the White House to fill the posts. The inaction is typical in many ways of the Obama administration’s failure to engage the world substantively – despite all the president’s appealing imagery, symbols and oratory." Image from

The Death of Public Diplomacy is Greatly Exaggerated – Nancy Snow, Layalina Productions: "It's been a year since Barack Obama was elected to office. His rhetoric has helped reshape America's image in the world from being perceived as a unilateral, arrogant power to being seen as a humble nation that listens to and partners with others to achieve shared objectives. All of this is a plus for Americans traveling abroad, overseas visitors to the United States, and those of us who work in higher education where public diplomacy has taken off as a new-and-improved interdisciplinary field. So where's the downside? The downside is an overreliance on the 'Public Diplomat-in-Chief' in the White House. Public diplomacy is best practiced as a symphony, not a one-man band. National reputation does not reside in one person, much less in one electoral outcome. It is deeply buried in the perceptions of countless people around the world, often rooted in their own national cultures, and can be rebuilt slowly and painstakingly only by altering the root causes of a country's good or bad name."

Obama administration adopts Lugar science envoy program - Kokomo Perspective: "In her speech today at the 'Forum of the Future' in Marrakesh, Morocco, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the creation of a U.S. Science Envoy Program which will send three of America's most prominent scientists to travel the world to engage their counterparts, deepen and develop partnerships in all areas of science and technology and to 'foster scientific and technical collaboration.' U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar first proposed the creation of a Science Envoy program in April of this year. His legislation (S.838) was unanimously passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In introducing the bill, Lugar noted that the U.S. has produced more Nobel Laureates in the sciences than any other country. Additionally, he noted that international polling data consistently demonstrates that the U.S. lead in technology advancement and scientific thought garners high praise from nations throughout the world, even in countries not supportive of U.S. foreign policy. 'I am pleased that the Administration agrees with me that scientific cooperation is a vital component of our nation's public diplomacy.

The three Envoys announced today are all recognized experts in their fields and will send a clear message that the United States is committed to deepening our engagement with other nations. The freedom of thought and expression necessary for serious research is a hallmark of our nation's democracy and economic prosperity. I look forward to hearing from the Envoys upon completion of their travel and look forward to more Envoys that will be announced in the coming months,'" Lugar said. Lugar image from

Where was the charm? – Dawn: "[C]onsider Clinton’s own abilities for public diplomacy. Unbeknownst to them, Pakistani audiences may now have witnessed firsthand why Candidate Clinton failed to win the presidential nomination. ... As Pakistanis have now witnessed, town hall after town hall saw Hillary Clinton unable to make the kind of connection based on warmth and humanity that wins over people."

Clinton clarifies statement on jewish settlements - Jackie Northam, 89.3 KPCC - "Clinton's handlers were firm that she had not made a mistake in Jerusalem by omitting the Obama administration's stand on settlements. They said her need to clarify her remarks was simply public diplomacy."

Reading Ramadan in Istanbul- John Feffer, Foreign Policy In Focus: "The Obama administration's reappointment in June of Farrah Pandith as special representative to the Muslim world does not bode well for relations with Iran or other Muslim countries. 'Pandith's work on the 'War of Ideas'

under the Bush administration seems to clash with the Obama administration's vision of conducting public diplomacy and cultural engagement,' writes FPIF contributor Anne Hagood in Engaging with the Muslim World Will Require More Than a Special Representative. 'The very term 'War of Ideas' has now become an anathema to this current administration. Could her appointment reflect internal disagreements at State Department between pro-Obama and pro-Clinton factions? Or could this also be a further example that the United States fails to understand the very population its foreign policy is targeting, a problem that has plagued the previous administration?'" Image from

Cuban-Americans' Change of View Means U.S. Travel Ban Could End: Joe Raedle, Time: "Whenever Congress has tried in the past to strike down the Cuba travel ban — even when a majority of Americans said they wanted to get rid of it — the biggest obstacle has always been the staunch resistance of politically potent Cuban-American voters.

But the newest bill, the freedom to travel to Cuba act, introduced this year in both the House and Senate, suddenly has Cuban-American backing — and as a result a decidedly better chance of passing. In a recent statement, Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, a Republican and co-sponsor, called this 'a very good time for public diplomacy with Cuba.'" Image from

Ex-MNA says US re-contacted him for Afghan Taliban dialogue – Daily Times, Pakistan: "The US has once again approached a former parliamentarian, known for his contacts with the Taliban, to initiate dialogue with Afghan Taliban. Talking to Daily Times at the Peshawar High Court, former MNA and World Prisoners Relief Commission of Pakistan Chairman Javed Ibrahim Paracha, said senior officials of the US embassy telephoned him on Monday seeking his assistance for initiating talks with Afghan Taliban commanders. Earlier on November 17, 2005, Javed said then US under-secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, and US military officials in Islamabad, met him because of his contacts with the Taliban in Afghanistan. 'US officials had offered me $500,000 in that meeting for mediating. I refused that offer and had asked US officials to first take permission from the government and corps commanders,'” he said.

Debate Still Rages Over Who Won the Cold War, Mark Snowiss, Voice of America:

Helle Dale, a foreign affairs specialist at the conservative Heritage Foundation: "The critical importance of American leadership … happened through military deterrence of the Soviet Union … and it also happened through the power of international broadcasting and public diplomacy from the United States that carried on the ideological fight behind the Iron Curtain." Image from

New RFE/RL service to South Ossetia and Abkhazia begins, with target hinting of "technical means to hinder" - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Kaust And Social Networking: The New Face Of Saudi Arabia- Abeer Al-Najjar, Newswire – CPD Blog & Blogroll, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "I believe that regional governments from now on will have to take a pro-active approach in conducting their public diplomacy campaigns and efforts. Learning from the business world, they have to be PREPARED before crises happen and have their plans in place. One good example of indirect and productive public diplomacy efforts in this region is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) prestigious project, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

KAUST is meant to be a leading research university and has been received very well in the foreign media, bringing very good publicity to the country in the international press. ... The campaign in support of KAUST is very active online too, as many of the students have created their own pages and groups. The university itself has clearly incorporated a social media policy; if you visit the university’s multimedia homepage, it will take you to its pages on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, in addition to embedded mini-videos of several university professors and employees praising the University." Image from

Prospects Shine for Corporate Diplomacy at the Second Annual Arabia CSR Awards - Nick Lombardo, Fused Frame: "Last week, the second annual Arabia CSR Awards ceremony took place in Dubai. The Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) recognized leaders of corporate social responsibility from North Africa and the Middle East. The three top winners of the large, medium, and small categories were, respectively, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Abraaj Capital, and Global Village. The event was a celebration of Arab leadership in the forging of best corporate practices not only in the region, but also the world as a form of corporate public diplomacy."

Meeting Mr. Panarin – John Brown, Notes & Essays:

"This evening (November 3), at the invitation of the Russian Cultural Center in Washington, I took part in a panel discussion with Dr. Igor Panarin, former KGB analyst and currently professor at the Moscow State Diplomacy Academy under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Note: In February 2005, Panarin proposed the 'creation of a State Commission for Public Diplomacy of Russia (later renamed to a Council for Public Diplomacy).' The topic of Panarin's discussion at the Center -- billed as a Lecture-Debate -- was ['] his unique perspective on the future of the United States. Will the world crisis lead to disintegration of the U.S.? What will be the aftermath of the current financial depression for the world's leading economies?[']" Panarin image from

Prejudice and Pride in Poland - Karl Naylor, Eastern Europe Watch: "Both Poland and Israel are regional powers and frontline states acting to expand US geopolitical influence in Central Asia and the Middle East, especially with regards Russia and Iran which is precisely what the missile shield was about. The Great Game for oil and gas requires a public diplomacy that can make sense of the aggressive expansionism, building the necessary military-financial ties with the USA and preparing for the coming epoch of resource wars which will be a feature of the 21st Century."

Death on the Tisza - Douglas Muir, A Fistful of Euros: "Serbia is continuing with its policy of claiming Kosovo’s territory while trying to pretend that the two million Albanians who live there don’t exist. Serbia’s formal position is that the Kosovar Albanians are Serbian citizens.

But when fifteen 'Serbian citizens' drowned trying to cross a river from Serbia to Hungary, the official response has been… complete and total silence. Had the dead been ethnic Serbs from Kosovo, then Serbia would have been the one declaring a day of national mourning, and elected officials would have been standing in line to speak at the funerals. Official Kosovo… well, no mourning. But I suspect they would at least have made a public declaration of sympathy. That’s not because Kosovar Albanians are nicer or more empathetic than Serbs, but because they’ve consistently been a bit more adroit and thoughtful in their public diplomacy." Image from

’tis not cricket - Pragmatic Euphony: "The refusal of the defence services team to play a cricket match in Srinagar has very little to do with cricket. It is about the politics associated with it and the message it conveys. ... When the defence services themselves are unwilling to play a match in Srinagar, the Indian government’s continued insistence on a peaceful Kashmir has little credibility left in the international fora. ... [T]his cultivated avoidance of acknowledging and promoting the return of normalcy to the state by the army brass lends credence to the charge that the army has developed vested institutional interests in maintaining the status quo in the state. Finally, the damage control exercise by the army is an outstanding example in how not to conduct public diplomacy."

Foreign Diplomatic Relationship with Fiji Hits Bottom of the Barrel: "Fiji's Self Elected Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama Botches Again!!" -Luvei Viti, Children of Fiji: "Fiji people really need to take an intensive close look at the damage this regime is doing to Fiji's relations with Foreign Nations more so now with the most recent announcement. Frank Bainimarama, coup leader, now self elected Prime Minister of Fiji,

has again expressed pointedly negative views about the two big Pacific neighboring Nations, New Zealand & Australia. ... Fiji weakening its Government to Government Diplomacy? As noted by a US expert [PHK] in Whirledview, 'Government-to-government diplomacy is an ancient and essential function, but public diplomacy is a newer tool that only governments with good things to share and relatively little to hide can use effectively. As the diplomatic tool par excellence of democracy, public diplomacy operates by precept and example.' ... Indeed, one can only deduce for themselves the outcome of Frank Bainimarama's most recent outburst on its bigger neighboring Nations, New Zealand & Australia." Fiji image from

Denmark Honored as the Second Most Peaceful Nation in the World- ISRIA: "Ambassador Mr. Friis Arne Petersen and Danish Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Mr. Klavs A. Holm attended a gala in Washington, DC on Sunday night where Denmark was honored as the second most peaceful nation in the world."

140conf London - Sporkings: "140conf is fast approaching. In less than two weeks time, London’s o2 Indigo will be hosting the biggest Twitter get-together in the UK. The original scope of #140conf was to explore “the effects of twitter on: Celebrity, 'The Media', Advertising and (maybe) Politics.” Over time the scope expanded to look at the effects of twitter on topics ranging from public safety to public diplomacy."

Conversations in Public Diplomacy: Virginia Haufler – Arts and Events Calendar, University of Southern California: "The USC Center on Public Diplomacy welcomes professor Virginia Haufler for a roundtable discussion.

Haufler will lead a discussion of the public diplomacy involved in governing corporations in zones of conflict, based on her chapter 'Governing Corporations in Zones of Conflict: Issues, Actors, and Institutions' in the forthcoming book Who Governs the Globe?" Haufler image from article

Diplomatic training, research and analysis conference – South African Government Information: "The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) will host a diplomatic training, research and analysis conference from 5 to 6 November 2009. The theme for 2009 is closing the gap between domestic and foreign policies. This conference will present an opportunity to exchange ideas on and address emerging issues and scenarios around South Africa’s Domestic and Foreign policy. ... Thursday, 5 November 2009 ... 16h30 to 18h00: Public diplomacy and consular Facilitator: Dr Eddie Maloka, Special Advisor of the Minister * Mr Dayanand Naidoo (DIRCO) – Consular Diplomacy: challenges and opportunities for the foreign ministry* Dr Moses Montesh (UNISA) - The policing of football hooligans * Mr Virimai Mugobo (Cape Peninsula) - Public diplomacy in the global age* Mr Gampi Matheba (University of Limpopo) - How to domesticise foreign policy and improve relationships between state and non-state actors* Mr Siphamandla Zondi (IGD) – Public diplomacy and the future of South Africa’s international relations Discussion."

RELATED ITEMS

Stumbling and tumbling - Monica Crowley, Washington Times: Goodbye Bushian "cowboy diplomacy," hello Obamaesque cerebral "engagement." Coupled with his "I'm not Bush" charm offensive, Mr. Obama sold "engagement" as a surefire winner. Ten months into Obama’s presidency, what has all of this "engagement" achieved? Not only has it not produced improved relations with our adversaries, but it has also actually made them worse.

Unicorns in Kabul: Karzai is making 'dithering' look like wisdom – George Will, Washington Post: Already the annual cost of America's errand in Afghanistan is larger than that country's GDP. U.S. success depends on Afghans perceiving the central government as legitimate, which they will not do for at least five more years. Below image from



The Karzai calculus: Reform may be a matter of survival- David Ignatius, Washington Post: The best message for Karzai is the truth: Unless he improves governance, the massive American effort won't last more than another year.

How Iran Skirts Sanctions: Could a U.N. agency be helping Tehran to launder money? - Avi Jorisch, Wall Street Journal: With a financial mechanism reminiscent of the Oil For Food scam, it seems Iran is using a United Nations office headquartered in Tehran to skirt U.S. sanctions. Once again, a rogue regime appears to be abusing a U.N. body in obtaining access to hard currency.

Mao-velous Chinese propaganda art at Bloomsbury’s London, Nov. 5 - Auction Central News: On Nov. 5, 2009 Bloomsbury Auctions in London will stage its first-ever sale devoted entirely to artifacts from 'New China' and the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1950-1976). The Chinese Cultural Revolution (from 1966) saw the image of Chairman Mao used as a national rallying point, synonymous with cultural change and the purging of all bourgeois elements.

Propaganda was taken over by Jiang Qing, Mao’s wife who controlled all the arts and demanded standardized performance and imagery – art had to adhere to Mao’s political line, not the personal creative vision of the artist. Image from articole: Circa-1940 portrait of Mao Zedong, colored woodblock print by Qun Li, 19.5 inches by 13 inches, estimate $6,500-$9,800. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com and Bloomsbury Auctions.

November 3

“You can have multiple tweets.”

-- James Fowler, professor at UC San Diego and co-author along with Nicholas A. Christakis of Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Clinton tries to calm Arab anger over settlements - Andrew Quinn, Christian Lowe, Reuters, Swissinfo: "Israel's offer to show restraint on settlements falls short of U.S. expectations, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday in an effort to counter Arab accusations she had been too soft on Israel. ... A State Department spokesman said Clinton had tried to explain to the Arab officials on Monday what Israel had put on the table, and to calm the situation down. 'We obviously were very conscious of the reaction to her appearance in Jerusalem,' the spokesman said of Clinton's efforts with Arab leaders. 'I would call it public diplomacy.'"

The Original Power Couple Emerges Again With Hillary on Top... - Phil Bronstein, Huffington Post: "Hillary ... has become a fire-breathing, in-their-face lioness. She's sharp, tireless and blunt. While local pols in DC were trembling even at the idea of rowdy Town Hall meetings, she dove directly into them...in Pakistan, where they eat tea baggers and US officials for lunch. She seems to relish the clash of ideas and told already angry Pakistanis that their government wasn't doing its part in the war. [Comment by reader klondiker:] Admittedly, the Pakistan trip has done wonders for Hillary's profile. I have relatives in Pakistan, and they were stunned that a US Secretary of State was appearing on popular Pakistani TV shows and answering unscripted questions. It's really quite a landmark - I don't think any other SoS has done this level of public diplomacy. Certainly not Condi.

And, I think that's part of the reason why Hillary was chosen for this role. Can you imagine Kerry or Biden doing this kind of thing? They're both great, but I really can't see either of them holding their own in a rowdy Pakistani townhall." Image from

J-1 Programs - Why Companies Host - Melany Hamner, ILW.com: "The U.S. Department of State and J-1 sponsors are deeply invested in J-1 exchange programs due to the far-reaching diplomatic effects of large-scale cultural and educational exchange. As a result, exchange programs - specifically J-1 trainee and intern programs - have been and continue to be well-funded and fervently promoted by both entities. ... Host companies do not operate exchange programs with the intent of supporting U.S. diplomatic efforts; companies host programs with the objective of adding value to the company. Regardless of intent, host companies play an integral role in public diplomacy by enabling cultural exchange at office meetings, company picnics, and even at the water cooler. In addition, J-1 programs benefit from the oversight of a J-1 sponsor, ensuring that cross-cultural activities are taking place and that each program is compliant with J-1 regulations."

Reader Response: Donna Oglesby – Intermap: "Donna Oglesby, a veteran Foreign Service Officer (USIA) and Diplomat in Residence at Eckerd College, had this to say about 'Public Diplomacy Debate Reflects Bigger IR Questions': ... The hard slogging grassroots work at the nexus of foreign policy, public opinion, and politics abroad is the mission of public diplomacy.

Is it separate and apart from the political function of statecraft? Not any longer. Does it matter whether those performing this political function abroad wear combat boots or wingtips? Yes, I think it does because of the projection of values, added costs and potential friction created when the policy intent is political contestation and the actor is military." Image from

Q & A with James Fowler - idiplomacy.org: "James Fowler, professor at UC San Diego and co-author along with Nicholas A. Christakis of Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, will be one of the presenters at iDiplomacy. Among the theories Fowler and Christakis posit in Connected is that you can influence people up to three degrees – such as your friend’s friend’s friend – who you might not even have met. For example, one of their studies found that obesity is contagious – a multicentric epidemic. I spoke with Fowler on the phone last week about technology, social media and public diplomacy. (The interview has been condensed and edited.) ... Q: What are some of the potential downsides to technology and its effect on public diplomacy? A: I think it depends on what kind of message you want to get across. The upside is that when you increase your contacts between people of different countries I think you increase mutual trust. But the message that comes from the people of a country might be at odds with the message that the government is trying to promote."

Globcal is making Social Networking Worthwhile - globcal.blogspot.com: "Globcal International is a non-profit cooperative made up of individual social network experts, platform developers, event organizers, motivational speakers, foreign-affairs students, qualified as citizen diplomats located in countries all over the world that are all connected via social media platforms. The cooperative charter they developed is recognized in 87 countries.

Each program cooperator is an independent agent trained in social network ethics, public diplomacy 2.0 (sometimes called Facebook diplomacy or Twitter diplomacy) as ambassadors or social network protagonists their presence is seen on networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, ecademy, InterNations, XING where they effect public policy by stimulating social reform and change by maximizing social networking potential through promoting particular themes, ideals, and genres to create and assimilate an understood global world-view." Image from

Salvador, Romero & Subcommandante Marcos; Antaeus Trial – Paul Rockower, Levantine: "Synopsis from last week to get this week started. Last tuesday I had to lead a discussion in my PubD Lat Am class. I co-facilitated the class with my classmate Regina on nonstate actors in Latin America in a public diplomacy context. ... We compared the case studies of Nicaragua and El Salvador in the public diplomacy context of the Central American peace movement.... We also looked at the environmental movement, especially in Brazil and the Amazon. ... [W]e focused on how the Amazon rubber tappers were able to frame the debate not on the trees but the communities that were affected by deforestation. Good pd gives faces to issues. We then looked at the Zapatistas as the first post-modern rebellion waged as a public diplomacy information war. ... Thursday I had my PubD Africa class, and we discussed the role of UN peacekeeping vs. peacemaking in Africa, and the ongoing pursuits of the AU as an organization and subregional orgs."

Scholar, Student, or Academic: words shape perceptions - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.us: "[T]he Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars ... is comprised of students pursuing a Masters in Public Diplomacy from the University of Southern California (and I believe other universities but USC's APDS chapter is the most active). ... The APDS use of 'scholar'

denotes not a level of attainment but a condition or status. ... Is 'scholar' the best word? Perhaps not, but then on a broader level beyond the students, 'public diplomacy' is a worse choice...." Image from

Interested in writing a review for a book on public diplomacy? – Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.us: "Routledge is seeking reviewers for a public diplomacy edited by Phil Taylor and Nancy Snow. The Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy."

Cool Resources - CC471 - Public Diplomacy: This blog is created as a common platform for the students enrolled in CC471 - Public Diplomacy course in Emerson College during Fall 2009 Semester. "Hey guys! After listening to your ideas this past week, I thought of some resources that might be useful to some of you for initiating your public diplomacy projects."

U.S. Department of State Hometown Diplomat Presentation - UW EE Advising: "Interested in a career with great benefits? How about a career where you can play a role in making the world safer; improve human rights, narcotics control, trade, and environmental issues; and open up economic opportunities for Americans? Then consider a career in Civil Service or Foreign Service with the U.S. Department of State!

Dean Olsen, a Washington native and UW alumnus who recently earned a Master's Degree in Policy Studies from UW-Bothell and now works as a Social Science Analyst for the State Department's Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, will be visiting with UW students as part of the Hometown Diplomat Program." Image from

Skydiving – Kimberly, Suzhettes...tales of a wandering Mormon: "Some of the people from public diplomacy are going skydiving next Saturday."

RELATED ITEMS

Al-Qaeda passport Pakistan's propaganda ploy? - ww4report.com: 9-11 suspect Said Bahaji, whose German passport was reportedly found by Pakistani military forces in a mud hut in Sherwangai village, South Waziristan Oct. 25 has not been in touch with his family for two years, his mother told the New York Times by telephone. The passport was supposedly found just as US Secretary of State Hillar Clinton arrived in Pakistan to publicly berate the regime for protecting al-Qaeda. In another example of the US exploiting Sufis for propaganda purposes, TV footage also showed Clinton praying at the shrine of Muslim saint Bari Shah Latif in Islamabad, following a last-minute schedule swap with a similar monument in Lahore.

Afghanistan: Now what? After the election mess, Obama has little choice but to work with President Hamid Karzai's weakened government – Editorial, latimes.com. Below image from

President Karzai’s Second Term - Editorial, New York Times: President Karzai needs to work with the Americans to come up with a strategy to try to woo midlevel Taliban leaders in from the cold. The two governments need to quickly develop a plan to accelerate training of the Afghan security forces. Mr. Karzai and the Obama administration don’t have much time to get this right. The Taliban’s military strength is growing by the day. Americans’ appetite for the Afghan war is evaporating nearly as quickly.

Obama doctrine 'coup'- Frank J. Gaffney Jr., Washington Times: Undermine our allies. Embolden our enemies. Diminish our country. If anyone doubted those nine words summed up the Obama Doctrine, look at what the president's team perpetrated last week in Honduras.

ONLY IN RUSSIA?

A fork lift driver in Moscow was sampling too much of his own product when he drunkenly plowed his vehicle into the stock shelves of vodka and cognac in the storeroom where he worked. The result was a spectacular crash in which $150,000 worth of liquor rained down around him.

Amazingly, he escaped with nothing but a leg injury. We doubt he can say the same for his job. Includes video. Image from; via JM

November 2

"We will finally be able to marry Public Diplomacy resources with the Department’s overarching policy priorities."

--Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale; image from

"By asking collections to be diplomatic, we lose what is interesting about them."

--Cultural commentator Tiffany Jenkins

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

US allocates more funds to anti-Iran broadcasts – Press TV: "The United States has incorporated a bill into its annual military budget, which will allocate millions of dollars for Persian-language broadcasts. US President Barack Obama signed the Victims of Iranian Censorship Act (VOICE) into law earlier this week. The bill was introduced by Senators John McCain, Joseph Lieberman, Ted Kaufman, Lindsey Graham, and Robert Casey as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

According to the website of Senator Lieberman, the bill authorizes $50 million for the expansion of Persian-language broadcasting in Iran by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty's Radio Farda and the Voice of America's Persian News Network. It will also allocate another $25 million in internet-based activities, the website said." Via. Image from

YES – Youth Exchange and Study Program - Yale Richmond (e-mail to PDPBR compiler, posted here with Mr. Richmond’s kind permission): "The problem with the evaluation report of YES (Youth Exchange and Study) program prepared for the State Department by InterMedia is not that it believes that youth exchanges are well worth supporting and continuing. It is not the kind of question that Americans like so much -- yes or no, good or bad. It should be a question that State or USIA administrators of exchanges have faced many times in the past, and will continue to face in the future. When government funds are limited, as they will likely continue to be, where do you we put our money for the biggest bang for the buck? It should not be a question of whether we like or dislike such youth exchanges. Who could not like them? The question should be rather how much money do we invest in high school exchanges, undergraduate exchanges, or graduate student exchanges. As someone with many years of experience in all three types of exchangers, I would put my money on graduate student exchanges. With graduate student it is easier to know what the future will hold for them, and for the United States. With high school students, that is much more difficult, if not impossible, to know. Yale Richmond, Foreign Service Officer, Retired."

Sober defects in U.S.A. Africa operations - richweekshj: "While most proponents of African issues and perceivers were center on other things such as the visit to Africa by Secretary Clinton and the Comp Policy Reassessment towards Sudan, an internal probe of the Province Section's Authority of African Affairs holded really interesting revealings. ...

The Authority of African Affairs [at the State Department] is underfunded, confronting staffing shortages, weighted with demands and holds a public diplomacy [program] that in the words of the study is 'neglected.''' Image from

On Language - Starbuck, Wings Over Iraq: "A few years ago, then-Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, who was the commander of the US Army Combined Arms Center, made the following observation in an interview with Nathan Hodge: during the Cold War, when Soldiers were assigned to Germany and Italy in large numbers (some hardship tour that was!), Soldiers went through a mandatory 1-3 week introductory course in the local language--learning just enough to get by, get directions, and generally engage in some degree of public diplomacy with the locals. Now, I'll be the first to admit that being assigned in a foreign country gives you great language immersion training, but not from the 1-3 week introductory course. Indeed, in order to motivate men to do anything, you need to appeal to the basics--throw them into the local environment and force them to eat, drink beer, and try to hook up with the local chicks, and they'll be fluent within a few months. Guaranteed. If you want to learn even more quickly, get wild and drunk and try to talk your way out of trouble with the authorities (but this is an awesome story for a later time)."

Albright: Celebrity Diplomacy "A Very Good Thing" - Ted Johnson, wilshireandwashington.com: "Madeleine Albright appeared in Beverly Hills the other day to promote her new book, 'Read My Pins,' an interesting account of how she tied her brooches to public diplomacy.

I chatted with her briefly about the book as well as the preponderance of celebrity diplomats, particularly those on humanitarian missions in Africa and those calling for greater U.S. action in Darfur. Of the latter, there has been some cynicism as to whether all of the star call-to-awareness has been worth it, given the lack of progress in swaying the government of Khartoum. She disagreed. 'If they take their stardom in a way that furthers causes, I think that is a very good thing,' she says. 'A lot of actors are very committed and very smart people and focus in on the issues directly. They can articulate them, and I think it has made a big difference.' The complete story is here." Image from

Culture and Public Diplomacy - Rogue Stampede: “I stumbled across a photography exhibition titled 'The 21st Century Family of Man: Photography as Public Diplomacy'* through Katherine Keith’s excellent public diplomacy blog. ... This exhibit is an American event, the epitome of the West.. and the Rest will always become a spectacle of the exotic. I’m generalising of course, but some Americans continue to call Asia the Far East, a term that hasn’t been used in almost a century. But Paul S. Rockower isn’t just any American. He’s a well-travelled intercultural communicator who’s captured the beauty of humanity, the many different faces and places that make Planet Earth so amazing. ... That said, I still think there’s a propensity for cultural difference to be played up in public diplomacy, masking the living, breathing human being behind frilly curtain of ‘culture’. I am Singaporean, but I am also my own person, not a mere reproduction of my cultural background. We need to remind ourselves to find that middle ground when meeting people culturally different from us. Just sayin’. *I have not seen the exhibition, only the website. My kneejerk reaction was a response to the lack of contemporary city-esque images on the website, but who wants to see yet another skyscraper or suit yeah?”

Chinese general on a long march - Peter J Brown, Asia Times Online: "In late October, General Xu Caihou, the second-highest ranking officer in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), started a long trip to the US. At the age of 66, Xu serves as vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), and as a member of the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. ...

Drew Thompson, director of China studies at The Nixon Center, sees China's decision to have Xu address a public audience on this trip as an indicator of China's desire 'to engage in public diplomacy and shape the image of the PLA abroad'. 'His visit does not promise or mark a breakthrough in Sino-US military-to-military relations, but represents one step in a long dialogue which has shown some positive trends recently,' said Thompson." Image from

Philippines: The Illusion Persists - Strategy Page: "Over the weekend, several incidents in the south left five Moslem rebels and one soldier dead. The Moslem separatist rebels are, more and more, becoming a banditry problem, not a political rebellion with any real chance of success. Many of the rebels themselves, especially the rank-and-file, have come to see it this way. Most of the leadership resists. Since they control the PR and public diplomacy, the illusion persists that the Islamic rebellion is still a going concern."

Expert Level Meeting in Abu Dhabi - bababali124.blogspot.com:

"An Expert Level meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan group was hosted by the United Arab Emirates in the country's capital, Abu Dhabi on April 1st and 2nd, 2009. ... Pakistan's Ambassador-at-Large Javed Malik gave presentation on Public Diplomacy." Image from

Romania: MAE to use Twitter to quench suspicion of ballot box fraud abroad, Roumanie.com: "Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) will present on Twitter the organisation abroad of the November 22 presidential election, and this initiative is sought as an exercise in transparency over the election, Director General of the MAE Public Diplomacy Department Oana Marinescu told a news conference on Monday."

Invitee Talk for pr pupils - Alejandra's space: "Pupils on the MSc Pr program taking the specialist Pr & Touristry faculty holded a invitee talk by Kabindra Kandel on the two fundamental industries in Nepal: touristry and agribusiness. ...

The Pr and Touristry faculty covers fundamental countries such as public diplomacy, stakeholder battle and relationship direction, event direction, issues and crisis direction, likewise as specialist countries such as sports, spiritual, and spa touristry." Nepal flag from

RELATED ITEMS

Shared interests define Obama's world: In engaging adversaries, the president sometimes unsettles allies - Scott Wilson, Washington Post: President Obama is applying the same tools to international diplomacy that he once used as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side, constructing appeals to shared interests and attempting to bring the government's conduct in line with its ideals. But in reaching out to adversaries, Obama has unsettled allies, particularly in parts of the world where the United States has few other friends.

Hillary in Pakistan: Assessing That “Charm Offensive”- Patricia Lee Sharpe, Whirled View: As Pakistanis digest this in depth encounter with Hillary Clinton, the relationship is more likely to be strengthened than weakened, which may perhaps lead Washington observers to get over their shock and realize that sometimes you have to say what you think. Hillary may not be loved in Pakistan, but she will be respected. Below image from


Nation-state nonstarter: A deal with tribal chiefs is the key to peace - Arnaud de Borchgrave, Washington Times: With a majority of the American people against any widening of the war with more blood and treasure, the best card Mr. Obama has in hand at this time is to make deals with some of the major tribal leaders who don't approve of the way the Taliban enforces its feudal religious writ by cowing the rest of the population.

Afghanistan's drug war: The farmers aren't the enemy: Opium cultivation and heroin production fuel corruption and aid the Taliban, but targeting the growers isn't the answer - Moyara Ruehsen, latimes.com: We need to leave the farmers alone and focus our efforts on controlling Afghanistan's border crossings, targeting both drug traffickers and militants.

Talking with Iran -- and sending a message: The country's democrats -- and its leaders -- need to know that the U.S. is concerned about more than Tehran's nuclear program - Doyle McManus, latimes.com

The threat from Somalia: Must the United States also intervene in this failed state? – Editorial, Washington Post:

Somalia is not a country the United States and its allies can ignore or treat merely with missile strikes. Somalia flag image from

Hillary's Honduran Exit Strategy: Honduras signs a deal that means international recognition of the November 29 elections – Mar Anastasia O’Grady, Wall Street Journal: The need to dictate to Hondurans how to run their country has been the problem from the start.

IMAGE

AMERICANA

23 Private College Presidents Made More Than $1 Million - Tamar Lewin, New York Times

November 1

"Their solution was to stress their fervor for a different war."

--According to commentator Matt Bai, Democrats, on how to oppose the war in Iraq without being fatally caricatured, yet again, as feckless heirs to the McGovernite left; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Interview With Jim Sciutto of ABC - Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Department of State: "SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that we haven’t done as good a job as I wish we had in the past, having the kind of public diplomacy, people-to-people connection, and the sensitivity that comes with listening and consulting with people as opposed to just stating our opinion and kind of saying take it or leave it. I don’t think that’s always the best way to communicate. But in the 21st century, it’s a losing proposition. We’re not living in a time where you just talk government to government and expect everything to be taken care of. We’re living in a time where people have access to mountains of information, and if we don’t take that into account in our diplomacy and in our interactions with other countries and people, we’re not going to be as effective in communicating as I would like to see us.

So inheriting what we inherited, which you know very well was a lot of unfortunate feelings and attitudes that had been built up in people toward our country, we’re going at it sort of one by one. And part of the way I define my job is not just being confined to the government offices, but getting out into countries, listening to people. Again, I’m not going to satisfy every question that they have right off the bat; there’s just too much baggage that we’re carrying. But I’m going to keep trying, and I want, at least, people to go away saying, 'Well, no American official has ever come and listened to us like this. They haven’t been willing to entertain that we had some concerns.'” Image from

Hillary's Public Diplomacy Failed in Pakistan - Pakistan Defence: An independent defence organization for the research and analysis of the Pakistani security and strategic affairs: "The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's botched attempts at public diplomacy have drawn sharp rebuke from an American in Pakistan. Todd Shea, the head of Comprehensive Disaster Response Services in Pakistan, has criticized Clinton's statements during her recent visit as 'insensitive, corrosive, arrogant and flat out wrong'. The CDRS is an NGO on the ground in Kashmir and it has been working to provide a field medical center and healthcare services to the earthquake victims in Azad Kashmir since 2005. Like Greg Mortenson's work on building schools, the work done by Todd Shea's relief efforts have engendered positive feelings among Pakistanis toward the Americans. In effect, Greg and Todd have been attempting to fill the vacuum left by the US State Department in practical public diplomacy on the ground in Pakistan."

Clinton minces no words with Pakistan - Agence France-Presse, ABS CBN News: "Clinton's message was that Barack Obama administration stands shoulder to shoulder

with Pakistan in its fight against Islamist militancy and wants a long-term relationship, moving beyond the mistakes of the past. Interestingly the local media -- generally critical of the United States and a key target for Clinton's public diplomacy -- indulged in quiet praise." Image from

Listen up, Muslims – the West fought for you - Dominic Lawson - Times Online: "The Cambridge historian Brendan Simms, who has made a particular study of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, wrote some years ago that 'many in the European establishment have never forgiven the Americans for being right about Bosnia. Most Muslims, in Britain and worldwide, have forgotten it, if they ever knew it in the first place. For a long time I saw the inability of the US to parlay its efforts on behalf of European Muslims into credit ... as a failure of American public diplomacy. But in the course of my own modest efforts at public meetings, and the odd appearance on Muslim channels, I quickly realised that I was hitting a brick wall'. I had a similar experience when I spoke at a public meeting near the east London mosque, organised by the Muslim group Dialogue with Islam. When I argued that the Nato attack on Serbia in defence of the Muslims of Kosovo hardly suggested a fundamentalist Christian hatred of Islam on the part of the British and American governments, I could see that I might as well have been speaking in Welsh for all the impact it had on that audience of Muslim men and women."

From the bomb-them-if-necessary school of public diplomacy - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: “Articles from the Revitalizing Public Diplomacy special section of The Journal of International Security Affairs, Fall 2009... ‘Despite the damage that has been done from the embrace of pop culture and the promotion of anemic themes, the restoration of substance in U.S. government broadcasting can once again attract serious audiences in the countries that America most needs to reach.’ Former VOA dierctor Robert R. Reilly, Journal of International Security Affairs, Fall 2009. ‘What would seasoned political strategists do? First, they would map the world country by country and take an inventory of existing friends, allies, neutrals, opponents and enemies. Then they would map the world by transnational issues, as one would with trans-state or trans-regional issues at home: ethnic, racial, linguistic, cultural, religious, business, labor, women, family, generational, environmental, and so forth. This would be followed by a strategic message for each and a constellation of surrogate spokespersons, both overt and covert; and the political ground troops of activists, donors, protesters, letter-writers, and arm-twisters. By running strategic communication and its elements—public diplomacy, public affairs, international broadcasting, information operations, psychological operations and the like—in the same fashion as a perpetual global campaign on behalf of American strategic interests worldwide, the United States would be permanently conducting the 'engagement' that so many advocate but so few actually practice.’ J. Michael Waller, Journal of International Security Affairs, Fall 2009. ‘As one veteran government official has succinctly summarized, 'the most fundamental problem' with U.S. public diplomacy 'is that no one in the U.S. is in charge. Each U.S. government agency currently has [its] own informational program, but the bureaucracy as a whole lacks a senior official with the authority to integrate these efforts.'

Without it, the various agencies responsible for communicating America’s message to the world have succumbed to bureaucratic infighting, funding battles and conflicting mandates. What is needed, therefore, is a real strategic communications 'czar,' a single individual with primary responsibility for truly harnessing the tools of American strategic influence over the length and breadth of the governmental bureaucracy.’ Ilan Berman, Journal of International Security Affairs, Fall 2009. ‘Public diplomacy cannot be a core element of foreign policy if they are seperated [sic]. Power at the State Department lies in the geographic bureaus where policy is formulated. PD officers gain from decentralization, not centralization. ... The esprit de corps that existed under USIA exists again, but this time with PD officers who feel valued and empowered at the policy table, and connected to their PD colleagues. ... Public Diplomacy 2.0 should mark the end of the separation of policy and public diplomacy.’ Colleen Graffy, Journal of International Security Affairs, Fall 2009. ‘Obama has abolished another important tool of U.S. public diplomacy: the Department of Defense’s Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Support to Public Diplomacy. The office, originally established in 2006, was disbanded in early 2009, accused by senior administration officials of conducting propaganda.6 The move constitutes a stunning reversal; following September 11, 2001, the Pentagon under then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld took charge of a number of public diplomacy efforts because very little was effectively being done out of Foggy Bottom, where the job of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy was left unfilled for long periods of time.’ Helle Dale, Journal of International Security Affairs, Fall 2009. ‘The Treasury Department can and should increase its designation portfolio beyond Hezbollah’s al-Manar and the Iraqi-Syrian al-Zawraa channel to include Hamas’s al-Aqsa television station, the radio assets of Maulana Fazlullah, and the online properties of al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas and any other terrorist groups which use media to incite to violence and provide operational support for terrorist attacks. ... If such legal, diplomatic and political efforts fail, however, terrorist media represents a viable military target. The precedent exists: during the war in Kosovo, NATO planes bombed the Belgrade-based headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia—an attack that was justified by the Alliance as a legitimate way to end the broadcasting of Slobodan Milosevic’s violent call to arms.’ Mark Dubowitz, Journal of International Security Affairs, Fall 2009. [Elliott comment:] All recommended reading, even though I disagree with most of it.” Image from

Halloween Ruminations on Public Diplomacy, Propaganda, and working in the PD Field – John Brown, Notes and Essays

America’s Dialogue with the World - Marketingbookshop.co.cc, In Associates with Amazon: "Product Description A collection of a dozen essays by accomplished scholars and practitioners of Public Diplomacy which strives

to answer two key questions confronting America: What should be the content of America’s Dialogue with the World? What are the best means to achieve this dialogue? The editor presents concrete proposals to achieve a dialogue." Image from

Future of the U.S. Public Diplomacy: An Uncertain Fate (Hardcover)~ K. Fitzpatrick Author - Amazon: This title has not yet been released.

Shalom: Bostrom's invitation 'shameful' - Jerusalem Post: "[Dimona Mayor Meir] Cohen stressed that in Europe, 'the street is controlled by negative Palestinian propaganda,' suggesting that Israel was damaging its own public diplomacy by ignoring hostile publications instead of confronting them."

Saturday, October 31, 2009 - supportisraelnow.blogspot: "6. Scary Thing #6 - Lousy Hasbara - Hasbara can be translated a variety of ways - I believe that its exact translation

is "explanation", but it refers to propaganda, public relations, public diplomacy, advocacy - you get the idea. For a variety of reasons, Israel has always lagged behind its enemies in this area of combat. Though efforts are being made to narrow the hasbara gap, it is still a problem - American Thinker: Losing Israel." Image from

More memories of 1989, when news moved at "better-than Twitter efficiency” - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Artists: resist this propagandist agenda: In a speech for the Battle of Ideas, Tiffany Jenkins argued that cultural diplomacy leads to bad art and bad politics - Tiffany Jenkins, Spiked:

"Cultural diplomacy encourages art to be aligned with government and politics, when the relationship is always more complicated. The danger is that art is used as propaganda, which both dictates the message and reduces the complexity of artists’ work, minimising the more interesting ambiguities and limiting creativity. Even when art is political, it is usually at its most powerful when it is nuanced. ... Contemporary cultural diplomacy reifies difference, and leads to a depoliticised understanding of conflict. In turn, while the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, for instance, cannot be solved or understood through a display of historical artefacts in museums and galleries, cultural institutions are burdened with the responsibility of cultural diplomacy." Jenkins image from

Hemingway’s papers come to JFK Library – David Abel, Boston Globe:

"Despite the strained relations between the countries, the curators of the Kennedy library and the Castro regime have over the years found common ground, enough that the library announced this week that Cuba has shared copies of 3,000 letters and documents from the Hemingway archives at the country’s Ministry of Culture."

RELATED ITEMS

The real Afghan strategy: Will Obama give it a chance?- David Ignatius, Washington Post: The Washington debate about the Afghanistan war -- pitting advocates of a broad counterinsurgency strategy against those who favor a narrower counterterrorism approach -- has sometimes been misleading, at least in terms of what actually goes on here. The fact is that U.S. forces are doing both missions every day and night -- and indeed are becoming increasingly effective at each one. Below image from


It's Pakistan's war too: As a car-bomb attack in Peshawar tragically demonstrates, Pakistanis and the U.S. have a common enemy in Islamist extremists – Editorial, latimes.com: While it's true that the Obama administration, like the Bush administration before it, is shoring up the nuclear-armed Pakistani government to protect U.S. interests and those of its allies, it's also time for Pakistanis to acknowledge that it's in their interest as well to keep extremists at bay. This is Pakistan's conflict too.