April 26

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read."

--Groucho Marx; image from

“I doubt Winston Churchill ever said, ‘Whatever.’”

--Christopher Buckley

VOA Jazz Promoter Honored by US Congress - VOA News: "The United States Congress has proclaimed April 25 Willis Conover Day to honor a Voice of America broadcaster who spread American jazz music around the world during the Cold War.

The congressional resolution recognizes Conover and Voice of America for their 'joint contribution toward spreading the language of Jazz and American cultural diplomacy.' Conover called jazz 'the music of freedom.' He began broadcasting in 1955, at a time when many Eastern European countries banned the musical style as dangerous and subversive. But his shows were extremely popular and an estimated 100 million people heard his broadcasts." Image from

Why promoting democracy via the internet is often not a good idea - Evgeny Morozov, Foreign Policy: “[U]nfettered access to information is not enough to make people want democratic change … [T]here are many cyber-campaigns that authoritarian governments would actually like to encourage, particularly those that deal with identifying and punishing corrupt low-level officials. … I simply refuse to believe in the universality of this new human type of Homo Blogicus – the cosmopolitan and forward-looking blogger that regularly looks at us from the cover pages of the New York Times or the Guardian." Morozov image from article.

US-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium – Steve Clemons, The Washington Note: “On Monday, 27 April, I will be co-chairing a major national policy forum on US-Saudi economic and strategic perspectives on the Middle East and global economic and security system. … [Comment by Posted by Dan Kervick:] My guess is that the reason that there are no big-time supporters of Israel speaking at Steve's event is that, whether by accident or back-stage coordination, that event has now become part of a high-profile Saudi public diplomacy effort coinciding with a DC-Riyadh re-rollout of the Saudi peace plan. Perhaps most of Israel's serious supporters are uncomfortable being part of that sort of effort."

Mullen Cautions Iraq on Arab-Kurd Confrontations - Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service posted at - The Threat Report: War And Terrorism: [State Department Economic Officer] Lucy Tamlyn, the chief of the Regional Reconstruction Team … is in charge of development for the three provinces that make up the Kurdistan Regional Government – Erbil, Dahuk and Sulamaniyah.

Unlike the more well-known provincial reconstruction teams in the rest of Iraq and in Afghanistan, there are no U.S. servicemembers on the team, although they work with American servicemembers based in the region. The civilian workforce manages a large portfolio of projects aimed at improving life in the three provinces.'The Kurds like us and they don't want us to leave,' Tamlyn said. 'We're working with the Kurds on goals they have set including essential services, rule of law issues and developing the private sector.' The group also has a strong public diplomacy outreach effort." Image from

Turning the Page for Children of Kirkuk: 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs - Justin Naylor, Systems: "[A] program between the Iraqi ministry of education and U.S. State Department … began delivering 250,000 books to Iraqi schools throughout the Kirkuk province, Iraq, which began, April 16. … Over 900 schools in the Kirkuk province will be receiving books, said Sri Kulkarni, the chief of public diplomacy for Forward Operating Base Warrior's Provincial Reconstruction Team." Image from

Please look after our Turners, Mr Wen: The Government has pledged millions to underwrite an exhibition of the artist's work in Beijing - Brian Brady, Independent:

"The decision to send more than a hundred paintings by the English Romantic artist J M W Turner to be exhibited in Beijing – after the successful visit of the Terracotta Army to London – was a hugely symbolic move, part of a 'wider approach to building understanding between the two countries'. … The Foreign Office had to make an emergency request to the Treasury for permission to underwrite the near-priceless collection against loss or damage – and save an exhibition seen as 'a critical part of [Britain's] public diplomacy efforts' – when the Chinese made it clear they would not accept any financial responsibility for the paintings." Turner image from

Germany expands cultural diplomacy with new showcases - Vasilije Gallak, eYugoslavia.com: "Germany is to expand its cultural diplomacy abroad, reaching out to academics by building a series of missions to highlight German scientific and engineering achievements, officials said Thursday in Berlin. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the offices were part of a push to invest more in cultural diplomacy. The first such House of Science has been opened in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and more are planned in Moscow, New Delhi and New York." Steinmeier image from

Cultural ministry to hold fair to show rich tradition of culture - The Nation: "Thailand could counterbalance its unsettled image by showcasing its rich tradition of culture and arts, starting with a fair to impress the diplomatic corps here, the Culture Ministry said yesterday. … The Cabinet should form a panel using cultural diplomacy to restore the country's reputation and rebuild foreigners' confidence with the collaboration of the Foreign, Tourism and Commerce ministries."

Unesco Puts World's Major Works Online - Eric Pfanner, New York Times: "About 1,250 books, maps, artworks and other cultural items that went on display online Tuesday in an international library supported by Unesco and the U.S. Library of Congress. The project, called the World Digital Library, aims to 'promote international and intercultural understanding,' said James H. Billington, the U.S. librarian of Congress, speaking as the Web site (http://www.wdl.org/) was introduced at Unesco headquarters in Paris." Image from

The costly "game” with Ha Long Bay: UNESCO ’s recognition not enough? - Bich Hanh, VietNamNet Bridge: "Objectively, any positive selection related to Ha Long Bay is a chance for Vietnam to engage in cultural diplomacy. The selection is a way for Ha Long Bay in particular and Vietnam in general to capture the world’s notice even if it doesn’t end up as one of the top seven natural wonders of the world. However, there are concerns."

Nicolas Sarkozy's Big Mouth: Neither Asset Nor Liability, It Is a Way of Life - Harold Hyman, Culturekiosque: "Harold Hyman is a Franco-American journalist, based in Paris, specializing in foreign affairs and cultural diplomacy. He works for BFM TV."

Islamic State of Iraq Brings Internet Propaganda to the Streets - Abdul Hameed Bakier: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 7 Issue: 10, Jamestown Foundation: "The Jihadi Media Support Battalion (JMSB), an internet-based jihadi propaganda group, has announced the launch of a new propaganda campaign entitled 'ISI: The Gate to Liberate Extorted Palestine.' The goal is to acquaint as many Muslims as possible with the so-called Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and the Salafi-Jihadi creed (al-mohagr.com, March 13). The campaign has attracted many positive responses from jihadi forum members."

Mongolian people's republic - Justin Petrone, Eesti elu: "My research into Estonia's June communists has yielded some interesting results. The June communists were the armchair social revolutionaries and left-wing MPs drawn up by the Soviet legation in Tallinn in June 1940. … Most had some connection with Moscow. They were brought into its web of deceit and blackmail via Soviet cultural diplomacy programs. They had been invited to present their poetry for example, by their Soviet 'counterparts' in the USSR." Image: Estonia's Sandra Oxenryg.

ENJOY YOUR CRUISE

Italian cruise ship fires on Somali pirates - AP, USA today:

An Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people on board fended off a pirate attack far off the coast of Somalia when its Israeli private security forces exchanged fire with the bandits. Six men in a small, white Zodiac-type boat approached the Msc Melody Saturday and opened fire with automatic weapons, Msc Cruises director Domenico Pellegrino said. They retreated after the security officers returned fire and sprayed them with water hoses. The ship continued its journey with its windows darkened. Image from

April 24

"Take away paradox from the thinker and you have a professor."

--Soren Kierkegaard; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Sudan: Darfur Advocates Ask Obama to Make Darfur A 'Top Personal Priority' – Press Release, Save Darfur: "Today Darfur activists from around the country, joined by actress Mia Farrow, sent an open letter to President Obama expressing concern about the Administration’s lack of action to end the Darfur genocide and bring peace to Sudan.

The letter coincides with Obama’s keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Annual Days of Remembrance Ceremony. … The letter recommends [inter alia] that the Obama administration 1) Embark on a public diplomacy blitz to ensure that as many countries as possible will demand that humanitarian aid be unfettered by politics with a focus on isolating President al- Bashir for starving his own citizens, 2) Conduct a private diplomatic effort to explore how governments could downgrade relations with Sudan's indicted president and eventually end his 20-year presidency.” See also Boston Globe editorial; Huffington Post article. Image from

President Obama’s Diplomatic Outreach – Madhavi, The Trajectory: "President Obama is judiciously choosing the time, place and intensity of his diplomatic outreach; his policies can neither be classified as dovish nor hawkish, it’s simply pragmatic. President Obama has emerged as the one-man public diplomacy army for the U.S. The President’s style of uncategorized and unconditional diplomatic outreach would excel even the best designed public diplomacy campaigns of the State Department. Hopefully the ‘yes we can’ magic works for the U.S. foreign policy as did for Obama’s Presidential campaign." Image from

US Senators Casey, Bayh introduce Legislation to Track Progress of War on Terrorism – ISRIA: "U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) today introduced legislation to require an annual comprehensive report on the status of U.S. efforts and the level of progress achieved to combat and defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates under the Global War on Terrorism. … [Senator Bayh:] 'Our bill will ensure that Congress and the American people receive an accurate accounting of how our government is countering al-Qaeda and its terrorist allies using every tool in our arsenal— military, intelligence, economic, diplomatic, political, law enforcement, strategic communications, and public diplomacy.'” Image from

Frankensteins, or Davids? – James Glassman, TCS Daily: “Evgeny Morozov's thoughtful piece in Boston Review on Cyber Utopia … gives bows to Clay Shirky and Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society and places some nice emphasis on our favorite subject, Public Diplomacy 2.0.

The piece begins with this 20-year-old quote from Ronald Reagan: 'The Goliath of totalitarianism will be brought down by the David of the microchip.' Morozov then reviews the recent bidding — the enthusiasm over the ability of the Internet, and especially social networking — to bring salutary social and political results … But Morozov brings some appropriate sketicism to the endeavor. … His reservations are well taken, but I disagree. We engage in the Public Diplomacy 2.0 endeavor, the Grand Conversation, because we have a confidence that ideals like tolerance, free choice, respect, and democracy will, in a wide-open and fair discussion, triumph. Is this naive? I don't think so.” Image from article

Digital Divide Thwarts Online Diplomatic Efforts: The State Department Is Reaching Out On The Web -- But Who Are They Reaching? - David Herbert, National Journal: "The State Department is rapidly moving its diplomatic outreach efforts online, with a digital SWAT team of Arabic, Farsi and Urdu speakers to post on chat boards in the Muslim world and a social networking site and video contest to generate excitement about Western-style democracy. But for all the talk of the Web as a democratic medium, the Internet remains the domain of the developed countries. While three quarters of North America is connected to the Web, just 17.4 percent of Asians and 5.6 percent of Africans are online. … Ambassador James Glassman, who was undersecretary of State for public diplomacy and public affairs during President Bush's second term, acknowledged that online outreach efforts won't reach large swaths of the world. But, he added, that isn't much a shift for the State Department, whose public diplomacy has always been aimed at political and cultural elites. The idea that the State Department could tap the right people online who can diffuse the agency's message offline is not unlike 'buzz marketing' in advertising, which taps a handful of influentials to spread the word about a product or service.” Image from

Bringing Social Networking To Iraq? Could Work: In Context of Iraqi Culture, Not Ours - blackvector: "First off, do not get me wrong here, I applaud social networking and what it can deliver and fully support integration into existing processes for Public Affairs/Public Relations/Public Diplomacy and this group is a step in the right direction. However, one thing that has always bugged me is how we go into the overseas environment and attempt to take Western processes into other cultures. … The state department has taken a delegation of 'social networking' types into Iraq to 'provide conceptual input as well as ideas on how new technologies can be used to build local capacity, foster greater transparency and accountability, build upon anti-corruption efforts, promote critical thinking in the classroom, scale-up civil society, and further empower local entities and individuals by providing the tools for network building.' All that is lofty press release jargon for something, but i’m not sure what. … Public Affairs must shift from reactive to a more proactive and culturally-centric form of outreach in the deployed environment. I happen to agree with Matt Armstrong, from MoutainRunner.us, that PA officers and SNCOs should probably be trained more like Public Diplomacy officers rather than Journalists.” Image from

Does torture work? – ziferstein, drudge - Comment by Chris Ford: "If we had a law on the books explicitly authorizing torture by our government, the damage, from a public diplomacy point of view, would be incalculable. By 'damage', I don't just mean US tourists pretending to be Canadian in order not to get yelled at or something. What I mean is that on several levels, economic, military, security, intelligence, cultural, etc. we would receive less cooperation from other countries. Since we count on such cooperation to detect and preempt terrorist plots in the first place, we would be shooting ourselves in the foot."

Elephants in the Room: Of course the Pentagon cuts are about budget pressure - Jim Talent, Heritage Foundation: "[Defense Secretary] Gates has repeatedly and correctly referred to non-military tools of national influence -- what he calls 'smart' or 'soft' power -- that should be used in dealing with some of these dangers. Techniques include communicating effectively about American intentions, helping failing states build economic and political institutions, engaging in consistent public diplomacy, building alliances, improving interagency cooperation, and constructive engagement.

But many of these tools will not work except in partnership with the armed forces; it is impossible, for example (as America has found in Iraq, Bosnia, and Afghanistan) to build democracy in the absence of security. And the foundation for all of the smart-power options, many of which I support, is the world's confidence in the willingness and ability of the United States, as the animating force in a free-world consensus, to swiftly and effectively defeat, contain, or deter violent threats to its security, its vital interests, or its allies. Security, and the stability it yields, is the foundation for all positive development, whether that is the effective use of foreign aid or the steady movement toward representative forms of government across the globe." Image from

U.S. Travel Association Commends Department of Homeland Security’s Streamlined Entry Process for Frequent International Visitors: Travel Industry Encourages Expansion of ‘Global Entry’ Program to Other Countries as Win-Win for Security, Economy and Public Diplomacy – Travel Reviews

Vol. V.9 , April 10-April 23, 2009 - The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media: McHale Appointed amidst Debates; Pentagon Closes Down Propaganda Machine; Iraqi Government Spars with Media; Media Forum Addresses Global Crisis; Arab Media Neutrality: Myth or Reality; Egypt Turns Off Hezbollah TV ; Restoring the Prestige of Science through TV; Saudi Arabia Cracks Down on TV Decoders; New Media Horizons in the Gulf ; Rethinking Democracy Promotion; Skilled Diplomat or Apologist?; New Media Law Tightens UAE Government Control.

Are your opinions being managed? - Clarity: "To quote others on the issue, '…the phrase 'perception management' has often functioned as a 'euphemism' for 'an aspect of information warfare.' A scholar in the field notes a distinction between 'perception management' and public diplomacy, which 'does not, as a rule, involve falsehood and deception, whereas these are important ingredients of perception management; the purpose is to get the other side to believe what one wishes it to believe, whatever the truth may be.'” Image from

Main Responsibilities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China: “3. To coordinate with rel[e]vant government departments according to the overall diplomatic planning, and report and give suggestions to the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on major issues including foreign trade, economic cooperation and assistance, culture, military aid, arms trade, Chinese nationals abroad, education, science and technology, and public diplomacy. … 9. To release information about important diplomatic activities, elaborate on foreign policies, conduct information-related work about important diplomatic activities, organize public diplomacy activities, and take charge of the affairs related to foreign journalists in China and resident foreign news agencies."

Immigrant Diplomats.... – Manith, Perspectives on Public Diplomacy:

"If Turkey tries to mobilize its immigrant population in other countries as a form of public diplomacy to become a member of the EU, I can see it having negative effects from both the immigrant population and the countries they are trying to influence." Image from

Foreign Policy Advisory Group - nvids.info: cites report, Brown[:]Changing Minds, Winning Peace: Reconsidering The Djerejian Report

UW Brazil Initiative Launch - Event Details, The Daily Page, Isthmus: ”'Nabuco & Madison' conference [includes] … Session: Nabuco, Diplomacy, and Foreign Policy Chair: Prof. Mary Lou Daniel, Emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison Diana Page, Foreign Service Officer, Department of State, Washington, D.C.'Public Diplomacy: Ambassador Nabuco’s Enduring Legacy.'” Image from

Absence is the Highest Form of Presence: Teabaggin’ for Lebanon – All the Beirut News: "Maalouf, the ‘godfather of 1559.’ … was the head of public diplomacy for USAID and MEPI in Lebanon."

RELATED ITEMS

Horrors! A Handshake! – Editorial, New York Times:

Mr. Obama got elected on a pledge to do things differently. At last week’s hemispheric summit, years of antagonism gave way to eagerness for new relations with Washington. Mr. Obama undercut Mr. Chávez’s bluster with that handshake and his promise of a “new beginning” with Cuba. Image from

Obama's world tour - R. Emmett Tyrrell, Washington Times: Mr. Obama has become the first sitting president to criticize America while on foreign soil, and he does it with the practiced zeal of a person who has been feeding on anti-American myths for years.

The UN is used again – Editorial, Boston Globe: The United Nations conference on racism wrapping up in Geneva has once again been hijacked by hateful anti-Israeli rhetoric. It proves that President Obama was right to avoid attending the conference, even though -- or especially since -- he is the first black American president.


Tyrants Get Another U.N. Platform: America should rescue the human-rights agenda from its hijackers - Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Wall Street Journal: Rightly anticipating that the Geneva conference would be a forum for anti-Western and anti-Israel propaganda, the U.S. and a score of Western democracies boycotted the conference entirely. Unfortunately, lost in this circus were the real victims who suffer at the hands of autocratic and theocratic regimes. Image from

Stupid Iranian government propaganda machine displays great stupidity - DPGI - the aftermath: Is Iran’s new drone really an Israeli aircraft?

Yes, Condi Approved Waterboarding, but Don't Worry, She'll Never Get in Trouble for It - Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog I STILL keep track of Condoleezza's hairdo so you don't have to: Condi's been strangely untouched by the whole torture scandal thingy. Oh, look, here's an article about how she encouraged its use when she was national security adviser. But it's OK, because nobody will seriously take her to task for it, and then she'll come out with her delightful book about her parents, go on Oprah, go on the Today Show, get profiled by Ladies Home Journal, and nobody will ever really ask her any serious questions about torture, the end. Left image from

American Idol Judge "Mystified" by Dream Date with Condi - Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog I STILL keep track of Condoleezza's hairdo so you don't have to: Condi is a weirdly-obsessive American Idol fan.

Was Hans Holbein's Henry VIII the best piece of propaganda ever? As we mark the 500th anniversary of the accession of Henry VIII,

historian Derek Wilson claims that Hans Holbein's portrait of the king was a blatant piece of propaganda - Derek Wilson, Daily Telegraph; image from article.

April 23

"What can you say if you are asked to pose with a naked lady? I only wish I had eyes in the back of my head."

--British entrepreneur Richard Branson, here with model Denni Parkinson; image from

Can America change hearts and minds? Obama may be popular abroad, but it won't be so easy for his new public diplomacy secretary to improve America's image - John Brown, guardian.co.uk; image from

Guest Post: How to win the GWOT - or whatever it’s called today - Mark Pfeifle, Jonathan Thompson, MountainRunner: "Many national security executives fail to see that communication is a discipline requiring hands-on experience with proactive and reactive messaging, that includes talking directly to an intended audience and the media. We learned from our experience that there are inviolable rules in winning hearts and minds: Repetition, clarity, brevity, imagery, and vision must match action. Fixing some of the communication problems facing our country needs instant attention [including] … 2. Establish an Undersecretary of Defense for Integrated and Strategic Communication to oversee public affairs, military public communication, international communication and strategic communication efforts. 3. Congress must fully-fund the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy. Don’t reconstitute the US Information Agency, instead give the Undersecretary the funds to direct our nation’s international message apparatus. Start with a $500 million budget and annually increase it." Mr. Pfeifle was a Bush Administration Deputy National Security Advisor and Mr. Thompson was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. Image from

Bill Introduced to Create Science Envoy Corps – Alan Kotok, Science Careers Blog: "Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, the ranking minority member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a bill yesterday that would create a Science Envoy program in the U.S. State Department. If the bill comes law, Science Envoys would be established scientists who receive grants for short-term visits abroad to help build links between U.S. academic and scientific institutions and their international counterparts." Courtesy AK. Image from

Twitter, Transparency, and Iraq – Jameson, Perspectives on Public Diplomacy: "There was an interesting article on a discussion hosted by the U.S. Department of State in Baghdad with Jack Dorsey, co-founder of the Twitter network, and others from 'Web powerhouses' like Howcast, YouTube and Google - I thought Google owned YouTube, but I digress - on the 'possible high-tech horizons' for Iraq. There were also execs from AT&T, Meetup, and Blue State Digital."

Great Dance Routine: James Cagney and Bob Hope - Dr. J's Wonderful Web World - "Movies have always been a form of public diplomacy, winning friends, influencing people and indirectly building a nation's 'brand name.' … The U.S., Egypt, France, Japan, China and now India are among the nations whose films have had international impact." Image from

Khamseen, 21C and "my opponent is a moron" – Paul Rockower, Levantine: “Yesterday I went to the Celebrity Diplomacy workshop. A fellow named Chris Smith gave an interesting intro about celeb diplomacy, offering a timeline of celeb diplomacy. … Then Prof. Andrew Cooper spoke more about Celeb Diplomacy and its discontents. … Another prof from UCLA, Douglas Kellner was also on the panel. he spoke about the media spectacle of celeb diplomacy. He mentioned that Obama is the superglobal celeb these days, and is using his superglobal celeb status to carry our public diplomacy and is an antidote for anti-Americanism. … Today was a tired affair. A morning session that didn't exactly happen with a State Dept rep for Pub D in Africa, who got stuck in traffic and was 45 minutes late.”

Turks living in Germany could be public diplomacy tool - Minhac Çelik, Today’s Zaman: "Burak Erdenir, advisor to minister of state and minister of EU affairs and chief negotiator Egemen Bağış, said:

'Turkey should start to invigorate Turkish immigrants in Europe as an effective diplomatic tool for EU membership. They have been in Europe for 50 years, but Turkey has not managed to mobilize them.'’’ Image from

Most Israelis, Palestinians Still Support 2-State Solution: Poll – Huffington Post: "A new poll released by the OneVoice Movement (www.OneVoiceMovement.org) … [b]uilding off of some of the public opinion and public diplomacy methods employed in the peace process in Northern Ireland, … was designed to engage Israelis and Palestinians … and get to the heart of what people on the ground are willing to accept and how they think the process should play out. At the macro level, the findings indicate that despite fears to the contrary, the two state solution remains the only resolution that is acceptable to the majority of both Israelis and Palestinians."

Billboards Target Arms Aid to Israel, Olivier Uyttebrouck, Albuquerque Journal, posted at Moon of Alabama: "Shahar Azani, consul for culture, media and public diplomacy at Israel's consulate in Los Angeles, said Israel and the U.S. share partnerships in many fields, including the military, science, health and education."

Shahroudi urges justice for Gaza – Press TV: Hashemi Shahroudi, the leader of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq: "As stated by the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini (RA), the forged Zionist entity was originally designed to fight Islam. …

That explains why the Zionist entity had been facing the boycott and sanctions of all Muslims in the recent decades and is used to political isolation to the point that the US state department, in its recent war, allocated a 2 billion US $ budget for the improvement the image of this regime through a cultural and public diplomacy." Shahroudi image from

Durban II draft confirms Zionism as racism: spokesman - Tehran Times: "Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said on Wednesday the anti-racism conference in Geneva was in deed a confirmation of what was approved in the Durban I conference which had equated Zionism to racism. … He referred to the warm welcome given to the President’s speech by the world public opinion, especially in Muslim states, and said that was resulted from the President’s ‘public diplomacy’ in which he addresses the people not the politicians. Qashqavi said that President Ahmadinejad’s public diplomacy was different from what is known as formal diplomacy which is based on holding official meetings with world politicians."

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Romania before end of his NATO mandate – Romaniapress.com: "[NATO Secretary General] Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will be awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Bucharest during a public event that will be held at the Law School, which is part of the public diplomacy campaign conducted by MAE on the 60th anniversary of NATO and the fifth anniversary of Romania's belonging to the North Atlantic Alliance." de Hoop Scheffer image from

South Africa Needs A New Ambassador To USA - Kennedy S. Khabo, Black Star News: "President Zuma and his team should appoint a new Ambassador to the United States, who can also be, the face and leader of a strong US-SA bilateral team. … We need a leader who will at the very minimum possess the following skills sets and qualifications: Must be a professional and an effective administrator with a heightened sense of rational public diplomacy imperatives. We need an individual who exemplifies the best we have to offer when it comes to basic administrative and customer service management, and public relations functions; that is, timely response to telephone calls and written correspondence."

Reagan and Nixon Greeted Despots, Too - Joe Conason, Salon: "[I]t is permissible to yawn when the likes of Buchanan, Gingrich and the howling bloggers of the right claim that the president’s polite behavior toward any leader he encounters is a betrayal of America. He represents a nation sufficiently secure in its values to greet the world with malice toward none. His policy will be tested in practice, not bar-brawl theatrics."

Get a grip on Obama's handshake: Greeting Chávez with a smile does not mean the US is weak - Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor

Obama Among the Dictators – Daniel Henninger, Wall Street Journal: "It is early in the Obama foreign policy. They say the right thing on political rights. But there appears to be no coherent strategy beyond 'talk to our enemies.' So far, what do we see? Hugo Chávez is smiling."

My Father's Stand on Cuba Travel - Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Washington Post: Obama's declaration last weekend -- "There are critical steps we can take toward a new day" in U.S.-Cuban relations -- and his decision to rescind all restrictions on Cuban American travel could become momentous steps toward ending five decades of hostility in Washington's approach to Havana. The next step should be a White House endorsement of the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act recently introduced in Congress and a presidential initiative to restore the constitutional rights of all U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba." Image -- "classic car tours in Havana" -- from

What are US students learning about Islam? Politically correct textbooks are distorting key concepts and historical facts - Gary Bauer, Christian Science Monitor: "At a time when America is locked in a battle of ideas with Islamic extremists and other enemies of freedom, accurate knowledge is indispensable. Yet … political correctness is distorting the next generation's understanding of this battle."

All This, And Ivan Too Stalinist propagandizing be damned: Eisenstein’s epic Ivan the Terrible deserves your respect - Michael Hingston, Screen Review:

"By the second part, Ivan has declared an all-out battle against the boyars, and the rapid-fire plot slows right down as the increasingly weary czar fends off an assassination plot and tries to determine who in his inner circle, including the rest of the royal family, he can really trust. Make no mistake about it: this is all clearly set up as a Stalinist propaganda film. … More importantly, though, is that it’s fun propaganda." Ivan the Terrible image from

IMAGE: THE LATEST FASHION TRENDS


From: Secretary Clinton With Libyan National Security Adviser Dr. Mutassim Qadhafi, State Department

April 22

"Twitter abhors a vacuum."

--David Sarno and Alana Semuels, “Ignore Twitter? Major brands learn they'd better respond -- and quick,” Los Angeles Times; image from

"I heard about a woman who tweeted her father’s funeral. Whatever happened to private pain?"

--Columnist Maureen Dowd

Guest Post: Why "public diplomacy"? - Hans Tuch, MountainRunner: "It is true that the Reagan administration misused public diplomacy for domestic propaganda purposes and that the Clinton administration did much to diminish public diplomacy by dismantling the U.S. Information Agency; yet I am hopeful that the current administration will again recognize the importance of public diplomacy and restore it to its rightful position in the U.S. foreign policy firmament."

Reflecting on the "Global Apology Tour"... - David Rothkopf, Foreign Policy: "At breakfast this morning a leading Democratic policy thinker referred to President Obama's recent jaunts to Europe and the Caribbean as his 'global apology tour.' … He winced while he was saying it and laughed nervously. But the message is clear: it's all well and good to make nice but these two forays into international diplomacy have to be viewed purely as scene-setters. Obama set a tone. He checked the 'I'm not W' box. But the deliverables were negligible at best. Comment by reader ule99: Having the entire world hate us doesn't help...Maybe it's not so bad to take a different track. The newfound public diplomacy efforts of the Obama administration need to be echoed by concrete policies and dollars in support of PD efforts around the world. International volunteering organizations, Public Diplomacy within State, and companies that positively improve America's image abroad, need to get support. Just apologizing is fine but [its] actions that will make it easier for America to do its work. And it will." Image from

Public diplomacy in the Muslim World - Scott Kistler, Tempora Christiana: “One point seems clear to me: If you want world power and influence, you have to understand the people that you want to influence, rather than assuming that they want the same things that you do.”

Service Agenda - Edward Palonek, Edward Palonek ™: "Now, President Obama and Vice President Biden are counting on Americans from all walks of life to serve the nation and help address the problems we face -- and they're committed to building the infrastructure and providing the resources that will make it possible. … Expand the Peace Corps: Double the Peace Corps to 16,000 by 2011. Build an international network of overseas volunteers so that Americans work side-by-side with volunteers from other countries. Show the World the Best Face of America: Set up an America's Voice Initiative to deploy Americans who are fluent speakers of local languages for public diplomacy. Extend opportunities for older individuals such as teachers, engineers, and doctors to serve overseas." Image from

State IG sees problems with VOA Persian News Network (updated) - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Congress maintains funds for "surge" broadcasting to Tibet - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Obama Campaign's Multi-Million Dollar Propaganda Firm Deployed in Iraq to Advise on "New Media" - Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet: "The U.S. State Department has announced it is sponsoring a 'New Media Technology' delegation to Iraq to 'explore new opportunities to support Iraqi government and non-government stakeholders in Iraq's emerging new media industry.' Of all of the areas in Iraq in desperate need of attention, its 'emerging new media industry' is not the one that pops to mind.. … [T]he final company listed as participating in the delegation begs for some sort of special review: Blue State Digital, a firm which boasts its services were 'Critically important to President Obama's victory' in the November election. Indeed, federal campaign spending records indicate that the Obama campaign paid the firm at least $2,864,138 in 2007-2008, including more than $700,000 on election day." See also. Image from

Report: US is jamming, blocking Taliban media - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Propagandists of terror prevailing - Sally Neighbour, The Australian: In July 2005, al-Qa'ida's chief strategist Ayman al-Zawahiri outlined a critical element of his organisation's war against the West. 'We are in a battle and more than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media. We are in a media battle for the hearts and minds of our umma (community).' Al-Qa'ida has made 'the media battle' a key front in its war, a strategy that helps explain why the jihadist movement continues to flourish." Image from

Information Operations: Death by Propaganda - InsidetheHQ: "In an effort to move away from what some charge has been an operation of propaganda overseas, the Pentagon has dismantled the office for support of public diplomacy. … Critics have called it the DoD Propaganda office, though we would think that title has been bestowed on many a government information operation. … . Communication castration? Despite this latest shut down, DoD remains armed with more money and trained communicators than anyone else in government, which makes the P-word allegations even more curious. Possibly one person’s information dissemination is another’s propaganda?" Image from

A Pentagon Cyber-Command Is in the Works - Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post: "The Obama administration is finalizing plans for a new Pentagon command to coordinate the security of military computer networks and to develop new offensive cyber-weapons, sources said last night. Planning for the reorganization of Defense Department and intelligence agencies is underway, and a decision is imminent, according to a person familiar with the White House plans."

I love the smell of propaganda in the morning... –septicisle, Obsolete: “If it's on the Sun's front page on a Monday, it's probably propaganda. … Today's, also authored by John Kay, is more easy to trace direct back to source: the MoD have the exact same story up on their website. It's also a hoary old tale which while possibly true, is equally likely not to be: MIRACLE soldier Leon Wilson told last night how a high-velocity Taliban bullet hit his helmet and missed his head by two millimetres — the thickness of a beer mat. The Sun further embellishes the story by adding some extraneous detail: Travelling at 1,000 metres a second, the bullet pierced the left side of his combat helmet, ripped through a forehead pad inside and exited the front without touching him. At 1,000 metres a second! Not 999 metres a second, or 1,001 metres a second, but an exact 1,000! That's impressive!” Image from

Twitter and handling public relations – gamburg, small talk: “I'm bringing for your attention an article from LAT about Twitter and how big companies deal with its impact on PR and branding. There are some insights that could be applied in public diplomacy:http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-twitter20-2009apr20,0,2701874.story

Modova's "Twitter Revolution" (updated: and Thailand's) - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

The case for 'incitement' - Jerusalem Post: "'Hasbara' - Israel's public diplomacy - is self-evidently problematic because the country does not speak with one voice. Israeli officials may be vexed by what they read in the morning papers or watch on the evening news. But they rightly have no control over news and opinion. A free press is a 'handicap' this and any democracy willingly embraces. NOT SO in much of the Muslim and Arab world." Image from

Govt to launch PR war to counter propaganda - Piyanart Srivalo, Bancha Khaengkhan, The Nation, Thailand: "The government will be launching a publicity campaign both at home and overseas to counter the propaganda war of the red shirts, PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey said yesterday."

RI's elections: The regional dividend - Michael Vatikiotis, Jakarta Post:

"Indonesian analysts have been outspoken critics of the newly adopted ASEAN Charter, doubting that other member states will support the full implementation of its provisions for dispute resolution or respect the charter's embrace of democracy and human rights principles. But the commentary has been long on rhetoric and short on practical suggestions about how to prevent this happening. The government can help by channelling more resources into effective public diplomacy and reaching out to regional partners. It would be inappropriate and counter-productive for Indonesia to rely on traditional Western donors to underwrite the advocacy of democracy." Image from

Cultural diplomacy and conflict resolution at AMU - Hamid Raihan, AMU News And Views: "Speaking on the topic of 'Cultural Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution' H.E The Ambassador Bal Anand (former Ambassador & Diplomat to Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Romania, New Zealand and Nicaragua Aramenia) said that the impact of culture on the conduct of modern diplomacy is unquestionable. Culture is a powerful instrument in the hands of diplomats to pursue national interest in an un intrusive, intelligent, convincing and cost-effective manner. Culture is utilized actively in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy to foster intercultural understanding and meaningful dialogue between nations. He was, however of the opinion that it is also a tool of conflict resolution and comes under the domain of public diplomacy."

Filipinos ordered to steer clear of Somalia - Elizabeth Dickinson, Passport, Foreign Policy:

“The single largest supplier of maritime labor -- the Philippines -- announced yesterday that it will forbid its seafarers from passing through the Gulf of Aden, where pirates already hold over a hundred Filipinos hostage. … [I]n real public diplomacy terms, the decision is no surprise. The release of a five-months-held Filipino crew today illustrates the emotional toll that the piracy has had on the [Philippines'] sea-faring psyche." Image from

Sri Lanka's propaganda war - Aly Jiwani, Perspectives on Public Diplomacy: "The New York Times' blog, The Lede, reports that supporters of both sides in the 25-year Sri Lankan conflict continue to fight a global propaganda war on many fronts http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/two-sri-lankas-struggle-to-tell-their-tales/?"

Kim's propaganda – Taiwan News: "A South Korean court yesterday jailed two leaders of a left-wing group for spreading North Korean propaganda and engaging in activities sympathetic to the communist nation." Image from

Reporters behind bars: The Obama administration must insist that nations seeking U.S. goodwill respect free speech and not hold journalists as political pawns – Editorial, Los Angeles Times

2009 Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy - Events Detail, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "July 19 - 31, 2009 9:30 am - 5:15 pm Venue: University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication. The year 2009 marks the fourth annual Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy. This innovative two-week training program run by the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School, is an opportunity for professionals to collaborate and immerse themselves in the increasingly critical study of public diplomacy. The purpose of the Summer Institute is to equip practitioners with tools to better understand the role of public diplomacy, analyze the impact of new communication technologies and employ innovative new mechanisms for improving the image and impact of their country or organization in the world."

Last Week at Tufts... – Tufts University W-News: "Apr. 16: Anthony Smallwood, head of press and public diplomacy, delegation of the European Commission spoke on the topic, 'Europe's Love Affair with Obama - Is it real? Can it last?'"

Media and Public Affairs Officer – Advance: "The Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations in New York invites applications for the position of Media and Public Affairs Officer."

Henry VIII: athlete, warrior, icon - Adam Risman and Sarah Flagg, MSN: "Henry VIII's reign as King of England is widely remembered for his ugly battles with Rome over control of the Church of England and his six wives, two of which he beheaded. To mark the anniversary, a new exhibition at the Tower of London showcases the king's dramatic transformation during his time on the throne. By presenting Henry as the sporting hero, warrior king and icon he was considered during his reign, the exhibition brings his physical presence and transformation to life, not least through the evolution of his armour. 'You are seeing exactly what a Tudor person would have seen. You can see the man. Portraits can be a form of propaganda. Armour is propaganda as well, but you can’t hide things in armour.'" Image from

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