November 11

"We will not overcome ... suspicion and hostility overnight, nor will neatly packaged public diplomacy be a substitute for compelling policies – and actual results – on issues that matter most to people in the Middle East."

--William J. Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; image from

Thought Experiment No. 1


Dan Mooney for Errol Morris / Library of Congress: "Question: What is the difference among these three photographs? ... Is it photojournalism, propaganda or art, and why? ... Answer: There is no difference. The photographs are the same. (Although the three captions are different.)"

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

The Obama-Clinton Administration – Andrew Sullivan, Atlantic Online (blog) - ‎"Hillary's globe-trotting role as a new kind of public diplomacy secretary-of-state is one the more astonishing things in the last nine months. What she did in Pakistan was quite something."

Hillary visit: beginning of soft-power diplomacy? - Shamaila Farooq, Pakistan Observer: "The visit was therefore of much importance than usual as it may have sharp impact on the US foreign policy towards Pakistan. Ms. Clinton visited the country in an unprecedented manner this time. Never in the history, had any US official spent the time had she spent in Pakistan.

It reflects that Obama administration attaches much importance to public diplomacy to achieve foreign policy objectives particularly in “war against terrorism”. ... There are no easy alternatives of what has been done in making the relations between US and Pakistan more strained, even it’s premature to see any big difference in the US policy towards Pakistan but we may hope to see the real end to the 'cow-boy diplomacy,' exercised during eight-year rule of Bush be replaced with the 'soft power diplomacy' of Obama administration. Although her visit has been depicted as a charm offensive the way she used diplomatic language with admiring smile that inspired everybody but she strictly stood by what the US had devised for Pakistan." Image from

Seeking foreign aid but not with conditions - Muhammad Asif Raza, Thought of the day: "The recently enacted Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 of the United States (Kerry-Lugar law) has come in for adverse criticism from various quarters for allegedly being a blatant attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Pakistan and to create a rift between civilian and military institutions. ... [N]ow the Pakistan government has the Hobson’s choice to either accept the Act as it is or reject it altogether. The Kerry-Lugar law provides for annual economic assistance of $1.5 billion to Pakistan for the period 20102014. The purposes of the assistance include consolidation of democratic institutions, supporting expansion of rule of law, promoting sustainable economic development, supporting investment in people and strengthening public diplomacy."

America and the Middle East in a New Era - William J. Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, US Department of State. "As President Obama has emphasized, and as Secretary Clinton discussed at length at the recent Forum for the Future meeting in Morocco, healthy relationships between America and the countries of the Middle East are about ties between societies, not just between governments. We have a long and painful history of mutual mistrust and misunderstanding to overcome across much of the region.

We will not overcome such suspicion and hostility overnight, nor will neatly packaged public diplomacy be a substitute for compelling policies – and actual results – on issues that matter most to people in the Middle East. But we ought not to underestimate the importance of simple human contact, using tools ranging from exchanges and scholarships, to English-language teaching programs, science envoys, and cultural and sports diplomacy." Image from

A Meaningful Agenda for President Obama's Meeting with Southeast Asian Leaders - Walter Lohman, Heritage.org: "The Bush Administration did a great deal for U.S. relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ... Unfortunately, the Bush Administration’s public diplomacy was not as successful. President Bush’s decision to cancel a U.S.–ASEAN leader’s summit in 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s intermittent attendance at regional meetings, and Assistant Secretary Chris Hill’s seeming indifference to Southeast Asia contributed to a damaging impression of American withdrawal. That conclusion was neither fair nor accurate, but it proved difficult to shake. President Obama has the opposite problem. His attention to the region is helping to correct the impression of a declining American commitment. ... But, thus far, his engagement has lacked substance."

Deputy PM Nguyen Thien Nhan visits US – DZ Times: "Nguyen Thien Nhan paid a visit to the US from Nov. 7-9 to seek ways to boost bilateral cooperation in education-training and response to climate change. ...

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith A. McHale acclaimed the two nations’ building and approval of the education task group’s reports, including directions and measures to elevate education ties as agreed upon by senior leaders during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the US in June 2008." Nguyen Thien Nhan image from

Obama's Choice, By the Numbers - Bill Glucroft, Multiple Reality Disorder: "Meanwhile, we could pull back from Afghanistan, save our people and our money, and still thwart that same terrorist attack 10 years from now with good law enforcement, intelligence and collaboration, the true pillars of counter-terrorism. Add to that a comprehensive public diplomacy program that treats people like partners instead of subordinates, and we could actually have the beginnings of an effective, worldwide rollback of terrorist activity."

State Department Social Networking Connects America with the World - Mitchell Polman, Understanding Government: "It seems an unlikely match — the U.S. federal government and social networking. But the Department of State apparently didn’t think so in October 2008 when the department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) became the first U.S. government agency to launch a social networking site, called 'ExchangesConnect'. ECA entered the world of social media world in order to enhance its existing international exchange programs, creating a portal open to people of all ages from all over the world.

Hoping that alumni of exchange programs will attract other people to the site from their personal networks, the State Department makes a special effort to inform participants and alumni of student exchanges and other State-sponsored programs about it. ... I looked at the site and while I found it to be an innovative idea, the site presently has a few limitations. ... ExchangesConnect is indeed bringing people together for dialogue and some exchange. Cyberspace, however, is not a substitute for face-to-face encounters."

Board to Death - Lydia DePillis, New Republic: "[T]he eight-person Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the five media entities—Voice of America foremost among them—[is] tasked with broadcasting American culture and journalism around the globe. .... The sad saga of the BBG began almost as soon as it was created in its current form, when the U.S. Information Administration [sic; should be United States Information Agency] was dissolved in 1999. ... Some in the public diplomacy world are at a loss to even describe why the board is there at all. ... [T]he inability to get people through a politicized confirmation process has contributed to a sad situation for the more than 3,000 employees under the BBG’s jurisdiction: In the most recent survey of 37 federal agencies, the BBG finished dead last in three out of four categories of staff performance. This is the kind of problem that full-time leaders are brought in to fix. Picking an empowered executive who could devote his full attention to the issues—like any cabinet secretary!—would almost certainly be more effective than confirming eight people for whom international broadcasting is an extracurricular activity."

Eight observations - 4th - telling - Cynthia Kurtz, Story Colored Glasses: On Organizational and Community Narrative: "Telling a story is not always the best way to tell a story In theory, telling a great story seems like a perfect way to achieve goals. In practice, things are rarely so simple. I'm often amazed by the way people talk about stories as if they were levers or buttons people can pull or push to make an impact or have an effect. One example is the tension between 'cultural' and 'public' diplomacy. According to Richard Arndt

in his book The First Resort of Kings, cultural diplomacy involves the respectful exchange of cultural treasures, while public diplomacy is closer to public relations campaigning. This review of the book calls the distinction 'between two-way exchange and storytelling' (which is sad, because storytelling didn't use to deserve such a bad rap). Arndt maintains that while cultural diplomacy has been used to mutual positive effect in the past, in more recent years American diplomacy has been mainly of the 'public' kind." Arndt image from

Master’s student brings images of the world to USC - Sarah Bennett, Daily Trojan: "Selected from thousands of images taken during his [Paul Rockower’s] adventures around the globe, 21st Century Family of Man exhibit features a lobby and conference room’s worth of professional-grade photos documenting the commonality among the people and places Rockower has encountered. ...

As a student in the country’s first and only public diplomacy program, Rockower hopes that by bringing the images of the world to USC, he can create a two-way dialogue that will inspire students to travel and see for themselves how alike humanity can be. India, Israel and China are among the countries he has visited." Image of Rockower exhibit from article

Exclusive: Fort Hood Massacre – Is It Too Late For Corrective Measures? Margaret Hemenway, Family Security Matters - "Five years ago, in October 2004, Abdurahman Alamoudi of the American Muslim Council, pled guilty and was sentenced to 23 years in prison for his role in a Libyan plot to kill Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. ... From about 1993 to 1998 (virtually during the entire Clinton Administration), the Pentagon retained Alamoudi on an unpaid basis to nominate and vet Muslim chaplain candidates for the U.S. military. The State Department was similarly conned and selected Alamoudi as a representative of the United States in its public diplomacy mission, anointing him as a 'goodwill ambassador' to numerous Arab states."

Consul General of Israel to New England Reaches Out to Teen Leaders for Peace - press release, PR.co - ‎ "The Consulate General of Israel is the official representative of the State of Israel to New England. We serve as the liaison between the residents of New England

and the State of Israel. Through the fields of academia, culture, politics, economy, press and public diplomacy, we promote knowledge and understanding of Israel. The Consulate's district encompasses Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Through the fields of academia, culture, politics, economy, press and public diplomacy, we promote knowledge and understanding of Israel." Image from

New York Film Academy to train Nigerian filmmakers – Rara, Nolly Zone: "Del-York International has entered into an agreement with the world’s most prestigious film-making Academy, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) to bring the academy’s world-class training courses, facilities and tutors to Abuja, Nigeria. Nigeria will be the first country on the African continent to host the NYFA team to an intensive hands-on training workshop on a diverse range of disciplines, including film making, public diplomacy, broadcast journalism, documentary-making, directing, screen writing, editing, 3D animation and master classes exclusively designed for professionals, marketing communications executives, lawyers, advertising agencies and government institutions."

NATO Public Diplomacy Division - Photo competition - Mreza Kreativnih Ljudi: "NATO Public Diplomacy Division is organizing a photo competition foryoung people from the region. ... Sincerely Yours, Jan Vlkovský Embassy of the Czech Republic, Belgrade." Below image from



State Secretary Bogdan Aurescu attending European Security and Defence Forum in London - Financiarul: "It is worth mentioning the series of public diplomatic events that the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Waning [sic], in cooperation with MAE, the Romanian Defence Ministry and the National Defence College organized over Sept. 21 – Oct. 23 with the support from NATO Public Diplomacy Division."

A Statement on the Concept of the “Defamation of Religions” Has Been Signed by the International Civil Liberties Alliance – Liberties Alliance: "[L]egal efforts alone cannot foster an environment of respect and religious freedom. Education and public diplomacy are vital tools in the protection of a peaceful and robust exchange of ideas and beliefs."

Reinvigorating the Museum of Asia Africa - pied-piper, diplomatic knots: "[A]s one walked through the dilapidated walls of the Museum of the Asian-African Conference,

one cannot but feel that maybe we in Indonesia are also to blame for this. We have failed to raise awareness of Indonesia’s relations with Asian and African countries, notwithstanding our supposed efforts to implement the NAASP [New Asian-African Strategic Partnership] . ... [T]he museum should revamp itself from being only a center for learning on the Asian-African Conference to being a museum that features Indonesia’s foreign policy towards the Asian and African continents. ... [S]ouvenirs [should be made] available that could create some form of lasting attachment between the museum and its visitors. Indeed, much of most souvenirs these days are simply made to satisfy the public’s consumerist appetite. Nonetheless, if looked from a broader perspective, souvenirs could become means of public diplomacy." Museum of Asia Africa image from

RELATED ITEMS

To mark 20 years since fall of Berlin Wall, leaflets lofted over North Korea - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

A strategy needs some steel - Michael Gerson, Washington Post: Military choices must be announced and pursued with neon clarity. It is the purpose of wartime presidential leadership to turn a debatable strategy into a national commitment.

We have yet to see this type of leadership from Obama. His rhetorical focus has been mainly domestic. Communication concerning Afghanistan and Iraq has come when there is no other choice. These wars have fallen into the category of inherited problems -- less national causes than a distant uncle's debt. Obama's high-profile international speeches, such as his Cairo remarks and United Nations address, have sought to transcend ideological debates, not engage them on one side. Image from

Blackwater Said to Pursue Bribes to Iraq After 17 Died – Mark Mazzetti and James Risen, New York Times: Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials.

No time to ease up in Afghanistan: A ‘counterterrorism-lite’ approach is based on three critical fallacies - Michael Chertoff, USA Today:

Counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan will be difficult, painful and expensive, with significant casualties. Critics are entitled to argue that the price is too high and the challenge too arduous. But we should not fool ourselves: An insufficient effort in Afghanistan will significantly raise terrorism risks at home and around the world. Image, with following inscription: "Ease up there big boy. I watched this ages ago, don't remember there being anything memorable enough to write about to be honest. The crowd was always gonna go against Kulez."

Justice and Guantanamo Bay: It is a mistake to try some detainees in federal courts and others by military commissions - Morris Davis, Wall Street Journal: China, the U.S. and Taiwan: The U.S. could use arms sales as leverage to ease tensions between mainland China and Taiwan, pave the way for closer Sino-American ties and promote peace and stability in Asia.

America Leaves Itself Behind: A world of trade deals without the U.S. - Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal: President Obama heads for Asia this week to talk about U.S. economic recovery and reform, and one theme that we expect he'll hear from Asian leaders is this: America is leaving itself behind as the rest of the world tries to liberalize trade.

AMERICANA

Buzz Aldrin named L.A. County's lunar diplomat - Richard Winton, latimes.com: The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is heading for the final frontier: Space. At the behest of Supervisor Mike Antonovich, the board Tuesday appointed Gemini 12 and Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin as its "Honorary Consul General to the Moon from Los Angeles County." Aldrin was the second man to step on the moon in July 1969.

The Board of Supervisors, famous for presentations of elaborate scrolls, gave one to Aldrin, who accepted on behalf of the 24 Apollo astronauts who reached the vicinity of the moon. The astronauts represent the "highest ideals of a seasoned American military officer, American military aviator, American veteran, and American space explorer," the board's agenda stated. Aldrin image from

IMAGE

British Propaganda Posters of the Second World War - Women of Britain come into the factories