November 22

"Diplomacy is like the Ganga-Jamuna-Saraswati triveni. The Ganga is political diplomacy, the Yamuna is economic diplomacy and the invisible Saraswati is cultural diplomacy."

-- Dr Karan Singh, the ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relations) president who served as India's ambassador to the US in the 1980s; trivene image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

New State video contest to "amplify U.S. public diplomacy." Even in the USA - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy:

"'U.S. Department of State Launches Second Annual ExchangesConnect Video Contest to Amplify U.S. Public Diplomacy: 'Change Your Climate, Change Our World. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today launched the [contest] with a video message on the ExchangesConnect social network at http://connect.state.gov. ... People all over the world, ages 14 and older, are invited to submit their 2-minute videos... . Two international and two American winners (one in each of the two age categories: 14-17 and 18 and older) will receive one of four Grand Prizes: an all-expense-paid two-week international exchange program.' State Department press release, 18 November 2009. [Elliott omment] 'Change your climate'? Aren't we supposed to be inhibiting climate change? American winners in a public diplomacy exercise? Wouldn't that annoy the late Senators Smith and Mundt? And 'ExchangesConnect' would be difficult enough to say as two properly separated words, let alone smooshed together. (Don't mind me. Just being irascible on a Saturday morning.) Looks like I'm not the only one who is irascible: 'Young people the world over are thus invited to show what they are 'doing to improve the planet' — very little of which or perhaps none at all will have the remotest relationship to the climate of the Earth.'" Helle Dale, The Foundry blog, Heritage Foundation 20 November 2009. Image from

Smith-Mundt Facts, Myths and Recommendations – Matt Armstrong, scribd.com

Writing like a Jamaican, in Morocco - Barbara Nelson, ‎ Jamaica Gleaner: "Jamaican-born writer and teacher Jacqueline Bishop's philosophy is that great writing can be taught. It is a skill that can be mastered, if engaged consistently and tenaciously. ... Bishop

spent many years at New York University, first as a student and later as a teacher. She is also the founding editor of Calabash: A Journal of Caribbean Arts and Letters. ... Last year, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship that placed her in Morocco.The Fulbright Program, established in 1946, aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States (US) and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. 'Going to Morocco gave me special insight into the hard, but exciting work of international relations and diplomacy. I did a lot of work with the US Embassy, and this helped me see the world from another perspective. Interfacing with the diplomats in the public affairs section left me in awe of the hard day-to-day work of public diplomacy,' she said." Bishop image from

Internal State Department report criticizes Africa Bureau - Elizabeth Dickinson [first posted August 14 2009 in Foreign Policy] – posted November 21 in ifatunji.com/blog: "As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton concludes her seven-nation tour of Africa this week, AF is receiving mixed and strongly worded reviews back in Washington. A periodic report just released by the department's Office of the Inspector General praised the work of a bureau strapped for resources and burdened with demands, while raising serious questions about staffing shortfalls, planning priorities, and a public diplomacy program that is, in the report's words, 'failed.' Compared with other regional bureaus, Acting Inspector General Harold W. Geisel said in an interview, the Bureau of African Affairs received a worse review."

Robertson's missiles - Islam not a religion - Ghassan Michel Rubeiz, Global Arab Network: "Eccentric religious leaders are free to launch hate 'missiles' across international borders. Media networks are totally free to spew provocative interfaith theology. The impact of unregulated religious propaganda on world peace, public diplomacy and ethical business practice is a question, which merits serious debate.

The self-appointed champions of politically obsessed religious communities, be it Muslim, Christian or you name it, should realize that defending one’s people or one’s faith through gestures of hate ends up damaging one’s cause more than hurting the target. On his TV station, on November 10, Reverend Pat Robertson condemned Islam and Muslims, in response to the Fort Hood massacre. Islam 'is not a religion' he declared; it is a 'violent political system'. ... With a clash-culture strategy, Robertson is taking on the Muslim world, a fifth of the world’s population. The harm to American foreign policy caused by televangelical hate has not been assessed. If we wish to reduce wars and enhance communication across borders new standards of interfaith exchange must be identified." Image from

Four seasons in one day: The crowded house of Public Diplomacy in the UK - Ali Fisher, Wandren PD: "In the British System the official and unofficial worlds of public diplomacy interact across the spectrum of activity in the UK."

Iran media plans stir talk of elite force at helm - Mainichi Daily News: "Iran has opened an information offensive. Its state-backed news agencies and broadcasters -- including English-language Press TV and Al-Alam in Arabic -- have churned out a blitz

of policy statements, negotiating points and news breaks as the main soapboxes for Iran's public diplomacy." Image from

Social Media training in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Yaron Gamburg, small talk 2.0: "Last week the training department of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened the new course: 'Diplomacy in the age of Social Media'. It's the first time not just in our Ministry, but in the Israel public sector in general, that there is a special training program dealing with social media skills. The major goal of this program is to train the diplomats to use the tools of social media in their work. The course includes three parts: - basic knowledge and skills in social media, including social networks, blogging, wikis,- review of the best practices of Government 2.0 and Diplomacy 2.0 in Israel and in the world- practical exercices and sumulation of social media use in diplomatic work. I'll update more on the meetings of the course (scheduled once a week), here and on twitter."

Canada saved the India-US n-deal; it now needs to think beyond - Ryan Touhey, SamayLive: "[O]nce again Canada and India might become partners in civil nuclear cooperation and trade. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's first visit to India served as the most recent example that Ottawa wishes to strengthen the relationship. ... A survey of the main Indian newspapers suggests that the Indian media gave limited attention to this visit. And therein lies a key problem.

Canada has to address a visibility gap in India and press its case as to why the India government and its peoples should be interested in Canada and the outcome of such visits. A good start will be for the Canadian government to take a page from its allies, and trade competitors, such as Australia, France, and Germany and develop a public diplomacy profile that has been sorely lacking since 1947 when both countries established formal ties." Image from

Romanians' round-the-globe voting process to cover 35 hours - Financiarul- "Voting in the November 22 presidential elections and referendum starts Saturday night in Auckland, New Zealand, at 08:00 p.m. Romanian time – when the first polling station will open – and ends Monday morning, at 7:00 a.m. Romanian time, when the stations in the cities on the US West Coast will be sealed. ‘What is specific for the voting process abroad is that it spans a longer interval than voting in the homeland. This means that the actual vote starts at 8:00 p.m. Romanian time in Auckland, New Zealand, where the earliest-opening polling station is located, and closes on Monday, November 23, at 7:00 a.m. Romanian time, when several stations in the U.S., such as Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Orange Country and Portland will close,’ director general with the Foreign Ministry’s Public Diplomacy Department Oana Marinescu told a press conference. The public diplomacy institutions are responsible for appointing the presidents of the polling stations abroad."

Blood And Rage: A Cultural History of Terrorism By Michael Burleigh - franciscovazbrasil - "Literary texts produced by several authors around world, in prose and verse. When we Read we thought more and better. Having worked himself up into a red-hot rage in the course of his book over Islamic terrorism and its apologists in the British liberal elite, Burleigh ends with what is actually a reasoned analysis and with quite moderate prescriptions.

He calls for more financing for public diplomacy, development aid, strengthening of democratic institutions and reliance on intelligence over armed force — prescriptions that are not that much different from those of the liberal elite he castigates. Had Burleigh written with less self-regard and with more regard for his readers, and had he written with less simplistic snideness and more of the sophisticated synthesis at which he excels, 'Blood and Rage' could have been a very good book." Image from

Rockstar Diplomat – Paul Rockower, Levantine: "My friend and former pub d classmate Miles is keeping a blog while working down in South America. Che Miles is living in Argentina and doing some public diplomacy work for an Argentine NGO. He is traveling about the southern cone. You can follow his adventures at: http://rockstardiplomat.blogspot.com/"

Timeline – Dave, Next year in Jerusalem! (or Brasilia, or Canberra, or Moscow ... you get the picture.)

The ramblings of a Cold War kid as he navigates (what seems to be) the never-ending process of joining the Foreign Service: "Order of events - so far!1/16/09 Register for FSOT Written Exam 2/14/09 FSOT Written Exam 3/3/09 FSOT Written Exam notification (passed!) 3/24/09 PNQ due (submitted 3/23/09)5/26/09 PNQ notification (passed!) 6/22/09 Oral Assessment (OA) registration (set for 9/28/09) 9/28/09 OA (passed with a 5.3 in Public Diplomacy) 10/20/09 Physical Exam10/26/09 Security Interview 11/2/09 Medical Clearance Process begun 11/16/09 Security Clearance granted!Waiting... waiting... please hold..." Image from

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Stars Lining Up! - Rose Quintiliano, LA Canyon News: "Hollywood A-listers such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker and talent agent Bryan Lourd, were named as members of U.S. President Barack Obama’s Committee on Arts and the Humanities on November 3, Reuters reports. The panel focuses on arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, economic revitalization through the arts and humanities, and special events. Also on the list were actors Edward Norton and Alfre Woodard and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The list of 25 from the world of arts and entertainment also included Vogue editor Anna Wintour, philanthropist Teresa Heinz, architect Thom Mayne and ballet dancer Damian Woetzel. The committee will be led by George Stevens Jr., executive producer of the Kennedy Center Honors and founder of the American Film Institute, and Broadway producer Margo Lion."

goes 'Off the Grid' at Peoria - Mía R. Cortez, what's up (blog): "Last year, the six-member band [Ozomatli] was invited by the U.S. State Department to serve as official Cultural Ambassadors on a series of government-sponsored international tours to Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East.

The tours linked them to a tradition of cultural diplomacy that includes the likes of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Louie Armstrong. It’s also given the band a chance to expand their repertoire and continue the teachings that got them off the ground." Ozomatli image from

How to be a cultural superpower - Shobhan Saxena, ‎ Times of India: "During the Cold War, both the US and USSR opened cultural centres around the world, leaving Bolshoi ballerinas to challenge Broadway beauties. Today, the story is being repeated. Bharatnatyam and yoga are taking on Confucius and Chinese rock bands in the new world order, whose economic engine is said to be located in Asia. The Chinese are aggressively pursuing cultural diplomacy and now, India is responding. The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) opened seven new cultural centres in Asia this year and is planning many more across this continent, Europe and the Americas. Is the ICCR desperately playing catch-up with China, which will soon open roughly a hundred 'Confucius Centres' around the world?"

Rs 150cr to hardsell India? - Times of India: ‎ "To put it bluntly, people want to know what makes India and Indians tick. And, the aim of cultural diplomacy is to answer this question as fully and effectively as possible."

Abu Dhabi's successful Cultural Diplomacy is remarkable - Mohammed Khalaf, WAM - Emirates News Agency: "Hosting world top artists and galleries in one place is an advanced step toward achieving Abu Dhabi's cultural strategy, said Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Director General of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH)

on the occasion of integrating 'Abu Dhabi Art' fair. ... 'The word is spreading fast. If you have a real interest in art and culture, then Abu Dhabi is the place to be. This is what we hear from friends around the world, whether they are interested in culture in general or are professionals who have made art their discipline. And they are right. Abu Dhabi is on track for being the cultural capital of the region and an art hub for the rest of the world' he said. ... 'We host many activities that represent different cultures, both modern and historical. But we also manage to display worldwide the culture and art of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. We can proudly claim that we have practiced Cultural Diplomacy with great success.'" Image from

The 6th Annual International Human Rights Summit 2009, Geneva Persian Mirror - ‎"Delegates from 26 nations participated the 6th annual international human rights summit in Geneva, Switzerland. ... WAALM was also among the invitees to the Geneva summit and Prof. Dorbayani, PhD, Founder and President of WAALM addressed the delegates on the role of Cultural Diplomacy in context of human rights at the University of Geneva."

Top Deaflympics organizer sworn in to head cultural agency - Chen Yun-yuh and Y.F. Low, eTaiwan News: ‎ "Emile C.J. Sheng, CEO of the 2009 Taipei Deaflympics Organizing Committee, was sworn in Monday as minister of the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA). ... The CCA is planning to work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote cultural diplomacy and will also seek opportunities to collaborate with the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Industrial Development Bureau under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, he said."

Riding the Thai-dal wave - Camille Pilar, Manila Standard Today: "Bryan Lim, the vice president of Suyen Corp., ... notes that fashion knows no geographical boundaries.

A 'cultural diplomacy' is formed when 'fashion builds a compact between people.' This could be the start of an in-pouring of foreign brands into our country and maybe Manila can finally earn herself the title of fashion capital." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

How East views West:The Far Eastern press' take on Barack Obama and his visit - Joel Pett, latimes.com: While stateside scribblers were throwing the book at Sarah Palin, how did our Far Eastern counterparts present our president? Singapore's Heng used a hoop metaphor for his sideline line drawing of the disarmed globe-trotter in chief. (Watch out, though -- Barack's a lefty, remember?) China Daily's Luojie treated Obama as a sweet-talking, sweet-hawking street huckster, while Guangzhou's Jianping Fan served up kinder and gentler pie-in-the-sky. Of course, these are only the sanitized, officially approved cartoons. A fearlessly independent press like ours would've tackled weightier stuff . . . like Sarahpalooza.

Partisan divide widens as Obama considers Afghanistan policy - Dan Balz, Washington Post: As President Obama nears a decision on Afghanistan, he faces a partisan divide in public opinion that is pulling him in opposite directions.

His recent statements about the decision suggest that he is trying to accommodate the views with a war strategy that can be successful and contained. The lengthy policy debate inside the administration has spun out of control as it nears its finish, with damaging leaks and counterleaks. Image from

Afghan tribes to the rescue? - David Ignatius, Washington Post: This is a transactional White House, so the president is looking for deliverables: a new commitment by Karzai to fight corruption; a new pledge by NATO allies to send more troops; a new plan to speed the training of Afghan forces. That checklist may help reassure Obama, but in the end, he will still have to roll the dice.

It's up to Netanyahu - Jim Hoagland, Washington Post: The Obama administration's approach to the Middle East peace process is on shaky ground.

The Arabs say that the encouraging rhetoric of Obama's Cairo speech in June has been washed away by his failure to deliver a total settlement freeze that includes East Jerusalem -- a condition that the new Israeli offer will not meet. Image from

For blue skies, first clear the air on human rights - Zhang Zuhua and Jiang Qishen, Washington Post: Over the long term, human rights have everything to do with the quality of the Chinese "partner" that the American people are seeking.

ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Truth is the least of memoir... . The power to persuade is all."


--Writer Judith Shulevitz, summarizing the view of Ben Yagoda in his Memoir: A History; image from