December 15

"digital zombies"

--What Americans have become, according to Washington Post writer Adrian Higgins; see also; image from

“Legalized prostitution ... essentially kept development at bay, improving the chances of restoring the flora and fauna.”

-- Leslie Kaufman, New York Times, “Onetime Nevada Brothel Could Become Conservationists’ Oasis”

SPEECH

Keynote Speech for the 50th Anniversary of the Fulbright Commission in Spain, Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - Robert R. Gosende, Associate Vice Chancellor, The State University of New York

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

An Interview With Haider Mullick - The Diplomat: "The Diplomat speaks with South Asia analyst Haider Mullick about Pakistan’s counter-insurgency efforts, conspiracy theories and the prospects for stability in Afghanistan. ... [Question:] You’ve written recently about how the US needs to market itself in Pakistan. In a nutshell, what does it need to be doing differently?

[Mullick:] Washington and Islamabad need to work on an aggressive public diplomacy campaign that genuinely explains the partnership using all available mediums (TV, radio, internet and cell phones) and through high impact visible socio-economic projects. One way would be to create a website linked to a cell phone network that allows Pakistanis to track US assistance in real time--there are 90 million cell phone users and 18 million internet users in Pakistan. And I’ve actually done a pilot project tied to this (http://www.usaidforme.com/). The goal should be to answer three basic questions in plain language that I believe most Pakistanis want answered: Why and how are we helping the United States against al-Qaeda and the Taliban? And what happens if we don’t?" Image from

US Embassy & AGC Promote Intellectual Property Rights Bru Direct - "As an important part of US Ambassador William Todd's public diplomacy initiatives, the US Embassy recently contributed a number of publications focused on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to Brunei's Attorney General's Chambers. According to a press release, the contribution included a popular US Department of State publication called 'Focus on Intellectual Property Rights'. This book contains a wealth of information on the importance of IPR. In addition, the Embassy, represented by Deputy Chief of Mission, John McIntyre, also provide two sets of IPR posters for public display. Finally, a series of comic books published by the World Trade Organization (WTO) about copyrights, trademarks and patents were also donated."

Letter To Editor - Dysfunctional diplomacy - Robert A. Schadler, Washington Times: "I was pleased to see my comments on public diplomacy at the Heritage Foundation last week highlighted so generously in The Washington Times ('Public Diplomacy,' Embassy Row, World, Thursday). I was brief and blunt, which is perhaps why a few misinterpretations crept into the account. I should first say that I was being entirely sarcastic when I suggested that 'enhanced interrogation' was in any way related to public diplomacy. Any other view would be outlandish. I made several points, which I will restate. First, U.S. public diplomacy has been dysfunctional

since the shuttering of the U.S. Information Agency a decade ago. Second, it could have been worse. Most public diplomacy functions could have been transferred to even less sensible places, such as the Department of Interior, Department of Defense or the CIA (said sarcastically). Third, diplomacy and public diplomacy are very different. They have different audiences and require different skills and support, but both are very important. Fourth, the State Department must focus on foreign policy and state-to-state diplomacy, and for that reason, public diplomacy can only be a secondary or tertiary concern. Fifth, public diplomacy is not fully housed in the State Department, with broadcasting off by itself and the Department of Defense trying to fill part of the vacuum in places like Iraq. I quoted Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates as saying, 'It is just plain embarrassing that al-Qaeda is better at communicating its message on the Internet than America.' I also referenced past CIA efforts at public diplomacy (such as funding the now-defunct Encounter magazine) but only assumed they were doing something now, because I have no idea whether this is the case. My overall point was not to blame the State Department but to emphasize that it cannot be done well there and - even worse - cannot be done at several places except in an incoherent, unstructured way. At some point, this fact will be acknowledged, and an independent agency will be devised to conduct public diplomacy. Robert A. Schadler Senior fellow in public diplomacy American Foreign Policy Council, Washington." Image from

What is Strategic Communication? – Matt Armstrong, MuntainRunner.us: "What is 'strategic communication'? To many, it is synonymous with public diplomacy, but are they? Is it that strategic communication is simply engagement by the Defense Department and public diplomacy is engagement by the State Department?"

India's warrior diplomacy - M Saeed Khalid, The News International: "India's self-professed coercive diplomacy has now metamorphosed into warrior diplomacy used as a hand-maiden of militarist designs. As a result, diplomacy is conducted like war, using propaganda as its main weapon. ... New Delhi has unleashed a propaganda campaign

through public diplomacy at the highest levels. This desire to become both the prosecutor and the judge should not be lost on the outside world." Image from

China-Central Asia ties need more energy - Global Times: "Monday's opening of the 1,833-kilometer-long China- Central Asia natural gas pipeline in the presence of the four state leaders from China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan is a landmark achievement that signals a new phase of regional cooperation. But, the cooperation between China and Central Asia needs to transcend the energy track to build greater trust for consolidation of ties. ... The two sides being at different stages of economic development is one of the barriers preventing more intensive cooperation. Though official interactions maintain the positive drive, as, for instance, evident in President Nursultan Nazarbayev and President Hu Jintao having met 18 times, public diplomacy is rather inactive. Despite geographical proximity, people-to-people contacts and understanding between the two sides is limited. Central Asia is not a destination that arouses much enthusiasm in Chinese tourists. On its part, Central Asia has shown reserve in its dealings with the giant neighbor."

A Hectic Week For Turkey - Omer Taspinar, Turkish Press:

"Washington seems content with Turkey's effort to talk some sense to Iranians. The key issue to understand here is simple: the Turkish rhetoric in public vis-à-vis Iran is significantly different than the message conveyed to Tehran in private. This looks like very bad public diplomacy on Turkey's part, but the fact of the matter is that Tur[key]'s pro-Iran image helps Ankara's credibility and influence." Image from

Mexican leaders on bikes to experience Copenhagen urban mobility at COP15 - skibsted.net: "The international renowned Danish bike brand Biomega and the Mexican delegation at COP15 will cycle around Copenhagen in order to give the Mexican delegation the experience of the Danish cycling tradition and world class urban planning. ... Together with Public Diplomacy (a division of the Danish Foreign Ministry), Gehl Architects and The Cycling Embassy of Denmark, Biomega has invited Mr. Marcelo Ebrard and Mrs. Martha Delgado on an arranged bicycle ride through the streets of Copenhagen. We will ride a very interesting route through newly constructed places and historical areas in the city center, which should be a pleasant brake after many hours of debating the global climate change at Bella Center."

Public Diplomacy Jobs, Internships & Fellowships in D.C. – Ren’s Micro Diplomacy: "The best blog for those of you looking for employment in PD: DC Public Affairs + Communications Jobs Washington DC area jobs and internships in public affairs, communications, public relations, media, web development, lobbying and related fields."

Tom Stroock Dies: Wyoming Leader and Iconoclast - wyofile.com: "Tom Stroock, who died Sunday December 13 at age 84 after a series of health problems, was an Ivy League graduate, a captain of the energy industry, an ambassador in Latin America, and a friend of Presidents, whose worldly experience never dwarfed his engagement and investment in his 'very special place,' Wyoming. ...

His old Yale friend President George H.W. Bush in 1989 named him U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, where he served until 1992. After his return from Guatemala he headed the Wyoming Health Reform Commission and was Professor of Public Diplomacy at the University of Wyoming." Stroock image from article

RELATED ITEMS

U.S. to house Guantanamo detainees in Illinois, officials say:The federal government will buy the nearly empty Thomson Correctional Center, where it hopes to put up to 100 detainees - Christi Parsons, Los Angeles Times: Guantanamo had become a lightening rod for anti-American sentiment, as word leaked out about coercive interrogation techniques that included waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning. Yet releasing even detainees who had been deemed no threat has proven difficult over the years.

President Petraeus? Americans are primed for postwar peace - Arnaud de Borchgrave, Washington Times:

Why Mr. Obama still felt compelled to add 30,000 troops to the 68,000 boots already on the ground, at $1 million per soldier per year, is not much of a mystery. The fear of being branded an appeaser and losing the House of Representatives next year and the White House in 2012 to Republicans is clearly paramount. Americans are fast losing interest in promoting democracy abroad. Image from

Obama’s Christian Realism - David Brooks, New York Times: Obama’s Oslo speech was the most profound of his presidency, and maybe his life.

Obama's War of Words Eloquence without action is soon forgotten – William McGurn, Wall Street Journal: At West Point and Oslo, Obama spoke to the challenge of defending our freedom against hard men with no moral limit on what they are willing to do to crush it. The irony is that whether these fine speeches are remembered by history depends

on a word he didn't use in either one: victory. Image from

A Decade of Propaganda? The BBC’s Reporting of Venezuela - Lee Salter - Venezuelanalysis.com

NOT ONLY IN AMERICA?

"The British historian Arnold Toynbee argued that civilizations thrive when the lower classes aspire to be like the upper classes, and they decay when the upper classes try to be like the lower classes. Looked at through this prism, it's hard not to see America in a prolonged period of decay."

--Columnist Jonah Goldberg