February 14

"This is on a par with the quest for unobtanium in the film Avatar.”

--A British “Stop the War" spokesman, regarding the recent NATO "surge" in Afghanistan; unobtanium image from

VIDEO

Palestine Is Avatar … So, You Know What That Makes The US and Israel

ARTICLES

Rabbi Benjamin Blech, Avatar and the Jews; John Brown, Avatar and Public Diplomacy and Avatar and Public Diplomacy: Follow-up

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY-RELATED (WASHINGTON, D.C.) BLOGS OF PUBLIC-DIPLOMACY INTEREST

1) Global Chaos

2) manIC: Public Diplomacy and International Communication -- in blog form

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Trapping PD – Lena, Global Chaos: "In mid-December, 2009, the House of Representatives passed a bill making it possible to prosecute

the owners of transmitting satellites, not just the TV networks, for spreading anti-American propaganda from and in the Middle East. The bill, which clearly targets channels such as Hizballah's Al-Manar or Hamas' Al-Aqsa, will require the president to present an annual report on anti-American incitement in the region. Although it still needs the Senate's approval, the bill has been a matter of discussion for quite some time. ... If the bill becomes law, American PD - around the world - will suffer a major blow. Instead, extra efforts should have been made in reaching out to the local public with a message that truly appeals to them, and with a strong argument that would confront and discredit the 'terrorist propaganda', instead of fueling it." Image from

What Did Rashad Hussain Ever Do To President Obama? - Spencer Ackerman, Attackerman: "According to Jake Tapper, Hussain [Rashad Hussain, named to be Deputy Associate Counsel to the President] is going to be named Obama’s special envoy to the Muslim world. Congratulations, fella! You’re going to have no power to change policy and you’re going to get endless amounts of spleen from Islamic governments and publics about, oh, Israel, drone strikes, the quasi-closure of Guantanamo, Israel, the 'occupation' of Afghanistan, indefinite detention, why is Obama personally killing Palestinian babies in Gaza, military commissions, Israel, Gaza, Goldstone, Palestine, Israel Israel Goldstone Israel. Why wouldn’t you want this job? ... 3 Responses to 'What Did Rashad Hussain Ever Do To President Obama?' Endymion February 13th, 2010 at 12:29 pm 1 Isn’t this the role originated by Karen Hughes? If so, I seriously doubt anyone in the Muslim world will even bother contacting him. Reply Dirk2112 February 13th, 2010 at 2:44 pm 2 Just not sure I agree with you on this one .. Heard Samantha Power dissect Karen Hughe’s [sic] failed approach to the position and given the low cost, the idea seems worth trying again just to see if it can be done right. Reply Spencer Ackerman February 13th, 2010 at 7:59 pm 3 In response to http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2010/02/13/what-did-rashad-hussain-ever-do-to-president-obama/#comment-20702#comment-20702 Nah, Hughes was Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy. (And not the first one, either.) Judith McHale has that job now. Who? Exactly." On Karen Hughes, see.

Would Bangladesh gain from the Obama visit - ‎Ripan Kumar Biswas, The New Nation:

"Presence of President Obama's highest-ranking official [sic] Judith A McHale, US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in Dhaka on February 6-8 following Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Patrick S. Moon's visit in last January, shows his acute interests in Bangladesh. And it is heartening to learn through a recent press report that he may visit Bangladesh sometime towards the end of this year or early next year while he will be on a trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India." Bangladesh image from

What We Need Now Is Leadership - Laura McGinnis, MAnic: Public Diplomacy and International Communication -- in blog form: "[Senator John] Kerry, as mentioned in this blog, has advocated for revamped public diplomacy in the country, arguing that negative attitudes about our country are caused by 'honest disagreements with our policies and our actions' as well as 'misrepresentations of our goals, values and motives targeted at those prepared to believe the worst about us.' Few would argue that U.S. goals, values and motives have been misrepresented in Afghanistan, and that U.S. efforts to reframe the story have been countered by opposing views. But how can the United States hope to set the record straight when our nation's representatives call for dialogue and shortly thereafter launch a major offensive?"

'Population swap as part of peace' - Jerusalem Post:

"Israel and a future Palestinian state should agree to land swaps that would make settlement blocs part of Israel proper and certain Arab towns now in Israel part of a future Palestinian state, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said in an interview published on Saturday. ... Ayalon, who was heckled last week while trying to give a speech at Oxford University, also related to the campaign against Israeli speakers on campuses abroad, saying that Israel must see this as a 'diplomatic and public diplomacy battle' for which it has to prepare." Image from

An obstacle to better US-Muslim relations? - Marwan Bishara, Aljazeera.net: "Haim Saban is the 'godfather' (founder and chairman) of Brookings Saban Centre for the Middle East Policy - which explains the name. By his own words, he is an Israel lover, friend and supporter of Ariel Sharon, who admires Israeli combat troops, considers Ahmadinejad to be a Hitler, and wishes one day to be Israel's minister for public relations. (See Saban by his own words below, it's a must read). ... Excerpts from Haim Saban's 2006 interview with Ari Shavit of the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz. ... On entering Israeli politics: 'I would be very happy to be given an opportunity to be minister of public diplomacy... [apparently he had tears in his eyes at this moment during the interview].[']"

Born-again Zionist supermodel - Ilan Evyatar, Jerusalem Post: "She’s 178 cm. with red hair and blue eyes, a former supermodel with a figure to die for and the owner, founder and CEO of a $1.4 billion lifestyle business: Kathy Ireland might just be Israel’s perfect public diplomacy ambassador.

'I love Israel, it’s very close to my heart,' says the 46-year-old born-again Christian. 'Because of my faith it’s very special to me.' Ireland was here recently to film a promotional documentary for Sheba Medical Center. Titled Holy Land Heroes, the documentary aims to expose the work being done at Sheba with wounded soldiers and victims of terror attacks." Ireland image from article

The Fonseka Affair: A Perfect Blunder? – Dayan Jayatilleke, Daily Mirror: ‎"Joseph Nye, distinguished professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, has in a recent article on the New Public Diplomacy, stressed a point that helps us understand the depths and dimension of the damage Sri Lanka is doing to itself internationally. He writes that: 'In today’s information age, politics is also about whose 'story' wins. National narratives are, indeed, a type of currency. Reputation has always mattered in world politics, but credibility has become crucial …' No enemy of Sri Lanka could have matched the damage done to the image of the country and the Presidency by our own Government’s recent actions, commencing with the deployment of troops – some with black masks—outside the Cinnamon Lakeside on January 27th. That clumsy melodrama (I was right there, being interviewed by Al Jazeera) permitted a different story line to emerge in and through the international media, obscuring the clear, conclusive electoral victory handed to Mahinda Rajapakse by the masses."

Let 'baingans be bygones' (Capital Buzz): Putting Africa on PMO radar, Gaea Times: "When will the prime ministerial gaze rest on Africa? Indian strategists keep talking about the growing ‘China factor’ that is overshadowing India-Africa ties and are keen to get Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make a visit to the continent. The highest level visit for a long time has been Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari’s visit to three southern African countries last month.

China has stolen a march over India in both government and public diplomacy in the 53-nation continent; so the foreign office thinks it is high time the prime minister brought Africa on his diplomatic radar." Image from

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Obama's Man in Miami: Ricky Arriola is willing to be pulled in many directions to attain a more representative community that is rich in the arts - Poder 360: "A pocket-dynamo, Arriola, 41, is currently chairman of the Performing Arts Center Trust that oversees Miami’s three-year-old concert and opera hall complex. In November he was appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, regarded as the nation’s preeminent cultural body which serves as a liaison between the White House and federal agencies. ... His success at the center made Arriola

a natural choice for the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. 'The fact that I can use a lot of the experiences and network that I have established here at the Arsht Center to help Miami and to help the nation is very exciting. And a real honor for me.' He was sworn in at the White House with the other committee members, along with honorary chairwoman, Michelle Obama. The 26-person committee includes actors Sarah Jessica Parker, Forrest Whitaker, and Edward Norton, as well as musician Yo-Yo Ma, and fashion luminary Anna Wintour. Arriola is Florida’s sole representative, as well as the only Hispanic. Unlike most countries, the U.S. has no Ministry of Culture, leaving the presidential committee with a major say in promoting arts and humanities through awards, education, and cultural diplomacy abroad. The committee works closely with the main federal cultural institutes, the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for Humanities, as well as the museum and library services." Arriola image from article

New Arts & Humanities appointees include Chuck Close, Jhumpa Lahiri - Claude Peck, Minneapolis Star Tribune: "A celebrated novelist and visual artist are among six new people appointed by President Obama Feb. 5 to his Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). Painter Chuck Close ... and novelist Jhumpa Lahiri ('Interpreter of Maladies') are among the new members of the group, which has Michelle Obama as its honorary chair. Other new appointees to the committee include entertainment lawyer Fred Goldring, BET television founder Sheila Johnson, businesswoman and arts patron Pamela Joyner and cable-TV executive Ken Solomon. Last November, 25 PCAH members were announced, including State Sen. Richard Cohen, DFL-St.Paul."

Daily Debriefing - Emily Fletcher, The Dartmouth - "President Barack Obama nominated Pamela Joyner ’79, a member of the College’s [Dartmouth] Board of Trustees,

to be one of six new members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. The committee 'focuses on arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, economic revitalization through the arts and humanities, and special events dedicated to recognizing excellence in these areas,' according to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities web site." Image from

The business of exporting Frenchness - Daniela Deane, Jim Bitterman, CNN: "French diplomats call it 'soft power.' But they know it's got real, hard value. That's cultural diplomacy 'a la francaise', the government-sponsored, multi-million dollar institutionalized campaign to spread, well, Frenchness throughout the world. In an increasingly globalized planet where the English language and Hollywood dominate, the French are taking all things French very seriously. And they're putting their money where their 'bonjours' are. The French foreign ministry -- and so the French taxpayer -- picks up the tab for roughly two-thirds of the budget for cultural diplomacy, ministry officials say, a sub-set of international diplomacy that diplomats consider ever more important."

Art review: 'Shanghai' too little on too much - San Francisco Chronicle: "The Asian Art Museum has a stellar history of originating and hosting special exhibitions. But every so often, as with the 2004 'Geisha: Beyond the Painted Smile,' it stumbles. Add 'Shanghai: Art of the City,' which opens today, to its short list of failures. ... The faults of 'Shanghai' might seem slighter but for precedents such as the National Gallery of Art's 1998-99 'Edo: Art in Japan, 1615-1868,' which used artworks lavishly and brilliantly to portray a city's history.

Defenders of 'Shanghai' might argue that configurations of international finance and cultural diplomacy have changed so much between the late '90s and now that no such exhibition could take place today. If so, then perhaps 'Shanghai' should have been reconceived. It does bring before us many items from Shanghai institutions never seen here, or elsewhere in the United States, before. But that novelty alone cannot carry the day. When the propaganda portion of the exhibition turns out to be one of the most involving, you know things could have been better. A painting such as 'Studying Industry' (1974) by Yu Yunjie, solidly patterned on Soviet Socialist Realism, exudes more energy in its utopian fantasy than almost any other example here of tradition-breaking Shanghai art." Image from

Monster Mash - Los Angeles Times: "Cultural diplomacy: Artists in India and Pakistan create a program called Quest for Peace, which will bring the two nations together through music, literature and other cultural interactions. (NPR)."

Taipei featured in UP Social Science series - Manila Standard Today: "Michael Hsu, Deputy Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines gave an update during the University of the Philippines Manila Social Sciences Week at Rizal Hall, College of Arts and Sciences. In his keynote speech 'Taiwan’s Diplomacy in Southeast Asia and the Bilateral Relations between ROC and the Philippines,' he traced Taiwan’s history, Cross Straits Relations, and aspects of cementing bilateral and multilateral relations under the ‘One China Policy’ through ‘Flexible Diplomacy’ and ‘Constructive Engagement.’ Hsu cited gains under Taiwan’s advocating cultural diplomacy in the Philippines noting that last year alone, Taipei

donated 15 Automated Weather Stations worth $280,000, and four ADOC digital e-learning centers." Image from

Rockefeller collection of Asian art now on display at Boston College - Chris Bergeron, Easton Journal - "The just-opened 'Asian Journeys' offers a remarkable breadth of statuary and ceramics from several Asian cultures ranging from 600 BCE to the 19th century. [McMullen] Museum Director Nancy Netzer called the exhibit 'a masterpiece show.' 'You can't walk up to any piece here and not have your jaw drop. Every piece in here is a masterpiece. Each one is the best of its kind,' she said. Subtitled 'Collecting Art in Post-war America,' the show runs through June 6. ... Netzer said she'd sought for years to bring the Rockefeller collection to the McMullen because 'these works haven't been seen much in Boston.' 'Not only is the art itself fascinating but the exhibit explores the role of art in political and cultural diplomacy,' she said.


'I think this exhibit provides a really good opportunity to tell an interesting story about collecting.' Image from article: Bodhisattva, Nepal; early Malla period (1200–1382), 13th century. Gilt copper with inlays of semiprecious stones

Economic, cultural diplomacy urged - Viet Nam News: "Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh yesterday asked newly-appointed Vietnamese ambassadors, consulate generals and other heads of Vietnamese diplomatic corps outside the country to give economic and cultural diplomacy a high priority at a reception for them in Ha Noi. Manh said he expected the diplomats to follow the country's foreign policies strictly, an important part of Viet Nam's willingness to be a trustworthy friend and partner to every country, and a responsible member of the international community. The Party leader also asked the ambassadors to implement well the country's policies towards overseas Vietnamese."

Milestones in 2009 cultural diplomacy - Nhan Dan:

"The year of cultural diplomacy 2009 was deployed strongly and comprehensively, contributing greatly to the foreign relations programme set out by the Party and State. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem wrote these comments in an article entitled 'Milestones in the Year of Cultural Diplomacy 2009.' The year wrapped up with a series of noteworthy achievements in cultural diplomacy. ... Cultural diplomacy has been clearly defined as a vital task not only for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, but for all agencies from central to local levels, and the entire society, the deputy PM noted." Image from

The Year of Cultural Diplomacy a success - Viet Nam News

UN hosts concert on environment pollution - Peter Mwai, Daily Nation: "United Nations Environmental Programme on Wednesday played host to a concert aimed at raising awareness on environmental pollution. ... The concert, the first of its kind to be held at the UN headquarters in Nairobi, was hosted by the South Korean embassy and organised by Beautiful Mind Charity, an organisation that promotes cultural diplomacy."

Tianjin Song and Dance Troupe party with Chinese Bicentennial Steel Ensemble at Ambassador's residence - press release, MFA China: "In the evening of Jan. 30, 2010, Tianjin Song and Dance Troupe, which had just rounded up its successful tour in Trinidad and Tobago, intermingled with the local Chinese Bicentennial Steel Ensemble at the Ambassador's residence, decorated with lanterns and laser lights for the occasion.

H.E. Mr. Yang Youming, Chinese ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, and his wife Mrs. Geng Hailing hosted the event, and some one hundred guests, including other staff members of the Embassy, representatives from Chinese companies, other sponsors and supporters for the Troupe's visit were present. ... Mr. Jin Hongyue, Head of the Troupe, said that Tianjin Song and Dance Troupe was happy to make its contribution to China's cultural diplomacy, and he thanked the Embassy, Chinese companies and other sponsors for the hospitality to them." Image from article

Oscar Nominations: USC Movie Experts Available - Press Release, Media Newswire: "Johanna Blakley, deputy director of the Norman Lear Center at USC Annenberg, is an expert on entertainment and politics, and the intersection of media, commerce and society. She is available to discuss cultural diplomacy and the broadcasting of the Oscars worldwide, global entertainment and this year's hot celebrity political cause."

RELATED ITEMS

Afghanistan conflict an 'information war' It's called shaping the battlefield. It's not the traditional air onslaught or artillery barrage designed to weaken an intended enemy before the offensive goes in - Jonathan Marcus, BBC News: At the very heart of Nato and the Pentagon, the disciples of the new art of "strategic communications" know that perceptions matter. But the reality is that on the information battlefield, just as in operations on the ground, things have changed dramatically.


The danger is that if things on the ground get messy, there will be no hiding from it. at began as inducement or encouragement for troops to lay down their arms, or basic instructions to civilians not to get in the way of military operations - think leaflets dropped by aircraft in World War II - has blossomed into almost a social science of cause and effect. Psychological operations or "psy-ops" of the 1950s have morphed into information warfare. See also. Image from: Battlefield 3 in development

Helmand war drive 'just propaganda ploy' - Lizzie Cocker - Morning Star Online: Anti-war campaigners have dismissed the latest military onslaught in Afghanistan as a "propaganda ploy" and reiterated their demand for the immediate withdrawal of all troops from the country.

An Afghan deal? – Editorial, Washington Post: Though it seems discordant to hear Mr. Karzai heavily promote a plan for peace talks with the Taliban, including the staging of a tribal conference within the next few weeks, is it possible the war could be ended with a political settlement before most of the 40,000 U.S. reinforcements President Obama ordered arrive? No, it is not -- which is why the administration will have to steer carefully around Mr. Karzai's initiative.

On Iran, all of the above - David Ignatius, Washington Post: White House officials argue that their strategy of engagement has been a form of pressure, and the evidence supports them. Obama's outstretched hand makes sense because it subverts Iran's best propaganda weapon. Without the Great Satan to blame, the Iranians have been accident-prone.

Netanyahu's stink bomb - Uri Avnery I - Arab News:

Most “correspondents for Arab affairs” are alumni of Army Intelligence, and consider themselves active members of the great propaganda enterprise against the Arabs. Many of them enjoy the generous assistance of certain institutions financed by American billionaires, whose sole function is to poison the wells of peace and understanding. Image from

Michael Oren: Sorry, But You Represent a Nazi State - Khalid Amayreh - Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org: Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, made a mockery of human decency, freedom of speech and objective truth. during a lecture at the University of California-Irvine on Monday, 8 February. Some of the pro-Zionist officials of UC-Irvine lost their nerves as the hasbara (Zionist propaganda) activity was transformed into a great embarrassment. See Video at: Students of the University of California, Irving, Disrupt Speech of the Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren

Why Orwell Endures - Geoffrey Wheatcroft, New York Times: Sixty years on, Orwell towers above not only the apologists for tyranny whom he loathed but also other anti­totalitarian writers. Recent biographies of Arthur Koestler and Ignazio Silone haven’t done much to enhance the reputation of either man. Both believed that, as Silone said, “the last battle” would be between Communists and former Communists, like themselves, and such men too often evinced in their anti-Bolshevik guise the dogmatism or even fanaticism that had made them Bolsheviks in the first place. That kind of zealotry was alien to Orwell. He has worn well for other reasons, of course. His deathbed fortune came with “1984,”

which has been plausibly described by Robert Harris (another notable political novelist) as the most influential novel ever written. No other can have so enriched the language. Try a Web search for countless contemporary uses of Newspeak, the thought police or doublethink — the expressions, that is: a glance at the political pages or op-ed columns provides plenty of examples of what those brilliant coinings describe. And yet for all his fame and stature, Orwell remains elusive. For one thing, he is impossible to categorize. He was a great something — but a great what? Scarcely a great novelist: the prewar novels are good but not very good, and even “Animal Farm” and “1984” aren’t great in the sense of “Madame Bovary.” Image from

The cartoon that came in from the cold: For George Orwell, there was nothing pro-American about Animal Farm. The CIA, however, had other ideas. Karl Cohen tells the remarkable story of how US intelligence secretly funded a landmark British movie - Guardian (2003): America's use of animated propaganda during the second world war is fairly well known, but propaganda made after the iron curtain went up is rarely seen or discussed. By the late 1940s, the CIA was spending tax dollars creating culture as a secret weapon to combat communism around the world. When Frances Stonor Saunders published Who Paid the Piper? The CIA and the Cultural Cold War, she mentioned a single animated film, John Halas and Joy Batchelor's Animal Farm, which was made in 1954. The CIA's choice of George Orwell's Animal Farm to produce as an animated film almost makes sense. Almost, but not quite, because the book's ending shows both the pigs and humans joined together as corrupt and evil powers. To use Animal Farm for its purpose, as Stonor Saunders reveals, the CIA's

Office of Policy Coordination, which directed covert government operations, had two members of their Psychological Warfare Workshop staff obtain the screen rights to the novel. The film did well at the box office and the reviews were favourable, but some critics suggested people should read the book to learn what was left out. The film was later distributed around the world by the United States Information Agency (USIA) through its overseas libraries. It has also been suggested that the film and book were excellent propaganda in Arab nations "in view of the fact that both pigs and dogs are unclean animals to Muslims" - according to an Egyptian embassy official quoted in the Guardian. Image from

George Orwell's Anti-Catholicism - Leroy Spiller, Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture 6:4 (2003) 150-163: Catholic readers and critics have praised George Orwell's rejection of totalitarianism in his famous novel 1984, and his critique of what Orwell saw as Stalin's corruption of the Bolshevik revolution in his political fable, Animal Farm.

This praise is appropriate. In 1984, Orwell, a long-time socialist, describes the horrors of a system that subsumed all individual liberty to the power of a totalitarian political party; likewise, in Animal Farm, he unflinchingly describes the realities of Stalin's rise to power. But, as Catholics, we should not attribute Orwell's insights to a Christian perspective. His insights resulted from his commitment to objective truth. Orwell examined the ideologies of the right and the left in the light of lived experience and reason, but he did so without the illumination provided by faith and an understanding of man's unique place in creation and the special role of the Catholic Church in bringing light and life to mankind. Orwell was an agnostic who recognized that Western Civilization owed much to Christianity, but he denigrated the importance of faith in the lives of individual human beings. Image from

AMERICANA

Hold Onto Your Underwear: This Is Not a National Emergency - Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch: "Let me put American life in the Age of Terror into some kind of context, and then tell me you’re not ready to get on the nearest plane heading anywhere, even toward Yemen. In 2008, 14,180 Americans were murdered, according to the FBI. In that year, there were 34,017 fatal vehicle crashes in the U.S. and, so the U.S. Fire Administration tells us, 3,320 deaths by fire.

More than 11,000 Americans died of the swine flu between April and mid-December 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; on average, a staggering 443,600 Americans die yearly of illnesses related to tobacco use, reports the American Cancer Society; 5,000 Americans die annually from food-borne diseases; an estimated 1,760 children died from abuse or neglect in 2007; and the next year, 560 Americans died of weather-related conditions, according to the National Weather Service, including 126 from tornadoes, 67 from rip tides, 58 from flash floods, 27 from lightning, 27 from avalanches, and 1 from a dust devil." Image from

MORE QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

"[A]n easier man to love than to like."

--Malcolm Muggeridge, a propos of the author of George Orwell, according to Geoffrey Wheatcroft in The New York Times

"However they may be as economic theories, Fascism and Nazism are psychologically far sounder than any hedonistic conception of life.”

--George Orwell

VALENTINE'S DAY IMAGE