August 17

"Not being able to govern events, I govern myself."

--Michel de Montaigne; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

The Global Health Initiative: The Next Phase of American Leadership - Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Department of State: "We invest in global health as a tool of public diplomacy. For millions of people worldwide, the prevention, treatment or care that the United States makes possible is their main experience of us as a country and a people. And it can be a very powerful one.

Giving people a chance at a long and healthy life or helping protect their children from disease conveys as much about our values as any state visit or strategic dialogue ever could." Image from

U.S. Said to Plan Easing Rules for Travel to Cuba - Ginger Thompson, New York Times: "The Obama administration is planning to expand opportunities for Americans to travel to Cuba, the latest step aimed at encouraging more contact between people in both countries, while leaving intact the decades-old embargo against the island’s Communist government, according to Congressional and administration officials. The officials, who asked not to be identified because they had not been authorized to discuss the policy before it was announced, said it was meant to loosen restrictions on academic, religious and cultural groups that were adopted under President George W. Bush, and return to the 'people to people' policies followed under President Bill Clinton. Those policies, officials said, fostered robust exchanges between the United States and Cuba, allowing groups — including universities, sports teams, museums and chambers of commerce — to share expertise as well as life experiences. ... In effect, the new policy would expand current channels for travel to Cuba, rather than create new ones. Academic, religious and cultural groups are now allowed to travel under very tight rules. For example, students wanting to study in Cuba are required to stay at least 10 weeks. And only accredited universities can apply for academic visas. Under the new policy, such restrictions would be eased, officials said. And academic institutions, including research and advocacy groups and museums, would be able to seek licenses for as long as two years."

Best Hamburger Shanghai - Info About Shanghai Tunnels Oregon: "My first visit to the USA pavilion happened a few days after it officially opened. ... As I left the pavilion, I raved to my companion about how the young Americans I’d just seen – officially, they are members of the USA pavilion’s Student Ambassador program – are precisely who and how I would want the USA to represent itself at Expo 2010 (the Shanghai World’s Fair). Entrepreneurial. Optimistic. Well-educated. Young. Open to China and other cultures. Sense of humor. Sense of integrity. ... One of the things that I find most interesting about the Student Ambassadors is that they develop (and have developed) a performer’s instinct for what does and does not work with Chinese Expo audiences.

It’s hard won, too: every day they spend hours and hours interacting with these audiences, joking and conversing with them, and measuring their moods. To be honest, I’m not sure of any other pavilion that has a staff with this kind of knowledge. At some point, I hope, somebody in the State Department will recognize that knowledge as a valuable resource for doing public diplomacy in China after Expo." Image from

USAID program offers exposure to legal practice in Cincinnati - Armenian Reporter: "Cincinnati law firms and courts have worked with 10 Armenian lawyers completing a three-week Community Connections program. The USAID-funded program was designed to expose the Armenians to how American law firms operate in the context of the American legal system and to foster linkages between the Armenian lawyers and their American counterparts. ... The broad public diplomacy goals of Community Connections are to contribute to economic and democratic reform and to promote mutual understanding in Eurasia, providing visitors broad exposure to U.S. society, helping create personal connections with Americans and advancing democratic and free-market principles in a region where these principles are still tenuous."

Community Says Farewell to Consul General Nagamine - Nikkei West: "Japan’s consul general in San Francisco, Yasumasa Nagamine, and his wife, Ayako, returned to Japan on Aug. 9, ending their three-year tenure in Northern California. …. Nagamine arrived in San Francisco in September 2007, 'in the midst of the excitement of the 50th anniversary of Osaka-San Francisco sister-city relation.' Since then, 'with your help and support, this has been a very fulfilling tour of duty,' he said, outlining the four main objectives during his tenure. … [A] third [objective] was 'public diplomacy and raising awareness about Japan in this region.' Nagamine said that he always told his staff that 50 percent of their work should be outside of the consulate and involved with the public. 'Japanese culture has thrived here in Northern California even in the face of many challenges,' he continued. 'We were all saddened to see the end of two important Japanese newspapers (Nichi Bei Times and Hokubei Mainichi) and a Japanese radio station (San Francisco Radio Mainichi) in recent years.

Yet despite such unfortunate circumstances, we have striven to increase knowledge about Japan and our consulate’s activities.' Highlights have included the consulate’s involvement in bunraku and kabuki performances in the Bay Area and the 'Lords of the Samurai' exhibition at the Asian Art Museum. 'I am also quite proud of the emphasis we have put on sister-city relationships … I am delighted that we now have 97 sister-city relationships in California,' Nagamine said. While he had hoped that the number would hit 100 before he went back to Japan, 'I am sure that we will reach 100 very soon.'” Image from article

Muslim Strategies to Convert Western Christians - Kafkapizechust World Information: "The conversion of Christians in Europe and the United States to Islam has become a matter of debate in some Western countries. Muslim scholars have called on immigrant Muslims to become involved in summoning non-Muslims to their faith. Indeed, the call on Muslim migrants to proselytize has become central in contemporary Islamic writings, not only in books, but also in sermons—many online on YouTube—and others on DVDs, and Islamic websites. The strategies that the global Islamic media uses to promote conversion of Christians to Islam illustrate both the perceptions of Islamists and can expose themes to defend and promote in cultural and public diplomacy."

Recalling History: Advisory Commission tells Congress to Expand VOA - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.us: "On March 30, 1949, in its first semi-annual report by the US Advisory Commission on Information, the predecessor to today's Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, recommended an 'immediate and broad expansion of the world-wide information program being conducted by the State Department, including the activities of the Voice of America.'"

International Consultant on Diplomatic Personnel Training – Transitions Online: "Location: Home-based and mission to Tashkent, Uzbekistan Application Deadline: 24-Aug-10 Additional Category: Democratic Governance Type of Contract: SSA Post Level: International Consultant Languages Required: English Duration of Initial Contract: 10 days (5 days desk work, 5 days field work) Expected Duration of Assignment: 10 days (5 days desk work, 5 days field work) Transitions Online:

The Project 'Enhancing the Capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Better Respond to the Emerging Issues of the New Millennium' aims to facilitate the delivery of main inputs required for the effective formulation and implementation of Uzbek foreign policy. These inputs include the establishment of the adequate (1) technological, (2) human resource and (3) public diplomacy capacity for the comprehensive, thoughtful and timely provision of foreign policy response in line with Uzbekistan's national priorities. Within these three main activities, project is aimed to deliver top-notch trainings to career diplomats on various topics, including public diplomacy, diplomatic correspondence, basic and advanced English language trainings." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

No ‘Graceful Exit’ - Bob Herbert, New York Times: We are never going to build a stable, flourishing society in Afghanistan. What we desperately need is a campaign of nation-building to counteract the growing instability and deterioration in the United States.

Issa asks for GAO investigation of White House 'propaganda initiatives' - Elise Viebeck, The Hill: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Monday to investigate the claims of a report he released accusing the Obama administration of directing federal resources toward promoting its policy initiatives. "The White House has failed to transition from campaign-mode to leadership-mode and is now inappropriately leveraging those campaign-trail relationships to unlawfully generate support for the President’s agenda," the report reads. Judging certain administration actions as "illegal or inappropriate propaganda," the 37-page report alleged misconduct by the White House in many of its new media ventures — a criticism leveled previously by Issa and others on the right. Specifically, it notes cases in which agencies promoted sites like Recovery.gov and HealthReform.gov, which it alleges contain false information, and a conference call in which a White House staff member urged artists and entertainers to support Obama's agenda.

Version of television series "The Office" being developed for China – Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcsting

AMERICANA

Toad-licking restaurant chef fined after being caught on tape - Boing Boing: An Iowa restaurant was fined $335 after the head chef was caught "kissing and licking live toads" in the kitchen.

Christopher Turla, who goes by the name TaiMaiShu at the popular Japanese restaurant, is seen on the tape inside the restaurant during business hours with two small toads on the prep table where vegetables are cut. As customers linger in the dining room, he picks up the toads, then kisses them a few times, repeatedly licks them, then stuffs them both in his mouth and puts both of his hands back on the table. "It was a joke, it was like a dare to myself, if I can lick a frog or kiss a frog," Turla said after getting the citation. Image from article