"it's not public diplomacy"
--Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale, referring to "really hav[ing] people engage with each other, to learn about each other." Image from; see also John Brown, "Smart Power In, Public Diplomacy Out?"
VIDEO
(a) So You Want To Be A Diplomat - via LB
(b) The British Pathé newsreel issued just one week after the Nazi bombing of Coventry
EVENT
"Measuring Muslim-West Relations: Assessing the New Beginning" will take place on on December 1, 2010 at The Gallup Building, 901 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Click here to register for the event in Washington. Via DM
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Public diplomacy critical in information age: US official thinks joint response of countries to parcel bomb scare marks increasing anti-terror cooperation - Alice Johnson, gulfnews.com: Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale: "I think that the more we can have people having direct conversations with each other — and through those conversations and initiatives, through history of cultures we can learn about each other and if we do that, at the people-to-people level, that will provide us with a path to a more peaceful and prosperous future. So it's a key part of what we're trying to do, to really have people engage with each other, to learn
about each other. So it's not public diplomacy, it's not messaging, it's not just a marketing campaign. It's really fostering an environment where you can strengthen relationships between people. ... We have a broad variety of methods and programmes and initiatives, everything from English language training to our exchange programmes. We have a long history of student exchange, of bringing speakers to this region, of bringing people here to the United States on those programmes and now increasingly we're looking to technology to expand that even further. Everything from getting schools to connect, schools here in this region to connect with the United States, at a high school level, at universities, students working together on projects." Image from
In defense of Obama's Muslim outreach - Marc Lynch, Foreign Policy: "The administration understood that the political openings created by Cairo and Obama's outreach would only have long-term ramifications if they could be translated into building strong partnerships and networks of common interest with Muslims around the world. They particularly targeted the large and rising youth populations, an investment in the future which had seemed terribly at risk during the post-9/11 'War on Terror' which so many Muslims perceived as American war against Islam. This long-term objective could never be isolated from the political turbulence around the high politics, of course. But without the longer-term investment, any gains from the high politics would only be fleeting. It's therefore a quiet success that administration officials have plugged away at their quiet efforts focused on jobs, economic opportunity and entrepreneurship, education, science, medicine, and the like. Officials from the NSC and the State Department and many other agencies have worked hard to put meat on the bones of the Cairo 'New Beginning',
often with small programs which don't get much attention but which cumulatively could touch the lives and shape new relationships with a large number of people. The 'Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship' brought together a significant number of diverse entrepreneurs from around the world, with an eye towards building sustainable networks among a potentially influential sector of these societies. There have been new science envoys, educational exchanges, medical programs, and internet outreach efforts all designed to build new areas for engagement and long-term partnerships. This isn't showy stuff, and it isn't revolutionary. It's the traditional stuff of public diplomacy, and it often doesn't get the credit it deserves." Image from
US Mission Pakistan: Our diplomats in action ... do they even sleep? - Domani Spero, diplopundit.blogspot.com:
Image from article: The new team of public diplomacy officers working in U.S. Consulate General Lahore’s Public Affairs section: Cultural Affairs Officer Mark Hilbert (left), Public Affairs Officer Jennifer Larson (center) and Information Officer Tristram Perry (right).
Happy to Connect Estonians - Ambassador Michael C. Polt — U.S. Embassy Tallinn, Estonia: "Our Embassy recently organized a visit to the United States by a group of Estonian local government leaders from various parts of the country. Such programs to visit the U.S. for all kinds of Estonian professionals are an important part of our Public Diplomacy and outreach programs. Among the participants of this local government program was Mr. Innar Mäesalu, the Deputy Mayor of Vöru, in southern Estonia. We always look for feedback from such visits to hear what worked for our guests and what did not, so we can repeat the good and fix the not-so-good."
Walk-About: Rhythm Road the Johnny Rogers Band - Jobby Paiva, jobbyswalk-about.blogspot.com: "Rhythm Road the Johnny Rogers Band arrived in Port Moresby November 6 to the enjoyment of local jazz lovers. Following in the footsteps of such musical legends as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillepsie, and Duke Ellington, it is one of 10 American quartets specializing in jazz, hip-hop, blues and bluegrass touring internationally.
The U.S. State Department sponsored the visit. The Johnny Rogers Band — John Rogers, Brian Glassman, Joseph Ravo, Daniel Mallon and manager Shana Bromberg — kicked off its five-day tour by rocking the socks of an A List gathering of diplomats, business executives, PNG government officials and members of the Port Moresby artistic and cultural community at the residence of U.S. Ambassador Teddy Taylor and wife Antoinette Corbin-Taylor November 7. ... Part of the mandate of the U.S. Embassy’s Public Diplomacy section, said Public Diplomacy Officer Brian Asmus, is to share the cultural traditions and experiences of the U.S. around the world. 'We were really happy with the incredibly enthusiastic response that the band generated,' said Mr. Asmus. 'Clearly, there are a lot of jazz lovers in Papua New Guinea. We are going to have to try our best to bring in some more.'” Image from
Gay Rights Are Human Rights - globalequality.wordpress.com: "As posted on DipNote: U.S. Department of State Official Blog. About the Author: Maria Otero serves as Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs. ... I met yesterday with representatives of the Council for Global Equality, a coalition of 19 human rights organizations that advocate for a stronger U.S. government voice on behalf of the equality and fair treatment of LGBT individuals in the United States and overseas. ... Led by Ambassador Michael Guest, a retired Foreign Service officer, the Council for Global Equality expressed its willingness for further cooperation and asked excellent questions about the reaction of our partner governments, opportunities for cooperation with European allies, priorities for foreign assistance, future public diplomacy opportunities around LGBT issues, and other important topics."
Knee-Jerk Critics and Others - Alex Belida, VOA Media Watch: "A recent post discussed the question of whether our editorial content is automatically suspect because VOA is financed by the U.S. government. ... To those who want 'gung-ho, pro-America, slam-our-adversaries all-the-time' programming, I can only say: 'Forget about it. We have a Charter and we’re sticking to it.
(And besides, we don’t have to bash our adversaries. They do a pretty good job of bashing themselves and all we have to do it report it.)' For those who don’t believe we can be accurate, objective and balanced, I would only ask: 'Please don’t make any assumptions. Take some time to actually watch, listen to or read our content.'” Image from
South African-born pianist was inspired by VOA jazz - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Old Soviet punishment for listening to VOA: very hot cereal - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
New York Times crossword thinks VOA is relic of the Cold War - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Azerbaijan ruling party official criticizes RFE/RL - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
New England and Measurement in the Fall - Lisa Binzel, strategyoneinsight.com: "The 8th annual IPR Summit on Measurement was held in early October in Portsmouth, NH. ... This conference is always enjoyable as it brings together the 'best & the brightest' in the field of research and measurement
and showcases really first-rate programs conducted by corporations, non-profits, associations – and this year, a major US government agency. For those clients who haven’t fully invested in communications measurement, take note: The State Department has a formal 'evaluation and measurement unit' as part of the Office of Policy, Planning and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs!" Image from
So what’s it like to be Secretary of State? - Richard Parker, www.usglc.org: "Ever wonder what a day in the life of the Secretary of State is like? National Geographic aired a documentary last night entitled “Inside the State Department,” profiling everything from security on foreign trips to determining the perfect gift for a visiting dignitary. All of the intricacies of running Foggy Bottom illustrate the challenges and demands of American engagement with the world in the 21st century. One of the Secretary’s trips to Pakistan in the documentary highlights the benefits of public diplomacy in a country of vital interest to U.S. national security interests today. Check out a few clips from 'Inside the State Department.'”
SAGE Initiative, a draft Mission State[ment] - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.us: "The Strengthening America's Global Engagement (SAGE) is an initiative to develop a cogent business plan for enhancing American public diplomacy and strategic communication efforts. The envisioned organization would compliment government organizations, such as the State Department’s Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The new organization would have an air-gap between the government and programs that would allow greater flexibility and agility. This gap is likely to be more attractive to potential partners and programs that, for a variety of reasons, do not want to or cannot be associated with the US Government. Background information on the SAGE
initiative being run out of the Woodrow Wilson Center, with support from the SmithRichardson Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, can be found here." Image from
Don’t say “Chinese” when you are asked to say “cheese” - Julius the Imperialist, Continental Drift Africa: "It must be the most challenging job in all of the government administration – head of public diplomacy in the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. It is a poisoned chalice, a lose-lose situation, because the main task will be to explain the ruling elite’s take on human rights. I had forgotten what public diplomacy is, since it was last a big issue in the Cold War, when the US had to invent a new term for what is, frankly, propaganda aimed at the populations of other countries, rather than their governments. Nowadays it vaguely refers to efforts such as the Voice of America and the US Information Service – which really don’t belong in the propaganda category. Now that usage is apparently being revived. Our department announced some weeks ago that the job has been beefed up ahead of SA’s second term as nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Why that is necessary was explained soon enough by SA’s haughty signals that it would support Zimbabwe’s dictator Robert Mugabe again by blocking moves against him."
Foreign Affairs Committee hears from Simon Anholt and Dr Patrick Spaven OBE [subscription] - dehavilland.co.uk: The Foreign Affairs Committee met today as part of their inquiry about ‘FCO public diplomacy: the Olympics.’"
UK Foreign Office uses interview with BBC international broadcaster for public diplomacy - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Journalists’ confab in Spain looks at Mideast in the media - Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Last week's two-day conference, 'International Encounter of Journalists: Media Treatment of the Middle East,' was organized to 'create a space for reflection and meaningful dialogue about media treatment of the Middle East and its influence on Spanish public opinion.' Some 50 journalists -- mostly from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Spain -- discussed topics ranging from the results of a recent Casa Sefarad-Israel survey on anti-Semitism in Spain and the results of a study on the image of Arabs and Muslims in the Spanish press, to the border between criticism of Israel in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and anti-Zionism and/or anti-Semitism, as well as images and stereotypes in the Middle East conflict.
Two Spanish public diplomacy institutions, Casa Mediterraneo and Casa Sefarad-Israel, organized the meeting in Alicante. See also. Image from
Public Diplomacy and Nation-Branding - Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence: "The relationship between public diplomacy and nation branding is not always clear. I get the impression that a lot of PD practitioners and academics like to draw a clear division even though there are many overlaps between the activities. For instance a general desire to improve the perception of your country is, on the surface at least, little different from a branding effort."
Encouraging Comments - Catherine Goes To... : "Before detailing my day and telling you what I'm up to tomorrow, I'd like to encourage everyone to comment on my posts. I would love to be able to take your questions into the sessions tomorrow, and the conference really promotes it. We've even been told that people who submit their blogs to the media guy for this trip win an opportunity to introduce Judith McHale, Under Secretary, Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs on Thursday (some of the runners up get to have lunch with her). It's very fancy. So feel free to comment!"
Image from
Remembering America's veterans - WTOP: "My father never talked about his Vietnam service very much. As a career diplomat, he was not bashful in discussing his public diplomacy work at embassies and interest stations around the globe. After retiring from the Foreign Service, he started contracting for Harley Davidson, serving as a government liaison and helped negotiate distributing HOGs throughout southeastern Asia."
Gil Kleiman presenting in three tracks at Shared Strategies - sharedstrategiesblog.com: "Gil Kleiman is an Israel National Police (INP) veteran, foreign press spokesperson, international lecturer and author with over 24 years experience working in Israel. ... He
has conducted numerous training seminars for law enforcement officers, SWAT, EOD, EMT, fire service, and emergency management and hospital policy-makers through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) on topics including: Media and Terror: Public Information and Public Diplomacy at a Terror Scene." Kleiman mage from article
RELATED ITEMS
The Indonesia Opportunity: Why this Southeast Asian country is Obama's best hope for relations with the Muslim world - James K. Glassman, Juan Zarate, Foreign Policy: "As a modern democracy that has taken strong and smart counterterrorism steps against violent Islamist extremists in its midst, Indonesia has proved that Islam and democracy can coexist and that modernity and moderation are possible in the world's most populous Muslim country. These are the shared values that the United States should laud, support, and defend. Favorable poll ratings should not be an end of foreign policy but a means. Even if people don't like the United States, we can all share, in Obama's words, mutual interest and mutual respect. The mutual interest, in this case, is that tolerant Islam prevails over a bloodthirsty minority and that freedom prevails over oppression." James K. Glassman, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, served as U.S. undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs from June 2008 to January 2009.
The Big Lie - Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish: Obama emphatically doesn't reduce the idea of American exceptionalism to "benign provincialism."
Quite the contrary: he explicitly asserts that the values enshrined in the Constitution are exceptional, and defends them and the US's history. Image from
The Morning Plum - Greg Sargent, Washington Post: Comment by bernielatham re "Message force multipliers": That's the Pentagon's term for the propaganda trick of placing multiple voices into numerous media outlets to repeat a certain message or narrative. The goal is to influence opinion through creating an impression of consensus (more doctors recommend Kool cigarettes). It's an old intelligence technique.
Containment-Lite - Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times: China for years was being praised by Asian experts for being so shrewd, so clever, so deft, in building cultural and economic ties with all its neighbors — and outmaneuvering the stupid, oafish Americans. But in just six months, China has cast itself in the role of bully and prompted its neighbors to roll out the red carpets for Uncle Sam.
Whatever India wanted, US delivered: Pak press - economictimes.indiatimes.com: "Obama's Surrender" -- an editorial in the same publication -- interpreted the visit as a bonanza for India, giving the country what it wanted on all fronts -- economic, strategic and propaganda. "All in all, the Obama visit was a tremendous boost for India, which gained on all fronts, including the anti-Pakistan front.
Whatever India sought, Obama delivered." Image from
Campbellsville University hears of Hitler's propaganda from United States Holocaust Memorial Museum historian - Joan C. McKinney, press releasem, ReadMedia: Adolf Hitler said: "Propaganda is a truly terrible weapon in the hands of an expert" in 1924. Dr. Ann Millin, historian and special assistant to the director of the leadership programs in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's National Institute for Holocaust Education in Washington, D.C., discussed how Hitler used propaganda during his reign in Germany at a Kentucky Heartland Institute on Public Policy (KHIPP) event Oct. 12 at Campbellsville University. Millin talked about the museum's exhibit "State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda" which, because of its popularity, has been extended until 2013. She said the exhibit has had 22 million visitors.
Return of the Samurai - Adam Goodheart, New York Times: Almost 10 months after departing from their homeland, the shogun’s
six dozen envoys returned from visiting the United States. They had eaten ice cream in San Francisco, gone on a shopping spree through New York, watched a balloon ascension in Philadelphia and been feted at the White House by President James Buchanan. Their enjoyment of the trip had been dampened somewhat by the fact that their “translators” spoke only broken English and not a single American citizen, as yet, spoke Japanese. Image from
Axis Sally: former Columbus resident the "American voice of Nazi Germany" - theotherpaper.com: Americans who served in the armed forces will commemorate Veterans Day today with ceremonies and services. Few are likely to commemorate it by picking up a new biography of the late Millard Gillars, a former Columbus resident whose nickname—and voice—were all too familiar to those who fought in World War II. Known to Allied troops as Axis Sally,
Gillars spent the war in Berlin broadcasting Nazi propaganda. Her morale-busting taunts, delivered in a menacing yet familiar Midwestern accent, were directed toward American troops stationed on the frontlines in Europe and North Africa, as well as the women waiting for them to return to the states. “How did this woman with middle-class Ohio roots end up on the wrong side of history, convicted of aiding the Nazi and betraying her country?” author Richard Lucas asks in the prologue of Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany. Gillars died in 1988 and was buried in an unmarked grave in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Lockbourne. Image from article: Many wanted her to get the death penalty: A 1946 wanted poster for Axis Sally
The Coventry blitz: slaughter by moonlight: Martin King, brought up in a city rebuilt after wartime devastation, reflects on the Moonlight Sonata raid's 70th anniversary - independent.co.uk: The massive co-ordinated Nazi air attack on Convetry led to the introduction into German propaganda of the verb coventrieren (to coventrate) meaning to devastate through bombardment.
It has to be said though that the massive morale collapse feared by the Government never happened. The Coventry bombing further enabled the Allies to put aside qualms about what would now be called collateral damage, recognising that the chaos of damaged infrastructure hampered manufacturing as much as bombing factories. What happened to Coventry was even used partly to justify the February 1945 Allied raids that destroyed the historic city of Dresden... with up to 25,000 fatalities. Image from article: Bomb damage in the centre of Coventry after the Luftwaffe's devastating 'Coventry Blitz' of World War II, 17th November 1940.
The Twisted Art of Documentary - Ian Buruma, New York Review of Books: [subscription] All governments make propaganda. The difference between totalitarian government propaganda and the democratic kind is that the former has a monopoly on truth; its version of reality cannot be challenged. Past, present, and future are what the rulers say they are. Which is why, from the official point of view, there is no stigma attached to the word “propaganda” in totalitarian societies. Nazi Germany had a Ministry of Volk Enlightenment and Propaganda, and the Soviet Union a Department for Agitation and Propaganda. The idea that rulers should impose their own realities exists, at least as an aspiration, in democracies too. It was nicely summed up by a US government official not so long ago who stated that “we [the Bush administration] create our own reality.” But democratic governments and parties are not supposed to dictate the truth. We expect partisanship from our politicians; they can try to make their case. But the word “propaganda” has a negative connotation. It smacks of coercion, or official lying. And so propaganda cannot be called that, but must be disguised as “news,” or “information,” or “entertainment” (Casablanca,
Mrs. Miniver). The propaganda department of the US government during World War II was called the Office of War Information, and on several occasions during the last Iraq war heroic myths were presented as news stories. Image from
R. Crumb on greed, senior sex and life in France: ‘I’m a lot less angry’ - latimes.co: RC: "It’s good, life is good here. Good quality of life. All I can say is: You can keep Los Angeles. No, seriously, what’s not to like? You’re not constantly bombarded … there’s some room to breathe from that constant corporate propaganda that America is saturated with. You don’t know how saturated you are with that.
Here it’s not to the degree that it is there. They resisted. The French hold onto their traditions. I was always so alienated in America. My work was this constant reaction to that. And I don’t have that here. So it’s different."
AMERICANA
"Gutter Buddy"
--Great rolls of heavy felt to block the gutters of Madison Drive on The Mall (Washington DC) while it is being repaved; image and text from Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog
