"The decision wasn't caving in."
--National Portrait Gallery director Martin E. Sullivan, regarding the decision to remove from his Gallery (following complaints from the Catholic League and some congressional leaders) a work by the
late artist David Wojnarowicz -- a four-minute video that is an anguished tribute to the artist's partner following his death from AIDS in 1987 and contains controversial religious imagery such an 11-second segment showing ants crawling on a crucifix; see also; crucifix image from; Wojnarowicz image from
VIDEO
Reason.tv: The Power of Nazi Propaganda
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
1. WikiLeaks
The End of Diplomacy As We Know It - Helle Dale, Heritage Foundation: "[T]his WikiLeaks episode will damage U.S. public diplomacy and indeed diplomacy generally ...
[It] makes the U.S. government look ridiculous, like the gang that could not shoot straight. It all adds to the impression, also fostered by the Obama Administration, that the U.S. is a superpower in chaos and decline." Image from
Obama visit thought to ease Canada's 'habitual inferiority complex,' leaked documents say - Juliet O'Neill, Postmedia News: "A separate Jan. 25, 2008, cable to the U.S. State Department warned that prime-time TV images in Canada were painting the U.S. in 'an increasingly negative light' by depicting nefarious officials, CIA rendition flights and U.S. schemes to steal Canada's water. ... While 'the insidious negative popular stereotyping we are increasingly up (against) in Canada' is not a public diplomacy crisis, the cable said, it justifies constant, creative public diplomacy." See also (1) (2) (3)
August War in Leaked Cables - civil.ge: "Several cables show that the U.S. diplomats were advising Georgian authorities to launch 'effective public diplomacy' to push for its version of events as 'Europeans in some countries believe that Georgia
had started the conflict, that the U.S. is to blame for encouraging Georgia.'” See also. Image from
US embassy cables: Berlusconi accused of 'profiting personally and handsomely' from energy deals, according to US ambassador - guardian.co.uk: Monday, 26 January 2009, 11:48
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 ROME 000097
NOFORN
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR INR/I
EO 12958 DECL: 01/19/2019
TAGS PREL, PGOV, ENRG, EPET, RS, IT
SUBJECT: ITALY-RUSSIA RELATIONS: THE VIEW FROM ROME
(C-RE8-02675)
REF: A) 08 STATE 134386 B) ROME 451
Classified By: Ronald P. Spogli, Ambassador, for reasons 1.4 (b), (d). "... Members of political parties on both sides of the aisle have told us that ENI is one of the leading financial contributors to Italy's many think-tanks - many of which produce public diplomacy discussions and events on the importance of Italy-Russia relations."
US embassy cables: Brown promised to be 'sensitised' to US concerns after mistakes over international conference - guardian.co.uk: Monday, 25 January 2010, 12:03
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000159
NOFORN
SIPDIS
FOR THE SECRETARY FROM AMBASSADOR SUSMAN
EO 12958 DECL: 01/22/2020
TAGS MARR, MOPS, PGOV, PREL, UK, AF, PK
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER: YOUR VISIT TO LONDON JANUARY 27-29
Classified By: Ambassador Louis Susman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
"We are delighted to welcome you [Secretary of State Clinton] back to London for the conferences on Afghanistan and Yemen this week. ... 9. (C/NF) On the public diplomacy side, I hope you can take some time out to tape an interview with leading British journalist Andrew Marr, to be broadcast on his Sunday morning BBC TV talk show."
Oh, democracy, what damn lies are told in thy name - Ameen Izzadeen, Daily Mirror:
"The WikiLeaks exposé shows that the state resorts to lies and deception. In [a] case that underscores the double-dealings or duplicity of states, Saudi Arabia is alleged to have exhorted the United States to attack Iran, which the Saudis would in public diplomacy describe as a friendly brotherly state." Image from
In the News - Family Documentary: "Wikileaks cables reveal China 'ready to abandon North Korea' Personally interesting to me in a few ways. [T]he Foreign Service message boards are going crazy with the wikileaks stories. Its [sic] been called the September 11th of Public Diplomacy, and really messes with the jobs of plenty of Foreign Service officers."
Wikileaks set back efforts to counter ideological extremism and terrorism - Shakuntala Perera, Daily Mirror: "Terrorism expert Professor Rohan Gunaratna tells Hard Talk that the US must take a lead in prosecuting those who leak information as well as those who ‘advocate, support and participate in the unauthorized release of classified and sensitive intelligence’. ... [Gunaratna]:
Furthermore, the Sri Lankan foreign ministry and its representatives in the West were weak - they did not understand the importance of public diplomacy essential to counter the LTTE lobbying and campaigning. Similarly, the US led counter terrorism strategies largely directed against Muslim threat groups are highly unpopular throughout the Muslim world." Gunaratna image from
Wikileaks – Dispatches from the Frontline - Gavin Freeguard: "To the Frontline Club last night for a panel-discussion-cum-press-conference on Wikileaks and the US embassy cables. Making our way through the media melee and a miasma of Wiki ‘will he, won’t he?’ (he didn’t), we were faced with our expert panel for the evening [including]: ... Professor Colleen Graffy (former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, US State Department and now law professor, Pepperdine University)."
Public Diplomacy as the New Wave - Geoff B, IC All Around: "Wikileaks has hit the press in a major way with the grand revealing of cables that concern countries and leaders around the world. One of the major questions on everyone's mind is 'what does this mean for diplomacy?' With so much 'dirty laundry'
set out for the world to see, it might be hard to conceive of diplomats having the ability to honestly and effectively proceed on their normal agendas. The solution to this dilemma lies in public diplomacy." Image from
2. More PD Items
Meeting With Staff and Their Families of Embassy Tashkent - Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Department of State: "You are the first post to adopt our smart messaging system, to harness social media tools such as web chats to push out our public diplomacy. The embassy’s Facebook page is doing a wonderful job of responding to people who comment and also correcting misconceptions about American policy."
Embassy opens cultural center [...] - JP, Jakarta Post: The US Embassy in Jakarta opened 'the world’s first high-tech American cultural center' called @america in the capital on Thursday, when visitors tried the facility at the venue for the first time ... . The US Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale, who supported this project from conception through to completion, flew from Washington DC to inaugurate the center at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, a press release said. @america is a high-technology American cultural center where it says visitors can explore, experience and express their interests about the US.
Located on the third floor of Pacific Place Mall in Central Jakarta, @america was developed by the US Embassy in Jakarta, in collaboration with Indonesian and American partners, to expand engagement between young Indonesians and young Americans, the release said. @america provides touch-screen monitors, plaques and tablet computers to access information about the diversity, culture, education, politics, and history of the US." See also. Image from
Conference Call: The Lithuanian sponsors of a Holocaust education program have a dark history of their own - Dovid Katz, tabletmag.com: "Back in April, Hannah Rosenthal, the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, announced during a trip to Lithuania that 'the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius has received a 63,572 Euro grant for International Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research to develop a Holocaust education program with the Lithuanian Ministry of Education and other partners.' As the sum is identical to one applied for by the U.S. embassy from the International Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, it is assumed that the ITF is the source of the funding. An October query from DefendingHistory.com to the American embassy elicited an Orwellian response from a senior embassy official: “Disbursement information about USG public diplomacy grants is not public” [italics mine]."
Radio Martí adds telephone call-in program that "centers on women's issues" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
The Organic Garden in the Art in Embassies Program - Sue Reno,
suereno.blogspot.com: "I am deeply honored to announce that The Organic Garden has been selected for the Art in Embassies program. It will be part of the exhibition at the US Embassy Residence in Vientiane, Laos, beginning in early 2011 and continuing into 2013.
The Mission Statement of the program: 'Established by the United States Department of State in 1964, the ART In Embassies Program is a global museum that exhibits original works of art by U.S. citizens in the public rooms of approximately 180 American diplomatic residences worldwide. These exhibitions, with art loaned from galleries, museums, individual artists, and corporate and private collections, play an important role in our nation's public diplomacy. They provide international audiences with a sense of the quality, scope, and diversity of American art and culture through the accomplishments of some of our most important citizens, our artists.'" Image from article
Education: Academia and the US Government (Jon Kofas, Greece) - World Association of International Studies: "Although the history of public diplomacy can be traced to Wilson who was a historian, it was Eisenhower who created the US Information Agency and Voice of America, thus affording prominence to public diplomacy. The Clinton administration made it official by creating an under-secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, thus further distancing government from substance-oriented academics and opting for PR exercises that would prove fruitless."
VOL. VI NO. 24, November 19 - December 02, 2010 - The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media:
"WikiLeaks’ Diplomatic Scandal The recent WikiLeaks’s release of diplomatic cables has stirred quite a scandal among US officials. Several countries have publically expressed their dismay regarding the content of the messages, exposing sometimes hidden agendas.
'Eagle Four' Unit Battles Terrorists on Afghan TV – '24' Style The new US-backed TV drama “Eagle Four” featuring a co-ed Afghan police force who captures terrorists and protects its citizens, receives mixed reactions in Afghanistan.
International Broadcasting: A Point of Contention In light of the Broadcasting Board of Governors' latest report, which indicates that viewership has decreased, media experts scrutinize international broadcasting, the BBG, its funding and programs.
Addicted to TV? The Middle East represents a vast market for media production companies, with Arab viewer spending a third of their life in front of television. It is nonetheless difficult to gauge the precise impact of TV and other social media outlets in that part of the world.
Al-Qaeda’s GQ Magazine: Inspire The third and latest issue of Al-Qaeda’s online magazine Inspire focuses on the recent failed attempts to bomb two cargo planes headed to the US last month, and urges readers to plant similar bombs, calling Western Muslims to rally to jihad.
Citizen Diplomacy: Is it a Small World After All? The US Summit and Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy took place in DC last week at the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy, constituting an overall effort of the US to tap into the strength of 'soft power.' Yet, 'soft power' efforts could be hindered by an ultimate lack of communication and cooperation among the stakehoders.
Tea and Apathy: Egyptians Disillusioned with Upcoming Elections Egyptian parliamentary elections are considered by most accounts to be a farce. Evidence clearly indicates that the present authoritarian regime proves unwilling to share the stage with others.
Egyptian Blogger's Battle Continues after Release Kareem Amer, the first Egyptian blogger imprisoned for his work, was released after completing a four-year sentence. However, press freedom groups and human rights organizations continue to protest against censorship and the treatment of bloggers in prison.
Investigative Journalism Continues Despite Censorship Although another journalist was imprisoned in Kuwait, the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism's Executive Director argues that Arab citizens are still reporting on corruption and abuse of power, benefiting local communities and individuals throughout the region." Image from
Донецк. Впечатления - nika-drovnikova.livejournal.com: "Итак, конференция длилась три дня 'New Strategic Concept of North Atlantic Alliance: Prospects for Central and Eastern Europe'.
В первый день открывали конференцию Michel Duray (The Head of Outreach Countries, NATO Public Diplomacy Division). Blogger's image from article
China Needs to Attach Importance to the Rise of Anxiety Disorders - Norman Kirby, articledatabaseworld.com: "Fully involved in the case of the globalization process, China should establish a national strategy for public diplomacy, to launch a social movement, established in the Chinese culture and cultural self-confidence and cultural awareness."
Taiwanese gastrodiplomacy 2.0 - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "The prospect of a traveling night market could introduce Taiwan through cultural and culinary diplomacy and familiarize the foreign and unknown to global audiences. It would be an excellent way to brand Taiwan, its culture and culinary treasures through an exciting and original bit of public diplomacy.
Worldwide audiences could experience a tangible way to taste Taiwan, and to let Taiwan touch the heart as it tickles the tummy." See also. Image from
Nirupama Rao on “India-China relations” - indiablooms.com: "Following is the text of an address by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on 'India-China relations' at ORF Conference on China ... Over 7,000 Indian students study in China, and the CBSE is set to introduce Chinese in the curriculum of schools from the next academic session. ... There is ... an information gap that keeps our peoples from understanding each other better and which we need to bridge by concerted public diplomacy from both sides. There is much work to be done to improve perceptions within the media in both countries. Larger numbers of tourists need to be encouraged as also students and teachers."
Australia-Indonesian relations: Making them work - Jakarta Post: "To gauge the present climate in relations, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s public diplomacy directorate invited nine media people from Denpasar, Makassar, and Ambon for dialogues with Australian media, academics and officials in Canberra and Sydney between Nov. 8-10. Today all appears well at the government-to-government level. Canberra and Jakarta are actively cooperating in matters from counterterrorism to sharing a common stand on climate change. ... Moriarty [Greg Moriarty, Canberra’s ambassador in Jakarta] said building people-to-people contacts helps to improve public perceptions. More than 500,000 Australian tourists come to Indonesia annually, and Australia is host more than 17,000 Indonesian students this year."
FIFA Results- Soccer made Soft Power? - lotusofmukuro, Common Era: "In last weeks reading of Joseph Nye's 'Public Diplomacy and Soft Power' and Corman, Tretheway and Goodall's 'A 21st Century Model for Communications in the Global War of Ideas' we learned of soft power and the message influence model that the United States clings to."
Education is key for future of PR and comms - behindthespin.com: "A new paper by two Bournemouth academics argues the importance of education and training to the future of corporate communications. The Senior Communicator of the Future Working Paper published by the US-based Institute for Public Relations was written by Professor Tom Watson
and Dr Chindu Sreedharan of the Bournemouth University Media School. ... The Working Paper found that education and training in management and familiarity with the width of organisation’s operations will be essential in order for corporate communicators to an effective impact. 'The key investment subjects for senior communicators are business strategy, financial literacy, economics, public affairs and public diplomacy, and relationship management.'” Watson image from article
What are some of the top careers in Public Relations? - 4u Articles: "[Comment by:] darkvelvetrain on December 2, 2010 at 9:47 pm I’d recommend furthering your education and either getting a Master’s in Public Diplomacy or PhD in International Relations… you’ll make big bucks
as a diplomat." Image from
RELATED ITEMS
Wikileaks, des critiques de la discrimination franco-française - Yannick Comenge, socialwaves.blog.youphil.com: On peut lire dans ce cable [SUBJECT: EMBASSY PARIS - MINORITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY] la vision américaine de notre société. On y voit notre racisme, notre discrimination, nos valeurs très lamentables. Les exclus. O[n] y voit aussi les manipulations des diplomates pour trouver des 'gens representants les minorités'. ... On voit aussi une vraie politique d'ingérence dans le choix de nos élites. ... [B]ref, les ambassades américaines sont très activistes sur certains domaines... A la fois, on trouve bien l'état d'esprit de ces diplomates mais encore une fois, voir le miroir de notre société avec ses défauts, cela fait mal mais c'est une réalité... Wikileaks peut avoir du bon si on s'interroge sur nous meme."
American Diplomacy Revealed — as Good - Roger Cohen, New York Times: "Let’s hear it for the men and women of the U.S. Foreign Service! They are, to judge from the WikiLeaks dump of a quarter-million of their private or secret cables, thoughtful, well-informed and dedicated servants of the American interest who write clear, declarative English sentences. ... The cables are intriguing, offering plenty of voyeuristic titillation but no gasp of discovery. They provide texture but break little new ground. Yet their publication has done significant damage to the courageous work of America’s diplomats and may endanger lives. That’s a tradeoff that I find troubling and unpersuasive."
U.S. Diplomats Aren't Stupid After All - Joshua Kucera, Foreign Policy: How WikiLeaks restored one journalist's faith in the State Department. U.S. Foreign Service officers might not like their confidential correspondence aired in public, but overall, the cables portray them as smart and perceptive, and with no illusions about the countries they are dealing with. Via LB
Wikileaks and the Art of Shutting Up: Our classification system is terrible — but our gossipy diplomats might be worse - Richard A. Posner, New Republic: In America everyone is a king and thinks that any thought that occurs to him or her is worthy of being communicated, preferably to many people. They blog, they tweet, they post random thoughts on their Facebook wall—and, if they’re diplomats,
they send undiplomatic cables to their colleagues and superiors. Most of the cables that have been publicized were not classified; they were just intended to be private—in the same sense in which a person who disparages one of his friends to another would like and even expect the disparagement to be kept private from the person disparaged. Often this fails and there is embarrassment all around. Image from
US State Department tells employees not to read WikiLeaks: The US State Department has pushed employees toward "digital diplomacy" with Twitter and iPhone apps, but the department has banned all employees from using WikiLeaks - Ben Arnoldy, Christian Science Monitor: Analysts suggest the State Department is temporarily falling back on traditional bureaucratic protocols in the face of a crisis that is emblematic of the shift to an online world. As the dust settles, the WikiLeaks upheaval may push to the fore tensions between new “digital diplomacy” efforts that use Twitter and smart-phone apps, and an older culture of classified cables. “They need to engage with the broader public, which is empowered with web 2.0, but at the same time keep confidentiality, which is a huge tension that organizations like the State Department have to address,” says Jovan Kurbalija, an expert in diplomacy and information technology based in Geneva. The State Department is undertaking an effort to gain more control over the information flowing in and out of its network. Spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters Tuesday that the State Department has “temporarily severed” the connection between an internal database and another classified network. “We want to make sure that our documents are adequately protected and that we have the ability to detect if anything like this occurs in the future,” said Mr. Crowley. The agency “has narrowed, for the time being, those who have access to State Department cables across the government.” Asked about the ban on surfing the WikiLeaks site, another State Department spokesperson said it could not be confirmed at this time. Via LB
Diplomacy in the Facebook Age - setholdmixon.com: There’s a reason we shouldn’t publish 250,000 classified diplomatic cables just because a few of them might reveal obstructions of justice — it does more harm than good. To Wikileaks, nothing should be kept secret in order to determine what should be kept secret. There’s another issue that hasn’t been given enough discussion, which is the fact that these classified documents — whether video clips, intelligence reports, or diplomatic cables — are snapshots in time, devoid of context or perspective. Wikileaks is giving people the false impression
that by looking at these snapshots, they are able to gain informed insight into and make sophisticated judgments about complex issues. Image from
Deflecting blame: The State Department and WikiLeaks - Mike Hanna, aljazeera.net: Most of the traffic originating from the embassies consists largely of reported facts or offering personal opinion and interpretation, but what originate from state department are instructions, commands and policy. The secretary of state herself has made this point inadvertently. In her first public response, Hillary Clinton argued strongly that no matter how sensitive the information from diplomats, it did not reflect the views of the US government. Policy, she said, is made in Washington, not by those reporting from the field. This is why the cable headed "Reporting and Collection Needs: The United Nations: REF STATE 048489" is of critical importance.
WikiLeaks cables' 'Humint' directive gathered dust, former officials say: U.S. diplomats have largely ignored the guidance to collect information about foreign envoys, former senior State Department officials say - Ken Dilanian, Los Angeles Times
WIKILEAKS and the Need to Know - Patricia H. Kushlis, Whirled View: "Yesterday, a once-bitten, twice-shy State Department announced it had restricted the flow of its cable traffic to the Department of Defense.
It’s a little like closing the barn door after the horse has escaped, but I don’t blame State for clamping down on the flow of sensitive information outside the department just as I think neither State, DOD nor the US government as a whole should permit the copying of classified documents to personal CDs, DVDs or other mobile devices. That, according to Gates yesterday is no longer possible at DOD." Image from
Chomsky on what the Wikileaks cables show about Iran as a nuclear threat - allvoices.com
The Secret Lives of Nations - Paul W. Schroeder, New York Times: The leaks will probably not cause war or even a serious crisis, but they will badly damage America’s diplomatic machinery, processes and reputation. None of this means that diplomatic correspondence and negotiations should remain secret forever. But except in special instances, confidential communications ought to be released only after passions have settled and scholars can examine the records in fuller context.
Azerbaijan approves regulation on its embassies’ cultural centers abroad - abc.az: "By Decision #228 the Azerbaijan Cabinet Ministers has endorsed the Regulation of the Cultural Center under Diplomatic Representative Office Abroad. Under the Regulation, such cultural centers will engage in propaganda of internal and foreign policy, culture, history, social and economic development, scientific-technical and tourist potential of Azerbaijan, and operate in the structure of the Azerbaijani embassies abroad.
They will submit to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Culture & Tourism and will be financed from the State Budget. The centers will be run by independent directors to be appointed and dismissed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their wages will make up 75% of salary of Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the host country. The first such center was opened in Uzbekistan before Decision-making." Image from
Junta Launches New Propaganda Outlet - Wai Moe, irrawaddy.org: Fresh from election victory, the Burmese military is expanding its media presence with a second Burmese-language publication, the Naypyidaw Newspaper, in early 2011. The Naypyidaw Newspaper will join other military propaganda outlets such as Myawaddy TV, Myawaddy Publications, and the Yadanabon News, a Mandalay-based daily.
The military's plans for a new newspaper first leaked out as early as 2009, when Myawaddy TV reportedly recruited around 40 journalists. Image from article: A monk reads the state-run Mirror
The art of propaganda - theeyeofalix: An impressive collection of posters from the soviet era showcasing skillful – if not subtle – political propaganda at the Tate Modern. Good inspiration for fonts and constructivist composition and how to get a message across. Below image from article
AMERICANA
--From Ms Tsa Calendar, Jukebox
MORE AMERICANA
Blood on the Dance Floor: Why presidents and their advisors should avoid getting their groove on - Foreign Policy: BARACK OBAMA Where: Holy Name School, Mumbai, India Why: Responding to a question about whether Bill Clinton was the "first black President," Obama quipped "that he would first have to see whether Mr. Clinton can dance before calling him a brother."
Those words may come back to haunt Obama as he showed off his own awkward dance moves with a group of Mumbai students on Sunday. Obama was clearly out of step with what was going on around him, but at least seemed to be enjoying himself -- despite being out-danced by his wife, Michelle. GERALD FORD AND QUEEN ELIZABETH Where: State dinner at the White House Why: There's nothing particularly strange about an U.S. president dancing with the Queen of England and, indeed, Ford apparently danced well at a White House banquet on July 7, 1976. The problem came when the Marine Band changed tunes and launched into The Lady is a Tramp.
BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON Where: Family vacation, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Why: Just a few days before Clinton began depositions in the sexual harassment lawsuit Paula Jones brought against him in January 1998, the president, his wife, and their daughter took a four-day vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The family kept a low profile, but a hiding photographer caught the president and his wife dancing on the beach.
The First Family called it an invasion of privacy, but the photo, which came out in the midst of the Paula Jones scandal, appeared to be conveniently timed. GEORGE W. BUSH Where: The White House Rose Garden Why: Historians may argue over George W. Bush's political legacy for years to come, but the debate won't be as heated when it comes to his enthusiastic, yet clearly awkward dance moves.
Hosting a Malaria awareness event in April 2007, the president broke it down in the Rose Garden, beating on a West African drum in the spirit of the moment, while throwing his hands up and moving to the beat.
AND MORE AMERICANA
"Here, more than anywhere else that I know of or have heard of, the daily panorama of human existence, of private and communal folly -- the unending procession of governmental extortions and chicaneries, of commercial brigandages and throat-slittings, of theological buffooneries, or aesthetic ribaldries, of legal swindles and harlotries, of miscellaneous rogueries, villainies, imbecilities, grotesqueries, and extravagances -- is so inodinately gross and preposterous, so perfectly brought up to the highest conceivable amperage,
so steadily enriched with an almost fabulous daring and originality, that only the man who was born with a petrified diaphram can fail to laugh himself to sleep every night, and to awake every morning with all the eager, unflagging expectation of a Sunday-school superintendent touring the Paris peep-show."
--H.L. Mencken, quoted in The Times Literary Supplement (November 26, 2010), p. 3; Mencken image from
