"Shahira Amin: 'I’m here in Tahrir Square, and I’m determined to be on the side of the people, not the regime. And that’s why I’m here.'
Al Jazeera Anchor: 'Right, and so you’ve resigned from Nile Television?'
Amin: 'I walked out yesterday. I can’t be part of the propaganda machine. I’m not going to sheath the public eyes.'"
--Shahira Amin, who quit the Egyptian state-run Nile TV because she was not allowed to report on what was happening in Tahrir Square; Amin image from
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
McCain Takes Charge on Egypt - John Guardiano, frumforum.com: "Obama has been weak and timid, and at precisely the time when he must be bold and imaginative. And so, Mubarak clings to power and violence erupts in Egypt. A big part of the problem has been Obama’s unwillingness to exercise public diplomacy through the bully pulpit. Like many politicians and policymakers, Obama seems to believe that results are best achieved by working quietly and behind the scenes. In truth, though, this is seldom the case. More often than not, public pressure and public communications
are required to effect real 'hope and change.' Yet inexplicably, McCain says he’s not sure if Obama should publicly communicate American expectations vis-à-vis Egypt. 'I think that should be a decision that the President of the United States should have to make.' Of course it’s the president’s decision. But if the president wants to avert violence in Egypt and promote democratization there, then he had better communicate openly and publicly with Egyptian leaders, the Egyptian military, the Egyptian public and the world." Image from
Obama's day: Jobs, innovation, Canada, Egypt - David Jackson, USA Today: "Obama also engages in some public diplomacy today [Feb 04], welcoming Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the White House this afternoon. The two leaders take questions from the press in midafternoon -- where Obama will no doubt be asked about Egypt."
You’ve Been Asked To Assist With an Evacuation. Now What? - zikkir.com "About the Author: Paul Mayer is a Consular Officer with the Department of State. He is currently on temporary duty assignment in Cairo, Egypt. ... Because there's a 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. curfew in effect right now, there were no evacuees waiting at the airport
when we left at 1:30 a.m. Thanks to aggressive outreach from our consular and public diplomacy teams in Washington and Egypt, there were hundreds of evacuees at the airport during daylight hours the following day." Image from article
Protests in support of the Egyptian people in Washington, D.C. - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "Well, these protests had been going on all across the U.S. for at least a week now. I finally managed to attend one in Washington, DC on Friday, February 4. The protesters gathered in front of the White House at first. The remarkable thing about the crowd was that it wasn't just Egyptian-Americans there. Many other representatives of various Arab communities were there, too, as well as non-Arabs: friends, sympathizers, and just Americans who care.
... [This photo] [p]retty much captures the irony of the whole situation. Especially when speaking of public diplomacy..." Image from article
Us Focus On Africa to Rise, but Agoa Extension May Hit Resistance posted at engineeringnews.co.za – "President Barack Obama’s Administration remains 'profoundly committed to putting Africa back at the centre of US foreign policy' and there will be 'a greater emphasis on Africa in 2011 and 2012', Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of African Affairs Bruce Wharton says. But he also warns that it will require a concerted effort to convince Americans to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which currently offers preferential market access on 7 000 African product lines. Agoa is due to come to an end in 2015, and many African countries are expected to call for the scheme to be rolled over. Addressing foreign correspondents at the State Department, Wharton, whose 25-year foreign service career has been split between South America and Africa, having served stints in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, also indicates that the proposed reprioritisation of Africa will be coupled to the creation of 'new models for development and partnerships'. 'For too long, I think, Africa and the United States have had a sort of a client/donor relationship that has not worked well. And so, this administration is looking for new models to do business,' Wharton says."
Global Chiefs of Mission Conference Looks to the Future - Roaming Roemer: Official Blog of Timothy J. Roemer, U.S. Ambassador to India: "In a historic and unprecedented gathering, Secretary Clinton called together 161 ambassadors from all over the world
for consultations and strategic discussions. ... We had presentations on public diplomacy, improvement of website communications, and working on commercial sales." Image from article
What Did Hostile, Bullying U.S. Ambassador Cynthia Stroum Do To Warrant Her Exit? - Caroline Howard, forbes.com: "Exit, stage left, for U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg Cynthia Stroum. Stroum, a Seattle philanthropist, venture capitalist and a major Democratic fundraiser selected by President Barack Obama to be the face of the U.S. in the speck European nation of just under 500,000, has left her post before a scathing report about her was made public, according to N.P.R. ... Key judgements from the Office of Inspector General’s January Report of Inspection, Embassy Luxembourg [include]: ... Most employees describe the Ambassador
as aggressive, bullying, hostile, and intimidating, which has resulted in an extremely difficult, unhappy, and uncertain work environment. ... The public affairs section is stretched to the breaking point. Tactical, short-term support to the front office consumes available time and resources, preventing the embassy from developing a strategic approach to public diplomacy in support of policy objectives. ... Stroum didn’t like sleeping on the king-size mattress in the ambassador’s residence. So she purchased a new queen-sized bed and box spring and sent the tab to Uncle Sam. ... Relations between Luxembourg and the U.S. are unlikely to deteriorate, and another Obama contributor is expected to take the post soon."
Fulbright Lit: Epiphany No. 2 - Molly Sisson, Public Diplomacy and Student Exchanges: Experiences of American Students in Britain: "Another nearly universal theme across the Fulbrighter essays was the idea of transformation. It changed their lives, their careers, their perspectives. It broadened their horizons.
It altered their life trajectory. ... What's more important is to assess how these changes occurred. Why did the experience change their career path? What does a personal 'life-changing' experience contribute to the overall practice of public diplomacy? Is it just the sum of all of these changed lives, these returned grantees who are now teaching, working, living around the world?" Sisson image from her blog. See also.
Returnees of English-language program key to Japan-US ties - Mainichi Daily News: "When current participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program gather, the discussion often focuses on English teaching methods. When the program's U.S. alumni get together, however, talk often turns to a weightier subject: U.S. foreign policy towards Japan. Since the program was established in 1987, it has brought tens of thousands of young Americans to Japan to engage in cultural exchange, with a focus on teaching English. Although the program has an uneven track record when it comes to improving Japanese students' English, it has quietly and unexpectedly become a powerful tool for achieving another objective: grooming the next generation of American leadership in U.S.-Japan relations. ... Michael Auslin, a former participant of JET and prominent Japan expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said recent attacks on the program by the Japanese government's budget screening have focused on the quality of its English teaching, while ignoring a more important feature as one of Japan's most valuable tools for conducting 'public diplomacy' both with the United States and other countries."
Finale: Four Freedoms Exhibition at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - LNMoffatt, Norman Rockwell Museum: "My week in Addis Ababa ended on a celebratory note with the opening of the Four Freedoms exhibition at the U.S. Embassy on Entoto Road.
About 250 people attended the opening, many of them the artists who submitted works. They were eager to learn whose work was selected by the jury for the exhibition, and especially excited to learn who the four prize winners were who would each receive a cash prize and have their work hung in the embassy for the duration of Ambassador Booth’s tour." Image from blog, with caption: Ambassador to Ethoipia [sic] Donald Booth addresses more than 150 artists assembled for the awards and opening of the Four Freedoms exhibition.
Rockwell/Socialist Realism: A Photo Essay - John Brown, Notes and Essays: Among the selections:
A Portrait of Putin as a Young Man -- John Brown, Notes and Essays:
Putin image from; boy scout (by Norman Rockwell) image from
Strengthening IIP: Providing Content that Matters - Graig Hayden, Intermap: On Tuesday, February 1, 2011 I had the privilege of speaking to Dawn McCall, the Director for the Bureau of International Information Programs (or IIP) at the US Department of State. IIP along with Education and Cultural Affairs (or ECA) comprise the direct reports to Judith McHale, the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. For good discussion of how IIP fits into the rest of the State Department, see Matthew Armstrong’s recap of his discussion with McCall the previous week. ... The central theme of our conversation was that IIP would endeavor to understand, work with, and respond to the needs of the various posts around the world. ... In theory, IIP won’t be a provider of arbitrary content and views out of Washington, but rather be an attentive contributor. And by being 'attentive' – IIP might contribute to the larger symbolic project of demonstrating the US capacity to 'listen.'”
Food for Thought - Laura McGinnis, manIC: "Culture isn't just an export to influence soft power, but a determinant of its formation. So whether or not we know whom we would eat, having a better understanding of the intrinsic elements of U.S. and other cultures could improve our ability to communicate. Or, as [Prof Rhonda] Zaharna says, 'All of the differences in cultural patterns have the potential to cause misunderstanding and misperceptions of U.S. public diplomacy. The more that is known about the underlying cultural assumptions that shape U.S. public diplomacy, the more culturally alert U.S. officials will be to potential unshared communication assumptions that can cause a public diplomacy initiative to fail, or worse, backfire.'"
Arabic Satellite Channels at War in The Middle East - Alvin Snyder, Newswire – CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "Although Alhurra is separate and independent from the US State Department, behind the 'firewall' of a Broadcasting Board of Governors, its value for US public diplomacy abroad cannot be overstated. As Alhurra works to broaden its viewer base,
it should have the full weight of the White House and the State Department behind the effort. Providing a news exclusive to Alhurra once in a while would be a good start." Snyder image from article
On Egypt, VOA was "way ahead of the story, months ago, way ahead of our own State Department" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Senator Sessions: Does VOA Persian need fixing? Southern Baptists: Yes - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Heritage Foundation, 27 Jan 2011, Helle Dale: 'A conspicuous lack of significant U.S. support for democracy in Iran is a sore point with political activists, as are the shortcomings of Voice of America’s (VOA) Persian service. Senator Jeff Sessions
in his remarks Monday commented on the attempts to fix VOA Persian-language broadcasting and asked the Iranian activists if VOA was helpful or still needed fixing. He received a resounding response that VOA still has a long way to go.'" Sessions image from
Two RFE/RL correspondents detained in Cairo (updated: no word from them) - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
De-fund Radio/TV Martí. Or, if you prefer, transmit it from international airspace - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Broadcasting on or above international waters is prohibited by international telecommunications regulations. This is why 'Aero Martí' flies above the Florida Keys."
Broadcasting Board of Governors will host conference on 15 February, somewhere "on Capitol Hill" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "I better get my suit drycleaned
for this event. Oh, wait, it's 'by invitation.' I can't even get myself invited to a timeshare sales pitch." Image from
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty: The CIA Years and Beyond -- video of talk by author Ross Johnson - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Recommended viewing for anyone
interested in the history of US international broadcasting." Johnson image from
US funded media fail - Russia Today: "[A]s US-government-branded media lose viewers around the world, some in the Department of Defense ant [sic] the National Defense University are calling for a return to psyops, or psychological operations." Via
Something to pass on to public diplomacy buffs - e-mail from Len Baldyga: "Friday, 4 Feb 2011 From: Don Hausrath Projecting America, 1958; Film and Cultural Diplomacy at the Brussels Worlds Fair by Sarah Nilsen. This is a new title published by the McFarland Publishing Company, a delightful publishing organization in North Carolina with an amazing spread of odd ball, well-edited titles.
I can't think of any scholar in public diplomacy who (1) is still alive or (2) would be interested in it, however. If you can, please pass on. Maybe someone will write a review... I would like to help out this company... which does not need any help in fact... they publish about 400 books a year. Projecting America, 1958; Film and Cultural Diplomacy at the Brussels Worlds Fair by Sarah Nilsen. 'This historical text examines how film played a pivotal role in the information war waged against the Soviets in the American pavilion at the fair.' ISBN 978 0 7864 6154-7 softcover 45. and an Ebook. Spring 2011." Image from
BBC Cutting Arabic Services During Egyptian Unrest - Neal Ungerleider: "In polls, Egyptians stated they trust the BBC more than Al Jazeera.
So why has the BBC announced plans to cut evening Arabic-language radio broadcasts just as Egypt undergoes a revolution and the Middle East enters an era of widespread unrest? ... Alex Oliver of the Australian Lowy Institute for International Policy notes that the decision is a public diplomacy fiasco for the United Kingdom." Image from article
Transnational TV and National Identity in the Middle East - Robin, Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence: "Transnational media have a long history in the Middle East. Radio broadcasting goes back at least to the Second World War and radio was a key tool in the inter Arab struggles of the 1950s and 1960s (eg Lynch 1999). The circulation of newspapers also has a long history. There is a similarly long history of ‘regionalist’ politics in the Middle East eg in formation of the United Arab Republic the union of Egypt and Syria in 1958 or in the creation of the Ba’ath Party in 1947 (eg Barnett 1998). Thus the connection between education, regionalist identification and attention to transnational media is not new. While I the rise of transnational TV in the region has had an impact the size of that impact needs to be assessed in a longer time frame that recognizes the political and media continuities in the region."
Evaluation of Twitter's Role in Public Diplomacy and Information Operations in Iran's 2009 Election Crisis - p2pfoundation.net: "Paper: Burns, Alex & Eltham, Ben (2009). ... Abstract 'Social media platforms such as Twitter pose new challenges for decision-makers in an international crisis. We examine Twitter's role during Iran's 2009 election crisis using a comparative analysis of Twitter investors, US State Department diplomats, citizen activists and Iranian protesters and paramilitary forces. We code for key events during the election's aftermath from 12 June to 5 August 2009, and evaluate Twitter. Foreign policy, international political economy and historical sociology frameworks provide a deeper context of how Twitter was used by different users for defensive information operations and public diplomacy. Those who believe Twitter and other social network technologies will enable ordinary people to seize power from repressive regimes should consider the fate of Iran's protesters, some of whom paid for their enthusiastic adoption of Twitter with their lives.'"
IRAN: DEMOCRACY SMALL GRANTS PROPOSALS RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING - Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks, telegraph.co.uk: "Date: 4/24/2008 ... Origin: Embassy London Classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN ... 1. (C/NF) Summary: Per Department guidance for the Iran Democracy Small Grants program (refs a and b), Embassy London supports and forwards for Department review, and approval and funding, six project proposals submitted to Iran Watcher (Poloff) by Iranian contacts in the UK. ... 4. (C/NF) The most promising and detailed applications are from Durham University's Dr. Mohammad Ali Pedram, a former participant in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and a key Embassy London contact. ... 9. (C/NF) Pedram and IWPR's Executive Director Tony] Borden also propose a $75,000 'Iranian NGO and Media Data Base Pilot' project, lasting six months, to collect and build up-to-date open access and on-line data on active Iranian NGOs and media outlets, in both English and Farsi, to enable these groups to build links with each other and share skills and know-how on operations, advocacy, outreach, and sustainability, and provide information to outside groups seeking to link with NGOs in Iran. The personnel retained in Iran would include IT specialists and NGO surveyors. In response to a concern that data collection on Iranian NGOs could render NGOs cooperating with the survey vulnerable to identification by IRI authorities, Pedram argues his project design contemplates two categories of databases: an open-source one with identifiers only for those NGOs which have consented, and a private, grantee-controlled database, containing identifiers for all NGOs surveyed, not accessible on-line. ... 10. (C/NF) Comment: Durham University's demonstrated access to academic and civil institutions, reinforced by Dr. Pedram's apparently successful creation of political cover with IRI authorities for Iranian participants ... , gives this proposal the strongest prospects of broad, meaningful Iranian participation given the restrictive current political conditions in Iran. The apparent strength of Pedram's political cover was also apparent in his recruitment to participate, in the April 2007 Durham University Workshop on Public Diplomacy, the IRGC-linked academic and cleric Hesamuddin Ashena." Below image from
IRAN - ANALYST XXXXXXXXXXXX ARGUES FOR: BROADENING ENGAGEMENT ON NUCLEAR ISSUE; NUANCED HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY; IRAN OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY GENERATED BY GAZA - Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks, telegraph.co.uk: "Date: 1/23/2009 ... Origin: Embassy London Classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN ... 3. (C/NF) On his way back to Iran from giving a speech at Ft. McNair's National Defense University (NDU), XXXXXXXXXXXX, met with Ambassador Schulte and London Iran Watcher (poloff) during a break in the Ambassador's December 12 public diplomacy schedule in London."
EMBASSY LONDON AND THE "NEXT BIG THING" ON CLEAN ENERGY - Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks, telegraph.co.uk: "1. (U) Summary: Embassy London will propose septel a major U.S./UK initiative to accelerate technical progress on climate change and clean energy technologies. We will outline a strategy to quickly build on U.S./UK cooperation to achieve economically viable technical solutions in the near to medium term. Here, we take stock of work already underway to advance the President's clean energy agenda, a top interagency priority for Embassy London. Post's Foreign Commercial Service (FCS), Public Affairs, and Environment Sections are working together to promote and publicize America's clean energy economy in the run-up to the Swedish EU presidency and COP-15 in Copenhagen. Post requests EUR support in getting targeted, expert-level public diplomacy materials on the subject, more information on Department of Energy programming, and additional funding for climate-themed exchanges. (End summary) . ... Public Diplomacy: Full Court Press [:] 2. (U) Post's Public Affairs Section is deploying tools such as International Visitor Leadership Programs, Voluntary Visitor Programs, in-house film screenings, panel discussions, press interviews with visiting high-level officials, poster shows at the Embassy, speakers, environmentally-themed representational events at the Embassy and the Residence, and old-fashioned shoe leather to get the word out to companies and people around town. We are also using blogs, YouTube videos, weblinks to IIP eJournals and other environmental materials, 'Twitter,' targeted emails to businesses and NGOs, and podcasts. Our audiences, including in Scotland and Northern Ireland, are multi-level and diverse."
UPDATE ON STATUS OF HMG PROPOSAL FOR MARINE RESERVE IN BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY; USG INITIAL REACTIONS WELCOME - Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks, telegraph.co.uk: "Date: 6/5/2009 ... Origin: Embassy London Classification: CONFIDENTIAL ... 1. (C/NF) Summary. HMG remains committed at the most senior levels to establishing a marine reserve in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which includes the island of Diego Garcia, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officer told Poloff June 3. ... We have stressed to the FCO that the 'public diplomacy' aspects of a marine reserve must be carefully evaluated since, as noted ref, we are concerned that, long-term, both the British public and policy makers could come to see the existence of a marine reserve as inherently inconsistent with the military use of Diego Garcia."
PDAS NANCY MCELDOWNEY'S MEETING WITH E-6 POLITICAL DIRECTORS; 18 FEBRUARY 2010, LONDON - Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks, telegraph.co.uk: "Date: 2/25/2010 ... Origin: Embassy London Classification: CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN ... [EUR PDAS Nancy] McEldowney joined counterparts from the E-6 (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK) for a February 18 meeting in London to exchange ideas on a range of issues related to European security. ... [I]n attendance [was]: ... Eberhard Pohl, MFA Deputy Political Director, (Germany) . ... Pohl expressed the view that what would be produced at Lisbon must offer explicit clear guidance to the working level and not simply be a 'public diplomacy exercise.' 'Form must follow function and not vice versa.'" Below image from
(C) C-DI8-00223: PROBABLE UK REACTION TO DUTCH ANTI-ISLAM VIDEO - Passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks, telegraph.co.uk: "Date: 3/6/2008 ... Origin: Embassy London Classification: SECRET//NOFORN ... 1. (S) ... Post informally contacted Metropolitan Police's Diplomatic Protection Group regarding measures HMG may be taking in preparation for the release of the Dutch anti-Islam video. To the best of the Diplomatic Protection Group's knowledge, no specific protective intelligence unit is being established or other additional protective steps planned in advance of the possible release of the film. ... 4. (C) Post has spoken with officials in the Home Office (RICU) who are in charge of HMG's public diplomacy/counter terrorism messaging. RICU officials are aware of the Dutch anti-Islam video and will develop public diplomacy talking points for British officials domestic and abroad should the videos cause a reaction in Britain's Muslim communities or provoke demonstrations of protest."
DAS WYCOFF DISCUSSES SOMALIA AND ERITREA WITH DJIBOUTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER - passed to the Telegraph by WikiLeaks, telegraph.co.uk: "1.(S) SUMMARY. Meeting with visiting AF DAS Wycoff following the conclusion of the December 7-8 IGAD ministerial on Somali and Sudan, Foreign Minister Youssouf concurred that both security and political measures were necessary to restore stability to Somalia. While declaring that Djibouti was facilitating a shipment of Algerian arms to the TFG to bolster is security capacity, FM Youssouf highlighted that President Guelleh had underscored in private to the TFG FM and Deputy PM that the TFG needed to deliver basic services in order to build its credibility among Somalia's populace. Noting Somali President Sheikh Sharif's 'weakness' in public diplomacy, FM Youssouf discussed Djibouti's efforts to support Somalia's intellectuals, including paying salaries to authors from the Somali diaspora. Youssouf said the GODJ did not believe the TFG should foreclose the possibility of dialogue with Hassan Dahir Aweys, whose leadership within Hizbul Islam was being questioned; however, dialogue with al-Shabaab's terrorist leadership was 'out of the question.' END SUMMARY."
A stirring moment in jazz history to echo in Turkish Embassy - J. Freedom du Lac, Washington Post: "They're playing that hot jazz in the Turkish Embassy's old Sheridan Circle mansion, just as they did in the 1930s and '40s, when the ambassador's boys, Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, were always inviting their favorite musicians over to hang and blow and thump. The informal, integrated gatherings achieved near-mythic status - "Washington's most famous private jam sessions," jazz journalist Bill Gottlieb called them in The Washington Post in 1943 - and then they evaporated into history. 'So many people don't know about it,' said Namik Tan, Turkey's current ambassador. ... 'I thought it would be wise to rebuild the historical image of the Turkish Embassy residence as a center for jazz and jazz fans,' Tan said. 'People should be aware of the historical significance of this house and of Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun.
They made a good place for Turkey in the hearts and minds of the black community here and in the music community around the United States and elsewhere.'" Image from article, with caption: Lawrence Brown, left, and Johnny Hodges perform at the Turkish Embassy in the District in the 1930s. At the time, the ambassador's sons, Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, made of inviting their favorite musicians over to play. Via MPO on facebook.
Saturday, February 5, 2011PM acknowledge 'corruption' as a perception management challenge - Madhurjya Kotoky, publicdiplomacyblog.com: "[W]hat I wrote in Sept. 2010 ... [is about] how corruption remains one of India's biggest perception management challenges. ... At the Public Diplomacy in Information Age conference I participated in New Delhi, in December 2010, Shashi Tharoor too raised this point when he called for communication around the theme of 'Credible India' to supplement current branding campaign of 'Incredible India.' However, developing a line of communication on 'Credible India' may demand showcasing achievements at the ground level. This can be quite a task when we are yet to clean the mess of Commonwealth Games. What can be done instead is sustained communication on the 'pace of progress' in India's fight against corruption that will eventually lead to a 'Credible India.'"
Canada's Carleton to have ties with IIT Mumbai, Jindal Global University - economictimes.indiatimes.com: "Canada's world-famous Carleton University is set to sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs)
with various Indian educational institutions during the visit of it president and vice-chancellor to India next week. Ottawa-based Carleton is the only university in the world to have a full-fledged India-centric Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, Trade and Policy to raise awareness about bilateral studies and public diplomacy, and develop initiatives to build a better understanding of both countries." Image from
Obituary: Big losses in Liberia - cocorioko.net: "The former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Executive Director of Democracy Frontline International of Liberia, Mr. Augustine Amara, has died. ... Mansfield Duopu in the Concerned Liberians Forum expressed his sorrow with these words: 'OH DEATH,WHERE IS YOUR STRENGHT? Death has once again snatched away a great friend and mentor, Augustine Amara. Amara introduced me to the studies of international relations at the University of Liberia. He was an Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Public Diplomacy and an Instructor at the University of Liberia.'”
Gates, Ridge, Albright stand up for foreign aid - Laura Rozen, Politico: "Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates
on Wednesday stressed the importance of foreign assistance at the annual U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Tribute Dinner. Each brought attention to the connections between foreign aid, economic prosperity, and national security, saying that investing in diplomacy and aid creates 'a better, safer world.' 'The truth is that we won’t be able to rely on other countries to help fight the extraordinary dangers that most threaten us unless we help the global majority to fight the chronic problems that can frighten them each and every day,' Albright said, making one of several references to the Middle East that later included a discussion of Egypt. Pointing to a 'battle of ideas with dictators and demagogues,' Albright added, 'We have to push back, but we won’t be able to do that if at the same time we’re cutting back on embassies, cutting back on public diplomacy, cutting back on student exchanges, cutting back on assistance and severing our connections to the world.'“ Image from
Egypt: Social media as a life or death proposition - Simon Mainwaring, Newswire – CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "Here are six levels of activist empowerment social media enables: 1. One-to-one interaction between individuals connecting via Facebook, SMS, or Twitter, irrespective of time, distance, or delay. 2. Groups of people using social media to form communities, congregating around shared values, whether they are focused on a politician, cause or brand, such as we see in Egypt.
3. Connections between people across platforms, as conversations around shared values and ideas migrate tirelessly from one network to another and amongst different groups. 4. Dialogues that go on between governments and citizens, or between brands and their consumer communities, using social media. 5. Interactions between the private sector, governments and non-profits, often with consumers or citizens as intermediaries. 6. The commingling of the virtual and real worlds through the parallel universes constructed within social games and virtual worlds. Image from article
Watching Jon Stewart in Khartoum - africommons.wordpress.com: "In many respects Khartoum was the most oppressive place I worked or visited during my time in East Africa. At the same time, it seemed vaguely surreal to turn on the television in my (Malaysian) hotel room and see Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show in the fall of 2007. This was definitely one of those 'we are not in the Cold War any more, Toto' moments. This is perhaps worth an essay I just don’t have time to write at the moment, but it certainly struck me that this was one reason that 'public diplomacy' seemed dead–global communications had moved on. On one hand I was cringing about what Stewart might say, and noting the difference between laughing at ourselves at home and others laughing at us; on the other, what greater symbol of America’s exceptional freedom that you could still go on television in the midst of the war in Iraq and the 'Global War on Terror' and the associated restrictions on civil liberties, and put down the government."
Diagramming Public Diplomacy, ver. 2.0 - ryanjsuto.blogspot.com:
"This diagram does not aim to describe the tactics, goals, or effectiveness of any particular public diplomacy organization or objective. By creating it, I simply wish to communicate an easily understandable framework for the field, so as to avoid an overly length piece which drones on about the boundaries of the field and the implications of those boundaries. Seeing that this blog post clearly failed in avoiding that, I only hope that the diagram helps to orient those foreign to the concept as well as clarify the goals of those most familiar with it."
Zhui: U.S. public diplomacy through Corporate Engagement - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.us: "In the debate over what is and is not public diplomacy, here’s another example to throw into the mix. In 2009, the ad agency for Nike China won an award for its series on Liu Xiang, a Chinese phenom in the hurdles. Liu carried the inspirations of China into the Beijing Olympic games in 2008. In the qualifying heat for the 110-meter hurdles, however, he suffered a severe and debilitating injury. ... The Chinese government had invested heavily in Liu as a star for China: he was the first Chinese (or Asian) to win gold in the hurdles, with a world record in the 110 at Athens. But now, Liu was done. Nike,
Liu’s sponsor, had also invested heavily in him. ... [Nike] brought him to the United States to rehabilitate him. ... The result is a great story captured in ads that played in China. ... Call it public relations, or corporate social responsibility, or call it public diplomacy (but not 'corporate diplomacy' any other 'niche' nonsense that may sound good but ultimately confuses and dilutes the discussion), such activities should be encouraged and supported." Image from
About #JHB-5Feb Event - tendaijoe.com: "Khadija Patel (@khadijaPatel) ... is a writer and social media practitioner. She has been the editor of Al Huda, a publication with a strong tradition of philanthropy and is also a commentator on Muslim affairs in the South African media. Khadija is currently reading for a Masters degree in sociolinguistics at the University of South Africa. She is fascinated with the construction of social identities through language and is alos keenly interested in public diplomacy, human rights, and literary theory. In recent weeks, Khadija has been more engaged than usual on social media platforms as events unfold across the Middle East and North Africa."
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Misleading Punditry - William A. Rugh, Whirled View: Outsiders, even the mighty US government, cannot impose democracy on other countries. Americans who are following reports of the unfolding events in Egypt on their TV screens, on their radios, in their newspapers and on computers, should consequently be very careful to take instant analyses with a healthy dose of skepticism, keeping in mind that at least some of the pundits have ulterior motives that color their comments.
Crisis in Egypt Tests U.S. Ties With Israel - Helene Cooper and Mark Landler, New York Times: The unsettled outlook in Egypt has also scrambled American calculations about nurturing peace talks back to life between Israel and the Palestinians.
And it has left both American and Israeli diplomats wondering about a broader regional realignment in which Israel would be left feeling more isolated and its enemies, including Iran and Syria, emboldened. Israeli government officials started out urging the Obama administration to back Mr. Mubarak, administration officials said, and were initially angry at Mr. Obama for publicly calling on the Egyptian leader to agree to a transition. Image from
We the Egyptian People - Roger Cohen, New York Times: In the name of what exactly has the United States been ready to back and fund an ally whose contempt for the law, fake democracy and gross theft flout everything for which America stands? There are several answers. To stop the jihadists, who threaten American lives; to ensure the security of another ally, Israel; to spread free markets, however distorted, from which U.S. corporations benefit; to secure stability in the most dangerous of regions. Hey, the world’s an imperfect place. Sometimes the best strategic choice is just avoidance of the worst. It wasn’t only during the Cold War that our thugs had their place. I understand all these arguments. As our thugs go, Mubarak’s been solid. But such views have endured through a persistent blindness: The unwillingness to see that the Middle East has evolved; that American hypocrisy is transparent to everyone; that Islamic parties can run thriving economies and democracies like Turkey’s; that popular rage over cronies’ green gardens feeds the jihadist cause; and that the most effective support of Israel is not one that leaves Israel locked in a defensive crouch but one that encourages it to reach out to the modernizing forces in the Middle East, not least in the West Bank.
Gdansk, Beijing or Tehran? The hunt for parallels to the Cairo uprising - Janine Zacharia, Washington Post: The speed with which Tunisia's popular uprising inspired Egyptian demonstrators to take to the streets suggested that a revolutionary wave could sweep the Middle East the way Eastern Europe's Communist bloc crumbled. But whether Middle Eastern regimes will melt away like the Iron Curtain, or stand firm like the Chinese Communist Party after its crackdown in Tiananmen Square, remains far from certain.
Egypt Endgame - Marc Lynch, Foreign Policy: It must now make clear that an Egyptian regime headed by Hosni Mubarak is no longer one with which the United States can do business,
and that a military which sanctions such internal violence is not one with which the United States can continue to partner. Image from article
Beware the Islamists in the wings: Will liberal reformer Mohamed ElBaradei ultimately play Kerensky to an Islamist strongman when the Muslim Brotherhood seizes power? - Tim Rutten, latimes.com: The United States has found a way to maintain close relations with the hard-line Islamic fundamentalist regime in Saudi Arabia and with the "soft" Islamists now in power in Turkey. It won't be easy or comfortable, but we probably can find a similar accommodation with Egypt — particularly because there isn't any choice.
Beyond 'American-backed' foreign policy - Edward Schumacher-Matos, Washington Post: What the unfolding events in Egypt show, as events have shown in so many other Third World crises since late in the Cold War, is that short of military invasion, American influence is limited and often irrelevant.
Egypt’s foreigners targeted, battle gov’t propaganda - Mohamed Abdel Salam, bikyamasr.com: A new phenomenon of fear and targeting of foreigners has swept across Egypt this week following a speech by President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday. Pro-Mubarak protests erupted on Wednesday, and during the ensuing chaos, a number of the supporters of Mubarak along with government-hired “thugs” clashed with the protesters in Tahrir Square leading to the death of at least 11 and injuring 1500. The state-owned media channels are also believed to have raised conspiracy theories against foreigners, blaming foreign countries and agencies for “stirring the Egyptian youth” against the government. Attacks on foreigners was heightened after Egyptian officials appeared on state-owned media outlets saying that the January 25 protesters who took to the streets were “victims of foreign agencies that wanted to use them to destabilize Egypt.”
Egypt's two futures: Brutality and false reforms, or democracy - Editorial, Washington Post: On Friday, President Obama repeated his position that a political transition "must begin now" but that it was up to Egyptians; he did not rule out Mr. Mubarak leading it. But there is really only one side that represents U.S. values and interests - and it can be found in Tahrir Square.
Swallowing Israeli Propaganda: Islamophobia Sweeps Europe - Michael Leonardi:
There has been muted and meek response coming from Europe in response to the uprisings for an end to dictatorial rule and for economic and social justice in Tunisia, Egypt and across the middle east.
This weak response can be credited to a tsunami of Islamophobia that has swept through the western world since the Bush administration's propaganda campaign to win support for the perpetual war on terror. In Europe Muslim extremists are the boogeymen in the collective closet. This ingrained fear of Islam is a corner piece of the state of Israel's propaganda campaign to depict the Palestinian people as Islamic terrorists hell-bent on attacking and destroying their oppressive occupiers by any means necessary. Image from
Somalia's al-Shabaab launch TV channel - Mail & Guardian Online: Somalia's al-Qaeda-inspired al-Shabaab group has launched a terrestrial news channel in its latest effort to expand its propaganda activities, the Site monitoring group said on Friday. Al-Kataib News Channel's pilot showed the confessions of an alleged CIA spy who was executed on Sunday, said Site Intelligence Group, which carried a translation of a al-Shabaab statement circulated on jihadi internet forums. "This broadcast success represents an advanced media leap in the mujahedeen’s [holy warriors] media in general and in Somalia in particular," the statement said.
Propaganda of the Deed - George H. Wittman, American Spectator: The basic justification for homicide bombings is what the famed historian Walter Laqueur has referred to in his terrorism writing as the "propaganda of the deed." The idea behind this form of political action is that a terrorist act that has a major public impact establishes the importance of the intended message as well as the threat of implied power which reverberates beyond the immediate political target.
US DIPLOMACY AT WORK
"Whew! And there's more ....
•Chronic communications problem between the front office and the rest of the mission.
•No permanent DCM at the mission. Of the seven permanent and temporary staff who served in this position since the Ambassador’s confirmation in November 2009, only one has remained for longer than 6 months.
•The Ambassador decided to replace a DCM who had been in the job for only 4 months weeks before her arrival at the embassy
•The [Ambassador's] residence manager retired and the CMR’s cook was fired
•Ambassador maintains total control over her own calendar
•An even bigger problem is the Ambassador’s lack of confidence – or perhaps trust – in her staff, which leads to a near total absence of regular guidance and advance planning.
•After learning about a professional school in Switzerland that trained employees to work in places such as Buckingham Palace, the Ambassador and then-general services officer flew to the school to interview candidates.
•The OIG team was told that the Ambassador was not pleased with the condition of the CMR mattress, and preferred a queen bed
to the king-size bed already provided.
•During one 6-week period earlier in 2010, he [one local procurement staff] spent 80 to 90 percent of his time searching for a temporary CMR [Chief of Mission Residence]. In late summer, he and several other staff members, as well as the management officer, spent several days locating and purchasing an umbrella for the CMR patio.
•The [OIG] team believes that too many of the limited resources of this embassy have been allocated to issues related to her personal support."
--State/OIG Issues Mgt 'Horror of the Year' Report for US Embassy Luxembourg, DiploPundit; image from
ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"It's a standard newsmagazine technique to add a 'why' to the thesis of a story."
--Michael Kinsley
