"Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it."
--Michel de Montaigne; image from
VIDEO
"Rockenteur," from the National Arts Club: Professor Rock Bryner, the son of the Siberian-born actor Yul Bryner, has addressed audiences in Vladivostok and throughout Russia under the auspices of the State Department.
Brynners' image from; see also Rock Brynner in Russia - 2010
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN THE NEWS
Libya: Military Intervention Thwarts Humanitarian Objectives - Suren Moodliar, openmediaboston.org: "[T]he Libyan intervention represents expansion of the US Africa Command: turning from the so-called 'smart' power of public diplomacy to good old fashioned blood and gore, as the New York Times has observed. However 'limited' the Libyan mission may turn out to be, the momentum is shifting toward continued active interventions in Africa." Image from
Exactly the same - Josh Rosenau, ScienceBlogs: "There are legitimate questions to ask about the domestic legality of the President launching military strikes without Congressional consent, but ... [it] is wrong to treat this and the Iraq war as cases of 'staging a coalition to throw us into another costly war with another petty dictator.' The US lagged the rest of the world, at least in its public diplomacy, in seeking a no-fly zone.
The Arab League called for the no-fly zone, and the UN Security Council authorized it under a clause that, arguably, justifies the White House circumventing Congress to take part. The no-fly zone falls well within the tradition of just war." Image from
Remarks at the Global Technology Symposium - Judith A. McHale, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Menlo Park, CA, press release, US Department of State: McHale: "This morning, I’d like to talk about the work we are doing to build partnerships in three critical areas: supporting entrepreneurship, spurring innovation, and harnessing the power of connective technologies. ... At the State Department, we are seeking out ways to stimulate innovation and support entrepreneurs at every level. In the last year, we have launched several new exchange programs specifically focused on promoting connections between innovators and entrepreneurs. ... Last year, my office set up a Fund for Innovation. Any public diplomacy officer who sees an opportunity to engage foreign publics can submit their idea online and apply for immediate support from Washington. We want to take advantage of opportunities as they arise and be part of conversations as they happen."
Mutual public outreach can help Pakistan, US have candid dialogue for trustful ties - Associated Press of Pakistan: Pakistan: "Increased exchange programs and public communication opportunties will help Pakistanis and Americans have a ‘candid and honest’ discourse they need to move past misperceptions on both sides and build a trustful relationship, say senior officials linked to public outreach. 'One of the things that we have been working on very consciously, is to be sure that we have a broad array of American voices speaking to the people of Pakistan and informing them what we are doing,' Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale,
said in a discussion on the importance of radio in Pakistan. 'I believe passionately, the more we communicate very directly with the people of Pakistan, the stronger our relationships will be,' she stated, citing top American officials’ appearances on the Pakistani TV and Radio programs and their public interactions. Murtaza Solangi, Director General of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, pointed out the 'need to create more opportunities, where governments and people, both at individual and institutional level, can engage themselves in a very transparent dialogue.' He said there are 'misconceptions' on both sides, which need to be removed. 'You need to hear a lot of Pakistani voices and engage in a very honest, candid, frank manner. That helps,' he said referring to late Richard Holbrooke’s participation in Radio Pakistan’s programs. The discussion - moderated by New America Foundation President, Steve Clemons and attended by Alex Evans, a British diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan - touched on the power of connection technologies, the importance of radio to education, grassroots empowerment, and countering extremist voices." McHale image from
Virtual Exchange: The Newest Form of Diplomacy - Stacey Long, Adobe Youth Voices: "Adobe Youth Voices students had a unique opportunity Thursday night to participate in a pioneering form of citizen diplomacy: a 'virtual exchange' between students in California and Pakistan. The AYV Peapod Academy in Redwood City, California connected with AYV & iEARN sites in Karachi & Islamabad, and students from all three locations had the opportunity to discuss subjects such as the role of students as journalists & media producers, and the effects that new communications tools are having on the lives of young people in the United States and Pakistan.
Американский фактор в арабских революциях: мобилизация протеста через публичную дипломатию и социальные сети [The American factor in the Arab Revolutions: The mobilization of protest through public diplomacy and social networks. Часть 1. [Part 1] - Natalia Tsetkova, community.livejournal.com
Legalise political parties - Mfanukhona Nkambule, Times of Swaziland:
"The US Government says it has already begun a programme aimed at transitioning Swaziland toward democracy. In its report titled, ‘Advancing Freedom and Democracy,’ Americans said they used a variety of means, including support for public dialogue, civil society and government capacity building to promote political reform. For example, it said, the US Government utilised public diplomacy and representational events to bring together local NGOs, labour union leaders, and political activists for dialogue. To prepare for the 2013 national elections, it is said, the US-sponsored programmes continued working with government and civil society to strengthen institutions, educate the citizenry, and expand political dialogue." Image from
State Department's public diplomacy website America.gov will be "decommissioned" 31 March - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "As a demonstration of how much influence I have in Washington, in Foreign Service Journal, October 2010, I advocated expanding America.gov to more languages, operating it as a public-diplomacy complement to US international broadcasting. I.e. the former advocates, the latter provides an independent news service. The ink on that article is hardly dry, and now we learn that America.gov will go away. How will State.gov deal with languages other than English? Will there be links in those languages available at the top of the home page? If it's anywhere else, chances are non-anglophones won't find the link."
Will David Ensor, formerly of CNN and most recently of US Embassy Kabul, be the new VOA director?" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "If this is true, can he successfully switch hats from public diplomacy to international broadcasting? Or, in the future, will it all be -- and this would be old hat -- the same hat?"
The advantage of being believed: VOA's role in providing information after the Chernobyl disaster - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
For US international broadcasting, is this House hearing the first step towards the Dark Side? - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "House Committee on Foreign Affairs: On 30 March, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold the hearing, 'Is America’s Foreign Broadcasting Consistent with Our Nation’s Interests and Our Commitment to Freedom?' Invited to the first panel: Judith A. McHale, under secretary of State for public diplomacy and public affairs, U.S. Department of State. 
Invited to the second panel are John Lenczowski, president, Institute of World Politics; Shiyu Zhou, vice president, New Tang Dynasty Television; Robert Reilly, former director, Voice of America. At 2:00 pm, Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building.' [Elliott comment:] The glaring omission is that Walter Isaacson, chairman of the Broadcasting Boad of Governors, was apparently not invited. Secretary McHale represents Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as one (ex officio) member of of the BBG, but she does not have executive authority over US international broadcasting. The second panel includes viewpoints that range from conservative to conservative. Robert Reilly came to the VOA director job from the VOA (later IBB) Office of Policy, which writes the editorials 'reflecting the views of the United States Government.' (See previous post about Robert Reilly.) I don't think independent journalism is the idea behind this hearing. It might be the first skirmish, in the 112th Congress, of the battle for the soul of US international broadcasting. NB: I'm told the hearing has been canceled, although it's still at the HCFA website." Image from
anybody speak Arabic? - Television Jobs Middle East: "Just another example of this administrations incompetence folks, Al Hurra television, the U.S. government’s $63 million-a-year effort at public diplomacy broadcasting in the Middle East, is run by executives and officials who cannot speak Arabic, according to a senior official who oversees the program."
WikiLeaks and 'US media war' in South America: Diplomatic cables show the struggle for public opinion between Telesur and Voice of America - Nikolas Kozloff, english.aljazeera.net ."
RFE/RL "would be one of Moscow's first targets" under proposed Russian internet law, she [Khatuna Mshvidobadze] writes - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International BroadcastingVOA Tibetan Service celebrates 20th anniversary - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
"Voice of America Museum struggles to exist" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Understanding the Violence in Israel - John Hannah, National Review Online: "The Syrian regime, in particular, should be put on notice privately that we’re wise to its efforts to use Palestinian surrogates to create a diversion, at the same time that we turn up the heat publicly on the atrocities being committed by Assad’s forces in Daraa.
Such a public diplomacy campaign will also help establish the legitimacy and necessity of Israel’s inevitable effort to defend itself, preserve its deterrent, and degrade Palestinian terrorist capabilities." Image from
The GOP's Foreign Policy: At Odds with Reality? - John Norris, Huffington Post: "What makes the Republican approach in the House jarring is how much it contrasts with the approach of potential Republican presidential candidates who behave as if the United States should be omnipotent. A number of these candidates pushed hard for the United States to intervene in Libya with no UN authorization, no Arab League support, no alliance, and no one to help foot the bill. As Winston Churchill once noted, 'There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them.' Yet, Newt Gingrich, when not berating the president for filling out an office basketball pool, said the U.S. should 'exercise a no fly zone this evening.' Tim Pawlenty, showing a deft touch for public diplomacy, boldly proclaimed, 'I'm not overly concerned about our popularity ratings in Europe or the Middle East," as he pushed for early intervention sans allies. Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee also pushed for instant air strikes. All were united in the opinion that the United States should be doing more, not less, and acting regardless of any international authorization or alliance.'"
PBSS's Tavis Smiley Replays Deeply Fawning Interview of Warren Christopher as a Eulogy - Tim Graham, newsbusters.org: "It’s not surprising that PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley would replay an old interview upon the death of Warren Christopher, Secretary of State in Bill Clinton's first term and chief hostage negotiator/Deputy Secretary of State to Jimmy Carter. On Monday night’s show, Smiley closed by quoting Clinton in tribute: 'Warren Christopher had the lowest ratio of ego to accomplishment of any public servant I have ever worked with.' ... Smiley worried out loud that George W. Bush was going to ruin completely our global diplomacy by not going soft enough on Iran and Syria: SMILEY: That raises a very scary - I'm pausing here not because I'm lost but because I'm trying to figure how to phrase this delicately. I was in a conversation the other day with someone on this show,
in fact, and we talked about this issue of public diplomacy, and I defined public diplomacy as, where we are concerned, as Americans having to sell or explain America to the rest of the world in a way that they get and understand. If we take that as a definition, one could argue, given your point now, that Mr. Bush isn't cut out for public diplomacy. That at a point where we need to be engaged in the world right about now, given the mess that we're in, this isn't the guy to put out front as our diplomat in chief." Image from
Libya: What Would Reagan Do? - Jason Saltoun-Ebin, Huffington Post: "[O]n March 14, Reagan convened a meeting of his National Security Council to decide how best to remove the Libyan threat. ... SHULTZ: After listening to Secretary Weinberger and Admiral Crowe, I feel confident in our capabilities. I've prepared a timeline for diplomatic and congressional notifications and public diplomacy, which can be adjusted to events."
Strategic Communications to Achieve Public Diplomacy Goals - Gene Gregorio blog: "Strategic communication - as a process with a goal - helps public diplomacy goals to be achieved. This was the thrust of the State Department at the height of the Global War on Terror in 2005 to repair the US' badly-tarnished reputation worldwide. As such, the Peace and Prosperity for the Philippines Foundation (3PF) was guided by this gameplan."
Canadian TV producers: We don't really hate America: US diplomatic cables suggested Canadian TV seeks to “twist current events to feed long-standing negative images of the US." Not really, say Canadian producers and officials - Colin Woodard, Christian Science Monitor: "Sitcoms and dramas aired by the taxpayer-financed Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) show 'insidious negative popular stereotyping' and 'anti-American melodrama,' the US embassy in Ottawa warned in a 2008 diplomatic cable published in December by WikiLeaks. Washington should boost its public diplomacy programs in Canada 'at all levels and in all parts of the country … to make it more difficult for Canadians to fall into the trap of seeing all US policies as the result of nefarious faceless US bureaucrats anxious to squeeze their northern neighbor.'
Is the Canadian government indeed seeking to brainwash citizens by broadcasting anti-American attitudes on state-funded television? Not quite, say television producers and Canadian and US officials, who agree that the diplomatic cable – which received considerable attention here – wrongly assessed both the television programs at issue and the state of Canadian popular attitudes toward their southern neighbor. Washington, they say, has little to fear from either." Image from
Embassy of France as NATO’s representative in Belarus responsible for issuing NATO updates - National Legal Internet Portal of the republic of Belarus: "Providing information on NATO activities is one of the major tasks of the French Embassy in Minsk as NATO’s representative office in Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Belarus Michel Raineri told media on 23 March. The Embassy of France has been acting as NATO’s representative office in Belarus since 1 January 2011. According to the diplomat, since early 1990s NATO has developed a network of contact embassies to assist partnership and public diplomacy events in the member states of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), Partnership for Peace programs (PfP), Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI). Each NATO partner country has an embassy of one of its member states which distributes information on the role and policy of the North Atlantic Alliance. Before France took up this role in Minsk, it was the Embassy of Lithuania that performed those functions. The diplomat stated that contact embassies are in close cooperation with the NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division providing information on the policy and purposes of the North Atlantic Alliance in the receiving country as well as assisting the NATO Political Affairs and Security Policy Division in arranging EAPC, PfP, MD and ICI events."
NATO Takes Control of No-Fly Zone Over Libya - Anders Fogh Rasmussen, atlantic-community.org: "Atlantic-community.org's new web module 'NATO's Agenda' is sponsored by the Public Diplomacy Division of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. We encourage you to comment and submit op-ed articles with your analyses and policy recommendations for 'NATO's Agenda.'"
The Advantages of an Assertive China: Responding to Beijing's Abrasive Diplomacy - Thomas J. Christensen, brookings.edu: "China has failed to maintain ... positive momentum in its foreign policy, damaging U.S.-Chinese relations in the process. The most dramatic change is in its North Korea policy: rather than pressuring Pyongyang after its nuclear and missile tests
in the spring of 2009, Beijing seems to have doubled down on its economic and political ties with Kim Jong Il's regime. Knowledgeable observers believe that trade and investment relations between China and North Korea have deepened over the past three years. There has also been frequent high-level public diplomacy between Chinese and North Korean leaders, including two visits by Kim to China last year." Image from
Small Country Diplomacy - Two similar and Good Friends Sri Lanka and Libya - tamilsydney.com: "[W]here India is concerned Sri Lanka has taken the right steps. Our relations with India have been strengthened; there is mutual trust and respect and healthy interaction in several important areas. This is a unique example of the effective way in which we have consciously and constructively used the three f’s to focus, to be flexible and to act fast, while public diplomacy has been used to reap a significant measure of success."
India’s Lead in Government 2.0 - Abhay K, Newswire CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "At present India has 80 million Internet connections, and over 50 million people use social media. But the number of mobile phones in India is more than 700 million, and growing at 15 million per month. Thus there is the possibility of a great leap in numbers of Indians using Internet in the next few years on mobile platforms.
The use of new media channels by government organizations and high ranking officials is on the rise. ... India's public diplomacy efforts have gained a huge boost from the use of the web 2.0 channels of the Public Diplomacy Division." Image from
Romania - State Secretary Doru Costea at symposium Regards croisés sur la littérature francophone - isria.com: "State Secretary for Global Affairs Doru Costea attended, on 22 March, a symposium entitled Regards croisés sur la littérature francophone, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with a group of Francophone embassies and diplomatic representations in Bucharest . ... The event was well appreciated by the participants – personalities of the Francophone cultural life, representatives of academia, institutional and private environment partners, students. The cultural, artistic and public diplomacy manifestations arranged by the MFA in Romania and abroad to mark the International Day of la Francophonie are going on."
An armchair guide to SA's foreign policy challenges - Sean Christie, Mail & Guardian Online: "The issues that are likely to measure South Africa's public diplomacy in 2011 are numerous, but communicating the logic of the relationship between Pretoria and Jerusalem as international pressure mounts against Israel's policies will be difficult, as will the communication of the South African government's commitment to combating climate change in the face of fossil fuel-oriented energy expansion plans."
Russia: the place where you never know - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "[P]erhaps a great approach to attracting the attention of potential foreign investors [to Russia]
who would be vary of doing business in the country due to ... (mis?)perceptions ... seems simple: address these stereotypes head on. This might actually be a good approach for Kremlin itself to consider in its public diplomacy effort." Includes video. Image from, loose translation: Whoever drowns won't swim again in the sea.
Azerbaijan Targets the Human Resource Problem - georgiandaily.com: "On March 10-11, a large forum of Azerbaijani students studying in foreign countries took place in the French city of Strasbourg (www.1news.az). The event was sponsored by the Azeri Ministry of Youth and Sports and organized by the newly established NGO: ASAIF (Azerbaijani Students and Alumni International Forum). ... The program of the forum featured panels on Public Diplomacy, New Ways to Promote Azerbaijan, Networking, Development Priorities of Azerbaijan and Unity for the Sake of Future."
The perils and protected sources behind face of diplomacy: Information in the worlds of both public and private diplomacy is a treadable resource, Bruce Haigh writes - canberratimes.com.au: "Recently there has been talk of public and private diplomacy. Public diplomacy is said to consist of pleasant platitudes and private diplomacy is said to be where the tough talking is done, perhaps. Equally, however, private diplomacy can consist of weak talk and poor compromises. Australia rarely engaged in tough talk with the Indonesians over East Timor, which meant the intervention, when it came, was a shock. Ambassadors like to be liked. Public diplomacy on issues such as human rights, climate change and corruption is far more effective than a knee rub behind closed doors. It is on the public record, which as WikiLeaks has shown is good for democracy."
Bringing Public Diplomacy 2.0 to the next level - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.us: "Do read the report: Social Media Strategy: Bringing Public Diplomacy 2.0 to the next level (820kb PDF) It is available at MountainRunner with the permission of Floris van Hövell, Head of Department Public Diplomacy, Press and Culture, Royal Embassy of the Netherlands, Washington D.C."
The Clash of the Caliphates: Understanding the Real War of Ideas - Tony Corn, smallwarsjournal.com: "[I]it is time for Western policy-makers to realize that the ideological rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran that has been going on since 1979 constitutes nothing less than a Clash of the Caliphates. Through a soft power strategy blurring the distinction between 'public diplomacy' and 'political warfare,' 'humanitarian aid' and 'religious propaganda,' the two states have been the main drivers of the re-Islamization process throughout the Muslim world. The one-upmanship dynamic generated by the rivalry between these two fundamentalist regimes is the main reason why, from the Balkans to Pakistan, the re-Islamization of the global umma has taken a radical, rather than moderate, dimension. ... Dr. Tony Corn ... worked in public diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC and at the U.S. Missions to the EU and to NATO in Brussels." See also.
Public Diplomacy: not just for diplomats anymore - Lindsey, PD Globbers Thoughts and Analyses on Public Diplomacy: "In reconceptualizing public diplomacy from propaganda, to soft power, and long-term communication, the actor has always been the state. The traditional roots of 'diplomacy' and a realist attitude towards non-state actors has left the power of NGOs, institutions and active citizens outside the realm of public diplomacy. But that may no longer be possible, or wise, for states to do."
Art & Hope in Israel - Jessica Williams, Occasionally Clever: A semi-regular blog on public diplomacy: "[M]y fellow group members and I presented in class on Israel’s public diplomacy and recommendations for better policies and strategies."
“Colombia is passion": has nation branding worked for Colombia? - Nelson, Public and Cultural Diplomacy D: A reflective group blog by students on the Public and Cultural Diplomacy module at London Metropolitan University
'Everybodys worried about World War 3': Joseph Nye and Okinawa - Strimmer, Public and Cultural Diplomacy B: A reflective group blog by students on the Public and Cultural Diplomacy module at London Metropolitan University
Experience in peacebuilding and in peaceful co-existence after an armed conflict – the case of Cyprus - armacad.blogspot.com: "Public Round Table in Stepanakert Toumanyan Street, 60 2 April, 2011 10:00 -14:00 Session I: Experience in peacebuilding and in peaceful co-existence after an armed conflict – the case of Cyprus Session II: Role of mass media and public diplomacy in transforming conflict in Cyprus Participants: experts from Cyprus, civil society leaders, opinion makers, local experts, mass media."
Dept. of State director sells Adams Morgan 3BD - dc.blockshopper.com: "Courtney Elizabeth Austrian and Thomas Clifford Reed sold a three-bedroom, two-bath home at 1730 V St. N.W. in Adams Morgan to Lindsay B. McCord and Steven A. McCord for $650,000 on Jan. 31. The 1,578-square-foot home was built in 1907. It is located in the Strivers' Section Historic District. Austrian has served as the director of policy planning and public diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State."
RELATED ITEMS
Obama's nuanced call to arms in Libya: The Obama administration is having a hard time clarifying its intentions - Doyle McManus, latimes.com: What's Obama'slong-term goal, and what is he willing to risk achieving it? If Kadafi clings to power, what will Obama do to make good on his declaration that the dictator must go? Those are the most important questions, and in addressing them, he has offered precious little clarity.
Another unnecessary war - Dennis Kucinich, USA Today: U.S. intervention in Libya is a blunder. We intervene in support of an opposition that is unpredictable, at an expense that is unsupportable and with an endgame unknown. It will stretch an already overburdened military, undermining our national security.
NATO takes over, but Gadhafi remains - Editorial, USA Today: A week after the U.S. and its allies attacked Libya, progress is evident, but the outcome remains predictably and troublingly fuzzy. Removing dictators is never as simple and easy as imposing a no-fly zone might seem, and it's always hard to be confident about what comes next.
Every Revolution Is Revolutionary in Its Own Way - Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times: No single American doctrine can or should fit this newly kaleidoscopic, multifaceted universe that is the Middle East from Iran to Morocco. We must realize this will be a long game, the grand tournament of the 21st century. We should protect innocent lives when we can — with limited airpower, not boots on the ground.
In Libya, how Obama can end a mission that started badly - Gideon Rose, Washington Post: The true question at hand, therefore, is who will rule Libya? Whatever the Obama administration may be telling itself, by intervening to help one side in a civil war, it is now embroiled in Libya’s political future to a vastly greater extent than it was two weeks ago.
What the no-fly zone in Iraq reveals about the challenges in Libya - Daniel Byman, Washington Post: Getting the allies to decide on ultimate political objectives, shared rules of engagement and other tough issues will require constant cajoling by Washington. The United States may end up leading despite a formal command change.
US Kills More Civilians in Afghanistan Despite “Progress” Propaganda - Jim White, firedoglake.com: On Tuesday, US forces in Afghanistan released a propaganda push highlighting “progress” in the city of Herat as the beacon of how Afghanistan is moving toward peace and being able to defend itself. The next day, on Wednesday, a US helicopter killed two more civilians, including at least one child. The initial press release by ISAF on this attack was produced only in propaganda mode, bleating the death of a Haqqani network leader and making false claims about “protecting” civilians who unexpectedly appeared in the area while helicopters were attacking their target.
The effort is part of Moammar Kadafi's strategy combining propaganda with aggressive fighting - Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times. Image from article, with caption: Youths drag an image of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi through the streets. N.Korea Warns Against S.Korean Propaganda Leaflets: The North Korean regime in a rare move Thursday warned people against South Korean propaganda leaflets and started cracking down on residents who keep them - english.chosun.com: State-run TV and radio said Thursday, "Psychological warfare schemes by military warmongers in the South have reached a peak," and accused South Korea of "dragging conservative groups into Baeknyeong Island to send hundreds of thousands" of propaganda leaflets "laden with USBs of impure movies and tattered dollar bills." A South Korean intelligence official said it seems the regime feels it can no longer take a low-key approach to dealing with the propaganda leaflets at a time when a wave of democratic uprising is sweeping through the Middle East.
