April 14 Public Diplomacy Review

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“She was smiling all the time.”

--Attorney Sam Hopkins, referring to murdered Foreign Service Public Diplomacy officer Anne Smedinghoff, who, while a student at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, worked part time for him

"Suburban Woman"

--How Anne Smedinghoff, 25, one of five Americans killed during a car bombing in Afghanistan, is referred to in an headline at palatine.patch.com

“They’re taking part of the left side of her skull out right now."

--Yvonne Stahl, aunt of Kelly Hunt, 33, a public diplomacy officer wounded in Zabul, Afghanistan, remaining (April 9) in a medically induced coma today at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany

"Hillary Clinton: Women's rights unfinished business of the 21st Century" 

--Headline from nydailynews.com

VIDEO

Sen. Rubio: Beyonce’s trip to Cuba is ‘propaganda’ - washingtonpost.com

ANNOUNCEMENT

April is Arts Diplomacy Month! - Kathryn Moreadith, http://artsdiplomacy.com/2013/04/09/april-is-arts-diplomacy-month:  "As spring arrives in waves of sunshine and warmer weather, we’re celebrating the activities of arts diplomacy initiatives worldwide with Arts Diplomacy Month. It may be new in title, but the idea is age-old: People using the arts to connect, to communicate, and to empower ideas. With t hat, Arts Diplomacy Network is here to bring you a wealth of fresh ideas to plant for a fruitful spring." Image from entry

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Fulbright Program 40th Anniversary Commemoration - Remarks, Tara Sonenshine, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Hotel Marriott Moscow, Moscow, Russia, April 10, 2013 - U.S Department of State: "I am delighted to join you at this special time – the 40th anniversary of the Fulbright program in Russia. The program is very important to all of us – Russians and Americans. As I’ll explain in a few moments, it’s also important to the work of public diplomacy. So what better way to pay tribute to 40 years of Fulbright than to acknowledge the contributions of the people who have made it – and continue to make it – so vibrant and effective? I am talking about all of you - Russians and Americans, scholars and students, men and women.

You are the keys to fulfilling Senator William J. Fulbright’s founding vision: to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs. ... I’d like to take just a few moments to explain public diplomacy and how the Fulbright program and community colleges, for that matter, play such a key role. Public diplomacy is about sharing our American story and listening to the stories of people around the world. I don’t mean that in a literal way. Not so much by the words we say but in the actions we take. By that, I mean the programs and exchanges we sponsor, and the online and offline outreach we do, so that citizens around the world can together build better futures. By helping us all achieve our God-given potential, and by doing things like sending American students abroad or bringing international students to the United States to study or share information about their culture, we hope we develop a deeper understanding of one another’s values and principles. We call these activities public diplomacy – because it’s about people understanding and connecting with people." Image from; re Fulbright, from Los Angeles Times (2005): "Fulbright's career contained a deep moral schism. His foreign policy idealism made him a hero to American liberals in the 1960s and 1970s. But his stubborn support for segregation in his native South and his participation in Southern filibusters against civil rights legislation left many of those followers deeply discomfited. Fulbright and his supporters argued that his position on segregation served a higher good."

'Quality Issues' Led to Work-and-Travel Visa Crunch - Jonathan Earle, Moscow Times: "Concerns about participants' safety, health and well-being are behind record visa refusal rates for Russian university students applying to work and travel in the United States this summer, a senior State Department official told an audience at the American Center in Moscow on Wednesday.

Tara Sonenshine, the State Department's head of public diplomacy and public affairs, said the program's rapid growth — participation peaked in 2008 at 153,000 students, including about 27,500 Russians, more than any other nationality — led to quality issues that are still being addressed. ... Media reports of participants, disproportionately Eastern European, working and living in substandard conditions and overstaying their visas, as well as mafia-linked human trafficking, led to tighter oversight rules beginning in 2011 and a cap on the program's size. Last year, Russia fell to fourth place among source countries, sending about 6,000 students, as visa refusal rates climbed to an estimated 35-40 percent of applicants. Refusal rates at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have reached a record 80-90 percent this year, leaving hundreds of students feeling cheated, according to applicants and the local agencies that assist them. ... The program, created as a public diplomacy tool in the 1960s, allows foreign university students to work and travel for up to four months in the United States, where most work low-skilled jobs at resorts, theme parks and restaurants, and experience American culture." Image from

How ‘soft power’ can tackle U.S.-Russia differences - Pavel Koshkin, rbth.ru: "While the Fulbright educational program celebrated its 40th anniversary in Russia on April 10, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine, took the opportunity to drop in on the American Center in Moscow. She delivered a speech on the importance of soft power and how it can be used to cope with and minimize political differences. How can 'soft power' resolve increasing differences between the United States and Russia?  Why does “hard power” frequently overshadow its soft counterpart? What problems should we focus on to effectively use soft power? I could not help asking myself these questions when I went to the American Center in Moscow to listen to the U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Tara Sonenshine. After all, she could address these problems and help me understand in what direction we should go. Although I didn’t find any specific proposals, I came up with some tips that can at least contribute to establishing mutual understanding. Sonenshine, a very eloquent speaker, talked about public service and its impact on U.S.-Russia collaboration. At the same time, during the Q and A session she raised more important issues, such as recent NGO inspections in Russian regions and unprecedented visa rejection for Russian Work and Travel applicants. The recent cases with Work and Travel students fueled debates throughout Russian society on visas and student exchange programs, because about 80-90 percent of the Work and Travel applicants were denied U.S. visas.  At first glance, this case seems to be a good example of a certain limit to public diplomacy and instances when it cannot resolve the problem. Indeed, how we could rhapsodize about soft power when students are prevented from entering another country where they could gain valuable cultural and educational experience. ‘Does the action match the words we spelled out?’ I asked myself.

Yet Sonenshine made it clear that some restrictions in the selection process are necessary to increase the efficiency of soft power and keep the situation under control. She explained that the U.S. has to make sure everyone who is accepted into the Work and Travel program has a good experience; this means that they have had to take a more serious look at the students and the U.S. firms who hire them. ‘Over time, the number of summer work-travel programs in the U.S. has gone up, up, up. And quality sometimes suffers when you grow extremely big with a number of programs,’ Sonenshine said. ‘Our most important priority is the security, health and well-being of people who come for a summer to travel and work,’ she said. ‘We have to put on some more difficult restrictions, because we were finding in some cases that we are not able to deliver the highest possible quality. Any time when an international visitor comes to the United States, it has to be a positive experience. If it is negative in any way, it is going to be hard for everyone,’ she added. When asked about the recent NGO inspections in Russia and the best way to improve their activity and encourage them to spend money more effectively, Sonenshine started articulately explaining why the U.S. has been always concerned about low human rights record in other countries. ‘There are really two tracks that are important for us,’ she said. ‘The first one is the governmental track: We all want governments to succeed.  But there is also a nongovernmental sector – any people who want to work outside formal governments, who want to work on health, education, business, entrepreneurship, and innovation. It has to be a robust, vibrant, nongovernmental, civil society sector,’ she said. ‘And we want to preserve and nurture it so it can be developed freely. And this is why, when we feel there are restrictions and limitations placed on the nongovernmental part, we speak passionately with the loudest voice.  And public diplomacy operates in people-to-people space. This is why we expressed our concern – and we should express concern when we see something concerning.’ Governmental and nongovernmental tracks: This is where hard power meets soft power, I thought. Afterward, I asked Sonenshine to what extent soft power is able to tackle political differences and what we should do to avoid them. ‘The differences are OK in our relationships,’ she said. ‘As long as you can find commonalities, you can accept somebody’s differences. And when you find common issues that we have to work on together – including climate, for example, environment, and economics in global economy. But the best tools to keep what we call ‘soft power’ or ‘smart power’ are film, art, culture, sports.’ While talking about sports diplomacy, Sonenshine put emphasis on the 2014 Sochi Olympics, which may be a good tool for strengthening Russia’s soft power and improving its image abroad. ‘You’ll be having the Sochi Olympics and I think you’re going to have a lot of people interested sports diplomacy and … winning.’ The more I listened to Sonenshine, the more I understood that talking about the idea of a co-existence of soft and hard powers is the favorite topic of any diplomat and public speaker. Good encouragement for action!” Image from article, with caption: U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine, pins hopes on 'soft power' as a tool to achieve mutual undertstanding between Russia and the U.S.

CIEE work and travel [Incomplete entry; links and images missing] - "At 60 years old, has been the way J-1 cultural exchange programs.

Tourism and the U.S. to promote public diplomacy, connected to the international scientific [sic]" Image from

PJ Crowley on Manning and "exploitation by global competitors" - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: “Last night I was listening to PRI's The World on my way back home and 'stumbled upon' this piece. Interesting and quite amusing, but not at all surprising. ... (The interview was preceded by Crowley's piece in The Guardian earlier this months on the same subject.) So, P.J. Crowley opened the conversation with warning that Bradley Manning and his popularity abroad might be used by America's 'competitors' against US interests and ‘erode its leadership’. Read: damage US public diplomacy. My first thought was : RT! [Russia Today television]  And surely enough, he soon mentioned Russia, RT and a recent interview he gave there. ... Of course, anyone who has ever watched a little bit of RT in the past two-three years, since the Wikileaks saga began, knows that the network has been pushing the story pretty hard, not just making Manning into a ‘martyr’, but also trying very hard to 'expose American hypocrisy'. This story fits in perfectly with RT's overall narrative intent to demonstrate America's lack of ‘morality’, and promoting strongly left-leaning perspectives (which, in turn, can be said to be an extension of USSR's attempts to capitalize on issues such as the Civil Rights Movement). Regardless of where you stand on the Manning and Wikileaks issue, Crowley is making a good point (although, I'll be honest, I wouldn't really agree with the antagonistic, anti-Russian way he formulates is... but then, if that's how he has to play to get the point across to the powers that be, then so be it). Transparency, openness, and justice make up a big part of the US public diplomacy message, and in fact, a lot of the related international programs fully or partially financed by the State Department (and USAID) - including those in Russia - focus on these very points. But then, when it comes to issues like Wikileaks and Manning, the US has been unable to provide a coherent and strong justification that would make sense overall. I'm not suggesting Manning's actions were right, but the general response to his case and that of Assange, seem[s] to be more like official hysteria than a well-supported and articulated argument. In many ways it comes down to public diplomacy of deed, or at least, the perceived lack thereof. What RT does is just exploit this point, just as the Soviets did back in the '50s and '60s. This very important aspect seems to be often ignored, even by those who are not necessarily involved in the public diplomacy practice, per se. Apparently, it takes P.J. Crowley to bring this issue to the fore. Yet, didn't really help much two years ago, when he resigned over it. Let's see if it does this time.”

New Details Emerge In Afghan Attack That Killed Diplomat: Group Was Walking Between Military Base, School Compound When Bombing Occurred - Associated Press, utsandiego.com: "New details were revealed Friday about last week’s terrorist bombing in Afghanistan that killed a young U.S. diplomat and four other Americans who were delivering textbooks to a school in the country’s south. A senior State Department official familiar with the investigation into the attack told The Associated Press the group was walking, not driving, from a military base to the nearby school in Zabul province when the explosion hit. Initial reports that members of the group were in vehicles, as well as subsequent media reports that they were lost, are incorrect, the official said.

The official was not authorized to speak to news media and provided the details on condition of anonymity. An FBI probe into the incident that killed 25-year-old foreign service officer Anne Smedinghoff and the others is still preliminary. ... On Thursday, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the group had been walking to the school but could provide no additional details other than identifying the most seriously wounded of three other diplomats injured in the attack. Ventrell said Kelly Hunt, a public diplomacy officer, was being treated at a U.S. military hospital in Germany." See also. Hunt twitter image from, with caption: @ksue29 Fed crisis comm specialist, editing addict, former photojournalist. Now a public diplomacy officer in Afghanistan working for peace in the Middle East. Kandahar, Afghanistan • http://kellyhunt.posterous.com

Afghan war: Flawed policies, extreme sacrifices [includes video clip: "diplomat, 3 soldiers killed in Afghanistan: The Taliban has claimed responsibility for a car bomb, which took all four lives as well as the lives of several Afghan civilians in the Zabul province on Saturday"] - poughkeepsiejournal.com: After nearly a dozen years of war with precious little to show for it, Americans have waited an intolerably long time for U.S. troops to get out of Afghanistan before more lives are lost. The situation is beyond dismaying. It’s mind-numbing. The war has gone on so long — with a select group of Americans making all the sacrifices — that the country goes about its business as if the war was over, as if the Taliban have been defeated, and as if Osama bin Laden’s death in neighboring Pakistan put an end to the campaign. Yet the battles continue and Americans lose lives a few at a time, enough to gain fleeting attention before we renew our focus on concerns here at home — the economy, the gun-control debate, immigration reform, the news of the day. Last weekend, another one of those deadly attacks occurred. And, before we move on, it should be noted that a half-dozen Americans were killed, including several civilians. One was 25-year-old foreign service officer, Anne Smedinghoff. She embodied the best America has to offer the world. After college, Smedinghoff went into the U.S. foreign service and volunteered for the position in Afghanistan. What was she doing there? Working in the public diplomacy department focusing on aiding women and working with schools and local businesses. That’s right; she died in a terrorist bombing while on a mission to donate books to students. It’s unconscionable. Yet the Taliban have said civilians working for the government or the coalition are legitimate targets. What’s more, it’s not uncommon for armed groups to attacks schools for the sole reason that they are opposed to seeing females educated. The majority of Afghan women never receive a formal education, but the numbers have grown since the U.S invasion, according to international humanitarian groups. Aside from the cost of warfare, Americans have spent billions of dollars in development assistance for Afghanistan. That, too, has been underreported. U.S.-led forces went into Afghanistan in 2001 to overthrow the Taliban government after it refused to hand over bin Laden. The U.S. has gotten hopelessly bogged down in this war. And once U.S. troops leave in 2014, there are legitimate concerns the Afghan government led by Hamid Karzai won’t be able to bring any semblance of stability to the country. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said recently that he and other U.S. commanders believe that ultimately the Afghans have to reach some sort of political accommodation with Taliban loyalists. He also said that a reconciliation process must be led by Afghans, not Americans. In this regard, little has changed in Afghanistan over the years. The U.S. won’t ever be able to declare victory, but it can remember the sacrifices so many have made, from the solider in boots on the ground to the young woman delivering books."

Slain diplomat mourned in River Forest: Foreign service officer in Afghanistan was Fenwick grad - Jennifer Delgado and Vikki Ortiz Healy, Chicago Tribune: As strangers lined up for white ribbons and American flags to show their support, family and friends of Anne Smedinghoff mourned the loss of a young diplomat who was determined to see the world — and possibly beyond. ... Anne Smedinghoff, 25, of River Forest, was killed Saturday with four other Americans while delivering textbooks to children at a new school in Afghanistan. She and the other victims were traveling in a convoy of vehicles when a bomb set off by the Taliban exploded, according to the State Department. Her brother and sister, Mark and Regina Smedinghoff, said her interest in space was evident ever since she saw the movie 'Apollo 13.' Her first email address in middle school had the term 'astro' in it, they recalled. By her senior year at Fenwick High School, where she was a National Merit Scholar, Smedinghoff's career plans had shifted slightly. She was president of the International Relations Club and planned to pursue a career in foreign affairs. ... Risks come with serving as a U.S. diplomat in Afghanistan, but Anne Smedinghoff hardly dwelled on them, her colleagues said Monday. As an assistant press information officer, Smedinghoff

spent most of her time working on public diplomacy initiatives between the U.S. and Afghanistan. Often she reached out to both the international and Afghan media to cover stories that showed locals a different side of America that they might not have known. Last year during a Muslim holiday that celebrates giving and sharing, Smedinghoff appeared on one of the most-watched Afghanistan TV stations to talk about the similarities between that special day and Thanksgiving. Both give thanks for life's blessings, and Smedinghoff discussed how she and her family celebrated back at home, said Solmaz Sharifi, an assistant information officer who met Smedinghoff while they were training together before their assignment in Kabul. 'That's something that's never been done before,' Sharifi said. 'You never have an American on (Afghan) TV building those bridges and showing that Americans and Afghans aren't that different.' A memorial Mass scheduled to be celebrated at 8:50 a.m. Tuesday at Fenwick in Oak Park will be open to the student body and the public." Image from article

One Week After, Details Keep Emerging - skepticalbureaucrat.blogspot.com: "Why was the team allowed to walk to the school? Why was that short transit from the FOB to the school so badly planned?

Why didn't anyone notice an explosive device planted seemingly right outside the FOB's perimeter wall? Will any official body be convened to ask these questions?" Image from article

A Traveler In The Foreign Service: Tribute To Slain Diplomat Anne Smedinghoff - Dave Seminara, gadling.com: "The Foreign Service lost one of its own on Saturday when a suicide bomber detonated explosives that killed 25-year-old Foreign Service Officer Anne Smedinghoff and four other Americans, three soldiers and one civilian Department of Defense employee in Afghanistan. ... A devastating loss like this one reverberates throughout the Foreign Service community. I never met Anne but a former colleague who served with her at the embassy in Kabul and also taught a course she took in Washington said she was "heartbreakingly young, and a nice, lovely person.

'Just last week they took part in a quiz night at the embassy with questions revolving around events that happened on or near Anne's birthday. I lived in River Forest, the beautiful town just west of Chicago where Anne grew up for three years, and after reading about her life and career, I feel certain that we lost someone who epitomized all that is good about the Foreign Service. She joined the Service right out of college and volunteered to serve in Kabul after a tour in Venezuela. According to press reports, she wasn't the type of person who wanted to remain in the safety of the compound. She looked forward to opportunities like the one that presented itself on Saturday and hoped to make a real impact during her year in the country, which was nearly over. Reporters praised her as someone who was responsive and easy to work with. ... Most Americans have at least some awareness of the tremendous sacrifices that our soldiers and their families make for their country but comparatively few are familiar with the Foreign Service and the sacrifices that FSOs and their families make. People might imagine that diplomats spend the bulk of their careers mingling at cocktail parties in Tokyo or Paris but that isn't the reality of today's Foreign Service. Most officers spend the bulk of their careers in places most Americans wouldn't dream of visiting, even on a brief trip, and these days, many are also being sent unarmed into war zones, where they are separated from friends and family members for a year." Image from entry

It's Always the Best Ones - allaboardthecrazybus.blogspot.com: "Rest In Peace Anne Smedinghoff- "A young woman joins the Foreign Service in her mid-20's. Having just entered the service myself last year, let me tell you, that is YOUNG. Most FSO's have an advanced degree (or more), time in the Peace Corps, etc. For someone to pass through the filters and join the Foreign Service, she must have shown the examiners something special. After A-100, her first tour is in Venezuela. Interesting times to be in that country, to be sure. After her first tour, she volunteers (you HAVE to volunteer) for a tour in Afghanistan as a public diplomacy (PD) officer. Tours in the A-I-P (Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan) are not like regular tours. Security concerns are high, and restrictions on travel are tight. For a PD officer, whose job is to make contacts with the host country media and people and help explain America, it is a particularly challenging environment. You want to be safe, so you can't travel around and meet with people a lot. If you are going to present America in the best light and be a good PD officer, you have to travel around and meet with people a lot. Many people have a really hard time with this, and for a young officer on her second tour, it could be even harder. How well did she meet the challenge? Well enough that when newly-appointed Secretary of State John Kerry came to Afghanistan, she was the Control Officer. What does that mean? It meant she was entrusted with figuring out all the details and needs of a visit at that level and working with all the different sections and divisions that have responsibilities and making sure everything is covered. This is a big deal, and she did it well.

So yesterday she and some other State and Defense Department personnel are going to deliver books to some schoolchildren. This is a quintessential PD activity. We buy books and deliver them to needy schoolchildren, and take pictures of the event. And on the way to do her job, her convoy is attacked by the Taliban and she is killed along with a Defense contractor and many others are wounded. Just like that, she is gone. It gets me thinking about Ambassador Stevens and the others killed last year. You know, the ones that volunteer and go outside the walls because they know they have to. And we send them because we know they have to go. And then they get killed and I think that the people they were trying to serve didn't deserve them. Why should we lose the best and brightest like this? But then I remember my A-100 class, and how many people rated the dangerous places on our bid list the highest. I hear from them, and how they were able to report directly about when the fighting stopped because they no longer heard the shooting outside their window, etc. And I worry because even though they don't have ships or planes or guns, they are going to leave the embassy and go out and do their jobs. Not because it is safe, but because it has to be done. I can guarantee you someone soon will post to Afghanistan and fill Anne Smedinghoff's job, even if they can't fill her shoes. It is not safe. It needs to be done. We will do it, because that is what we do. We are Foreign Service Officers." Image from entry

'Like a nightmare': Family Mourns Diplomat, 25, Killed in Afghanistan - "Those who knew Smedinghoff described her as a positive, hard-working and dependable young woman. While a student at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, she worked part time for Sam Hopkins, an attorney near campus. He described her as ambitious 'but in a wonderfully quiet modest way.' ... Tom and Mary Beth Smedinghoff said that their daughter died doing what she loved. 'Working as a public diplomacy officer, she particularly enjoyed the opportunity to work directly with the Afghan people and was always looking for opportunities to reach out and help to make a difference in the lives of those living in a country ravaged by war,' they said in the statement. ... Friends also praised her for her charity work. Smedinghoff participated in a 2009 cross-country bike ride for The 4K for Cancer — part of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults — according to Hopkins and the group’s website. 'She was smiling all the time,' Hopkins said."

Anne Smedinghoff - killed in Afghanistan - sanctuaryofmary.blogspot.com: "Anne graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2009 and soon after joined the U.S. Foreign Service. While at University, Anne majored in international studies at Johns Hopkins and was a co-chair of the 2008 student-run Foreign Affairs Symposium, called 'A Decade of Discussion.' She was active member of Kappa Alpha Theta and a founding member of the Johns Hopkins chapter of Rho Lambda, the national sorority leadership recognition society. She was also elected to the Order of Omega, a national fraternity and sorority leadership honor society. ... Family members stated that Anne loved the work she was doing in public diplomacy and particularly helping the Afghan people.

She really wanted to make a difference in that war ravaged country. They are very proud of her and are deeply in shock over her death. ... God save us from the suicide bombers who steal away the lives of the innocent. Amen. Let us pray that Anne is in heaven. Let us pray that she is at peace and is with God. Amen." Image from entry, with caption: Father, place Anne on the
Stairway to Heaven. See also (1) (2) (3) (4)

A stark reminder that social media only makes war seem less threatening - David Goddard, knoxnews.com: "Let’s face it, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and even MySpace before them have changed the way war 'feels.' Whereas people kept up with loved ones in prior conflicts via letters, updates come instantly now. Photos of people grilling out or driving around with 'Power T' logos on their Humvees can make you forget just how dangerous their job really is. I never knew Army Staff Sgt. Chris Ward, an Oak Ridge resident who was killed in Afghanistan on April 6, but I know Kelly Hunt. Ward and Hunt, a public diplomacy officer with the state department, were delivering schoolbooks when a suicide bomber attacked. Hunt’s severe injuries and involvement struck a personal note to many here at the News Sentinel, where she worked as a copy editor from 2007-09. She and I were watching Boomsday at the windows one year on Labor Day when someone said that the finale of the fireworks sounded like artillery. Having served a tour of duty in the Army, she remarked almost distantly, 'No ... not really.' That comment has been on a loop in my mind this week, but the attack also hit me in another way: It put a face on the war for me and it gave new emphasis that the conflict there is anything but resolved." See also.

Remembering Anne Smedinghoff: In lieu of sending flowers … - Domani Spero, Diplopundit: “The Remembering Anne Smedinghoff website went online the last few days. It includes the statement from her parents, Tom and Mary Beth, and asked that representatives of the media continue to respect the privacy of the family during this time. According to the website, her final journey will be on Wednesday, April 17 at St. Luke Catholic Church in River Forest, Illinois. In lieu of sending flowers, the family asked that you consider supporting four organizations that work in Afghanistan.”

The ABC's of Bad Ass B'z: F [includes video] - sasssquatch.com: "Fran Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, producer, activist and has the best laugh I've ever heard in my entire life. ... She was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2000 and had to undergo a radical hysterectomy but was given a clean bill of health by Doctors.

She wrote about her experience in her second book Cancer Schmancer, encouraging people to become more aware of the warning signs of cancer and to protect themsevles. This lead to the Cancer Schmancer movement helping all women get diagnosed at stage 1. Not to mention her work as a Public Diplomacy Envoy for Women's Health Issues." Image from entry

Jet Tila Appointed Thai Cuisine Ambassador - Christine Chiao, laweekly.com: "Jet Tila has been appointed the first Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine by the Royal Thai Consul General in Los Angeles, tasked with spreading awareness nationwide and making official his unofficial -- and long-standing -- role as a guide to the cuisine. tila was tapped for the position after a meeting with the consul general, who sought Tila's feedback on promoting the cuisine last month. The chef's duties will include touring the United States on behalf of the Thai government, giving food demonstrations, making media appearances and coordinating events. Recognizing the number of Thai chefs and cooks in the country, he sees his role as rallying everyone to create an extensive community. And though his scope will be national, the Thai Chinese chef plans to keep his hometown a key part of the programming. ... Last September, the U.S. State Department partnered with the James Beard Foundation to bring food to the diplomatic forefront. According to the official release, this meant 'chefs from across the country will serve as resources to the Department in preparing meals for foreign leaders, and will participate in public diplomacy programs that engage foreign audiences abroad as well as those visiting the United States.' About 80 chefs, including Jose Andrés, Mary Sue Milliken and Bryan Voltaggio, joined the first American Chef Corps."

Aliya and activism - Laura Ben-David, jpost.com: "In this monthly column, "Jeremy Dery is no stranger to activism. At just 25 years of age, he has already made a name for himself waging largely successful battles in Israel’s hasbara (public diplomacy) war. Since his college days when he took on the establishment at Drew University for refusing to allow him to study in Israel, he has continued to prove himself a resourceful and relentless champion in the fight for Israel’s image. After living in Israel for three years, Dery formalized his commitment to the Jewish state by making aliya in September 2012, through Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Guided Aliyah program (enabling North American citizens to make aliya from within Israel). ... Since arriving in Israel, Dery jumped right into action and helped create a joint China/Israel event at The Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC) to foster closer ties by bringing politicians and business leaders together to discuss topics relevant to both countries.

More recently, he aided the public diplomacy and Diaspora affairs minister during Operation Pillar of Defense by helping to distribute government- issued updates on the Gaza offensive to Jews living in the US and France. ... The indefatigable Dery also volunteered in the Knesset and became involved in a number of projects all designed to either help Israel’s image in some way or to help new immigrants. One such project is World Magshimei Herut, an aliya support organization founded in 1999. Another is Hadar Israel, a grassroots non-profit organization that encourages international dialogue and a third is the Global Research in International Affairs Center (GLORIA), based at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center." Dery image from article

Students call for Israeli uni boycott - theaustralian.com.au: Sydney University's student representative council [SRC] has called for the academic institution to cut ties with at least one Israeli university, in a move likely to reignite fierce debate over proposed academic boycotts of the Jewish state. At what one SRC member, Patrick Massarani, described as a sometimes ugly debate on Wednesday night, the council passed resolutions that among other things called for all academic co-operation to be cut with Technion University in Haifa. ... The SRC's move is a boost for Jake Lynch, the director of the university's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, and his promotion of the international Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign against Israel. Professor Lynch last night hailed the move by the SRC, claiming that Technion University, apart from assisting Israeli weapons production, had done work for the Israeli department of foreign affairs on public diplomacy to develop strategies to deflect attention from Israel's treatment of Palestinians. ... Government and Coalition frontbenchers have opposed Professor Lynch's BDS campaign, with opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop saying academic units that support BDS should not be given federal research grants."

Using art to commemorate Holocaust: Yad Vashem, Ministry of Public Diplomacy initiate poster design competition to perpetuate memory of Shoah victims - Danny Adeno Abebe, ynetnews.com: "The Yad Vashem memorial center and the Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs have initiated a poster design competition to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and preserve the memory. The contestants prepared for the competition in a Yad Vashem seminar, which included a guided tour of the Holocaust History Museum and a lecture.

Judges were presented with 108 posters, and chose Dea Giladi, 23, of Jerusalem as the winning designer. Her poster shows a tree with deep roots, whose branches have been cut off." Image from, with caption: Using art to commemorate Holocaust

Can China Do Soft Power? Can the country's cultural impact someday match the size of the economy? The latest in an ongoing series of discussions with ChinaFile - theatlantic.com:  Jeremy Goldkorn: ... Until Chinese political leaders would rather their daughters went to Peking University over Harvard, until Chinese people would rather buy Mengniu infant milk formula over the equivalent brand from New Zealand, until Beijing and Shanghai become as pleasant to live in as New York and L.A., China will find its soft power ambitions thwarted. As the ancient American saying has it, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig --doesn't matter how much you spend on the lipstick.  Donald Clarke: The reason China is having such problems with soft power is that it's simply not something that can be ordered up on command by political leaders. ... Susan Jakes:  ... [C] ompanies headquartered in China were trusted by only 35 percent of informed publics (only 19 percent in developed countries) in comparison to countries headquartered in places like Canada and Germany, which garner trust ratings of 76 and 75 percent, respectively. Also revealing, Chinese companies' trust numbers have remained unchanged over the last five years. This despite the billions poured into new international news outfits, the piles of gold medals in Beijing and London, the kudzu-like spread of Confucius Institutes (a new one just opened at Columbia), sister cities, Zhang Yimou, Boao. ... . David Shambaugh: In a short time, China has managed significantly to increase its ‘cultural footprint’ overseas. But, the question remains: is all the investment producing dividends? Thus far, the the answer must be ‘no.’ ...  Bill Bishop:  Can you really win hearts and minds of current and future generations when you are known as a country that blocks Facebook, Google, Youtube and Twitter? ... Jonathan Landreth: ... Ah, but there's the rub -- why do my daughter and her friends and I need Chinese social media at all when we've got a free press to tell us what's going on in the world?

Major step in image building - He Wenping, China Daily: "President Xi Jinping paid state visits to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo between March 22 and 30 and he also attended the fifth BRICS summit held in Durban, South Africa. During the tour, Xi demonstrated the learned and refined presence of China's new leadership, and his plain but thought-provoking speeches have been very impressive. But this was not just Xi's first foreign trip as head of state and his debut on an important multilateral international stage, it was also the debut in the international diplomatic arena of first lady Peng Liyuan, who is one of China's best-known singers and who was quite popular among Chinese people even before her husband became president. Peng's graceful and glamorous international debut as first lady highlighted China's new soft power diplomacy. ... Over the past more than 30 years since China's reform and opening-up, China has integrated into the international community economically, but in terms of ideology, values and political aspirations there has always been discord. Xi's tour and the debut of Peng as first lady can be regarded as China successfully promoting its public diplomacy and soft power. ... In the face of the current international public opinion environment, which is not conducive to its development, China must vigorously strengthen its public diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges, and strengthen communication and mutual understanding between the Chinese people and the peoples of the world through multilevel and multichannel non-governmental exchanges and dialogue. Faced with the rapid development of globalization, regional integration and increasingly diversified international actors, relying solely on official government diplomacy is not enough. Public diplomacy has become an increasingly common diplomatic approach. If used properly, public diplomacy can effectively help promote official diplomacy and achieve results that official diplomacy cannot produce. ... The great and profound Chinese culture provides great potential for China to carry out public diplomacy. In the final analysis, we are not short of public diplomacy and soft power resources, but we have lacked the awareness and means to promote public diplomacy and soft power diplomacy. The first official tour by Xi and Peng has been a good start in changing this and it has opened a new chapter for China's diplomacy, enhancing the country's soft power and reshaping the country's international image." NOTE: So far as he can tell, as informed by local sources, your compiler's PDPR is "banned" in mainland China.

China opens new media centre to train officials - zeenews.india.com: "In an attempt to step up public diplomacy both home and abroad, China on Thursday opened its first national media training centre to help government officials and entrepreneurs attain high-level skills for communicating with the media and the public. The centre was co-founded by the Communication University of China (CUC) and the China Public Relations Association (CPRA). It is the first of its kind in China. ... China also expanded its official media which continue to enjoy monopoly, though it is stressed by the emerging microblog social media like Weibo, the Chinese twitter."

Visiting foreign journos meet Dipu - globalpost.com: A total of 10 senior foreign journalists and media personalities from eight countries (Bahrain,Egypt, Japan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK) are visiting Bangladesh under ‘Visit Bangladesh Programme’ as part of the ministry’s public diplomacy initiative."

After Neoliberalism - rivercityblues: "One of the most insidious euphemisms is the phrase 'free trade agreement,' denoting the event in which political elites meet behind closed doors to muster optimal profits and capital accumulation for finance and industry, largely irrespective of wider concerns about social justice or ecological sustainability. Politicians and journalists, for instance, are touting the US-EU trade talks and the wholly secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as guarantors of jobs and prosperity.

This public diplomacy persists just as our most astute observers anticipate yet another round of mandates coercing sovereign nations to gut democratically supported health, environmental, food safety, or community and labor-friendly mechanisms already on the books." Blogger's image from his blog.

Eleven young Penn Staters to be honored with Alumni Achievement Award April 12 - news.psu.edu: "[Among them:] Leon G. Shahabian, 2001, is the co-founder, vice president and treasurer of Layalina Productions, Inc., a 9/11 public diplomacy initiative to inform and influence millions of television viewers in the Middle East and North Africa.

Shahabian is in post-production on the first season of Generation Entrepreneur, a youth entrepreneurship reality series, which he created, wrote, and is executive producing. He is also in post-production on the first season of American Caravan, a reality series featuring six young Americans traveling across the Arab world in the footsteps of the Arab Spring. Shahabian also has executive produced several documentaries."

Gaza Water Initiative Supported By Israel, May Receive Funding From Gulf - Sigurd Neubauer, foreignpolicyjournal.com: "Neubauer has six years experience in strategic communications, public diplomacy and research focusing on American foreign policy towards the European Union and the Middle East from both the U.S. defense industry and from the NGO sector."

Reframing the Heart of Africa in St Andrews - foreignaffairsreview.co.uk: "About the author [.] Michelle Ryan is a second year undergraduate student of International Relations, Economics, and Philosophy, with specific interests in international political economy, human rights, and national identity. ... Michelle enjoys traveling, live music, and her involvement with the St Andrews Hip Hop Society, and looks forward to studying abroad at the National University of Singapore and working with the Office of Economic Policy Analysis and Public Diplomacy at the United States Department of State in the coming months."

Foreign Service Test Your Guide to Passing the Foreign Service Officer Test - foreignservicetest.com - "NOT FOUND, ERROR 404 The page you are looking for no longer exists. Perhaps you can return back to the site's homepage and see if you can find what you are looking for."

RELATED ITEMS

America needs more high-skilled worker visas: Column - Nirupama Rao, USA Today: As U.S. policymakers move forward with the much needed efforts to reform the immigration system, we respectfully urge that they consider the impact of their decisions on the ability of both U.S. and foreign-based companies to expand now and in the future. The inspirational history of economic synergy between our two nations should serve as our guide to the future. A generous visa policy for highly skilled workers would help everyone; both nations would come out winners. Nirupama Rao is the Indian ambassador to the U.S.

Schools push a curriculum of propaganda - George Will, Washington Post: Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction evidently considers “instruction” synonymous with “propaganda,” which in the patois of progressivism is called “consciousness-raising.”

AMERICANA

Ultimate nine-layer grilled cheese sandwich - Los Angeles Times: It's kind of like a turducken, but with cheese. Nine layers of ooey goodness: sharp cheddar, mozzarella and sliced tomato; provolone and pesto; Cotswold cheddar and fried egg; gorgonzola and grilled onions; brie and bacon, Monterey jack and beef; Velveeta and Tater Tots; and mac 'n' cheese. Don't forget to serve it alongside a simple bowl of tomato soup. Grilled cheese always tastes better with tomato soup.

IMAGES: WHO WON THE COLD WAR?

--Walt Disney statue image from T.D. Allman, "How the CIA Helped Disney Conquer Florida," Daily Beast; via JM on Facebook

SOVIETICA [Lenin Bust]

--Via OR on Facebook, with caption "suddenly in an open field."