“I get it -- these days I look in the mirror and I have to admit, I’m not the strapping young Muslim socialist I used to be."
--President Barack Obama, joking at the White House Correspondents' Assn. dinner; image from
VIDEOS
(a) One Day With A Diplomat - Один день с дипломатом
(b) Transcript (and Video) of Pressing for Freedom: The State of Digital and Media Repression Worldwide in 2013[:] Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara D. Sonenshine; Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights & Labor, Uzra Zeya --Foreign Press Center, Washington, D.C. - humanrights.gov
(b) An anthem to mark the accession of the new king and queen of the Netherlands has been withdrawn after critics likened it to North Korean propaganda - ibtimes.co.uk
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Russia cracks down on U.S.-linked NGOs - Kathy Lally, Washington Post:
"Two months ago, a civic-minded history professor in the picturesque city of Kostroma invited a U.S. diplomat to take part in a roundtable about Russian-American relations. The event was open, the conversation spirited — and Monday the professor’s organization goes to court, accused of being a foreign agent. ... The U.S. Embassy saw the visit differently, telling Russian media it was the kind of public diplomacy practiced around the world to increase mutual understanding." Image from
Student guest post: The role of editing in public diplomacy - andybechtel, editdesk.wordpress.com: "Melissa Tolentino is a senior double major in journalism (editing and graphic design) and Japanese studies. As a former intern at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, she has a passion for public diplomacy, particularly with youth. ... [Tolentino:] There’s ... [an] aspect of government that the media has to deal with every day, and it doesn’t carry the same stiff reputation. It’s called public diplomacy, which is a more grassroots form of diplomacy that relies on fostering mutual understanding among countries through international communication. Rather than do this through bureaucratic channels, though, public diplomacy relies on the people, which is why it’s often called 'the people’s diplomacy.' The most important word in that definition is communication. Any form of international relations would not exist without it, and the media is the perfect channel through which such communication should occur. No matter the region or the culture, newspapers, blogs and news broadcasts carry the same purpose: to inform. ... I want journalists to strive not only to inform their main audience, but the global audience beyond, in a way that really and truly promotes people-to-people communication rather than blind bias. Luckily, the U.S. Department of State is helping local and international journalists with that, as they have several journalism-oriented exchange programs, one of which — the Edward R. Murrow Program — is partly held at UNC’s own j-school."
Goiânia: The Nashville of Brazil - Paul Rockower, Levantine: On Keola, Moana and Jeff's Brazilian tour
under the "American Voices," a State Department funded cultural program. Image from entry
Revisiting Colour Revolutions - Carlos González Villa, eurasianhub.com: “'Public diplomacy' initiatives had started with the creation of the NED, a bipartisan NGO founded by Ronald Reagan in 1982."
European Union’s U.S. Public Diplomatic Counselors Press Lunch (Photos) - examiner.com:
"The European Union Center of Excellence, a group based at both the University of Miamiand FIU organized a lunch media event at the newly re-designed Coral Gables Country Club.
Aside from the basic networking function of the event, a set of short presentations by Event Organizer U of M Professor Joaquin Roy, Journalism Professor and Media Professional Leonardo Ferreira and Silvia Kofler Spokesperson and Head of Press and Public Diplomacy for the European Union elicited an animated question and answer session at the end of the lunch portion of the meeting." Image from entry
Aside from the basic networking function of the event, a set of short presentations by Event Organizer U of M Professor Joaquin Roy, Journalism Professor and Media Professional Leonardo Ferreira and Silvia Kofler Spokesperson and Head of Press and Public Diplomacy for the European Union elicited an animated question and answer session at the end of the lunch portion of the meeting." Image from entry
Strategist and architect of the Eurasian integration - Anatoly Spitsin. kazworld.info: "The world’s leading politicians and experts say that the most important outcome of the 'Eurasian strategy' of Nursultan Nazarbayev was the formation of the Kazakh nation on the basis of friendship and harmony among ethnic groups. According to V.Putin, 'Kazakhstan today shows the world an example of inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony.' The idea of creation of the Assembly of Kazakhstan’s People was first proposed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1992 at the First Forum of Peoples of Kazakhstan. Since then the KPA has covered the path of its own development, received its deserved institutional content, accumulated consolidating and intellectual potential and became the institute of public diplomacy."
Should We Even Be Studying Public Diplomacy? - Anna-Lena Tepper: “Former NBA player Dennis Rodman’s recent visit to North Korea came to many as a surprise. Along with an entourage of fellow basketball players from the performance group Harlem Globetrotters, Rodman went to visit the most oppressive country in the world, but his intentions weren’t politically motivated. His mission was simply to share the joy of basketball with the North Korean people. ... [M]aybe American scholars are sometimes overanalyzing public diplomacy and therefore, often miss their set goals (or can’t detect it). Many argue that Dennis Rodman’s visit was just staged and now that he has gone nothing has changed.
Those people have a point. Kim Jong Un has just threatened the
Darko Brizic, Latvia - GSPIA Interns’ blogs: "Since my last posting, I took part in a few events where the Embassy of Canada to Latvia was involved, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to delve into more detail on those happenings. These events continued to reflect the great variety of tasks previously mentioned, as one of them was a presentation I did on Canada. ... As my work has mostly related to the Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy section at the Embassy, it is true that most of our target audiences are so-called ‘influential’ people, whether they are elected officials, part of the business community or any group that could be identified as a stakeholder for that matter. However, this is not always the case, as I was involved in promoting Canada at a local international children’s school during an activity they call ‘international awareness day’."
Tipping and Sequestration - Sizani Weza, sizani.wordpress.com: "Sequestration and tips. These two subjects have preoccupied my mind during my second visit in eight years to Washington. I have traveled on business to learn the current issues that preoccupy our public diplomacy engagement
across the globe religion, human rights, budget cuts, women’s issues, social media e.t.c.- all topical issues in Zimbabwe which has just endorsed a new constitution. ... I am travelling to Worcester, Massachusetts and my guide says i have to reserve no less than $35 for tips over five days. No negotiations about the practice and this seemingly challenging minimum. My consolation: it’s part of learning a culture and, a bit of thought and extravagance is necessary to appreciate a people’s way of life. It’s called learning by doing. I will do it!" Image from entry, with caption: Nonentities stride past famous structures.
Richland County Foundation annual meeting is May 6 - mansfieldnewsjournal.com: "Richland County Foundation’s 68th annual meeting and luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 6 at the Mid-Ohio Conference Center, 890 West Fourth St. Heather Tsavaris, adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at North Central State College, will be guest speaker. ... Tsavaris served a decade in the U.S. State Department in a number of capacities, most recently as a communications adviser to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy’s Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications and senior adviser to the secretary’s Special Representative to Muslim Communities."
RELATED ITEMS
Judgment Not Included - Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times: We must ask a question only Muslims can answer: What is going on in your community that a critical number of your youth believes that every American military action in the Middle East is intolerable
and justifies a violent response, and everything Muslim extremists do to other Muslims is ignorable and calls for mostly silence? Image from
A 'red line' on Syria: If the Assad regime has indeed used chemical weapons, the U.S. must honor its commitment to actc - Editorial, Los Angeles Times: President Obama has followed a commendably restrained policy in refusing to intervene militarily in Syria's civil war. But if the U.S. confirms that the regime of President Bashar Assad has used chemical weapons, the president should adhere to his insistence last year that such conduct would be a "red line" justifying action by this country, alone or in concert with other nations.
For Israel, tranquil days - David Ignatius, Washington Post: Tensions in the U.S.-Israeli relationship have eased after Barack Obama’s very successful visit here last month. Israelis wanted Obama to show the love, and when he finally did, it dispelled much of their anxiety. Indeed, in many ways, Israel’s current passivity in the region is arguably a local version of “leading from behind.”
China's Middle East footprint: Despite concerns about stability, oil and Islamism, Beijing will continue to let Washington underwrite security in the gulf region - David Schenker, Los Angeles Times: China recognizes that America's commitments to Japan and South Korea — states dependent on gulf energy — will long oblige Washington to underwrite security in the Middle East.
Daily Kos: Tsarnaevs Worse Than Osama, Left Out the Anti-American Propaganda - Tim Graham, newsbusters.org: The Boston bombers Tsarnaev engaged in what used to be called propaganda by deed, but left out the propaganda says former sociology professor Milton Mankoff. Photographers in the U.S. military do more than just take pictures—they also assist in providing images that can be used to promote propaganda objectives. Below image from
Officials: Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev read jihadist websites, extremist propaganda - AP, masslive.com: Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was an ardent reader of jihadist websites and extremist propaganda, U.S. officials said Tuesday, adding another piece to the body of evidence they say suggests the two brothers
were motivated by an anti-American, radical version of Islam. Image from
U.S. Military Photographers Help Counter Enemy Propaganda and Support American Propaganda - David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff, allgov.com: An updated doctrine for combat camera (COMCAM) personnel claims that photographers play important roles in helping win any war. They can “potentially achieve national, theater strategic, and operational level objectives in a manner that lessens the requirement for combat in many situations.” Furthermore, COMCAM “can counter adversary misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda.”
When local insurgents in Afghanistan used photo of civilian casualties to promote hostility against U.S. forces, Pentagon photographers were ordered to provide images of Americans treating injured Afghans. Images collected by military photographers also play a role in identifying key combatants and “support special reconnaissance,” and can “help commanders gain situational awareness on operations in a way written or verbal reports cannot.” Image from entry
The Kremlin and the Marathon Bombing - Judy Bachrach, worldaffairsjournal.org: "Here’s a question.
Who benefits most from the finger-pointing after the Boston Marathon bombings? If you answered 'Russia' or 'Vladimir Putin,' I’m with you." See also Facebook comment on this piece at. Image from entry
Palestinian children’s art exhibit postponed after allegations of propaganda - Laura Brown, Global News: A Palestinian children’s art exhibit that was scheduled to open in Fredericton [Canada]
last week was postponed due to public pressure stemming from allegations that the work is propaganda and was done by adults. The exhibit, a Child’s View from Gaza, has travelled across North America and was setting up to open at Charlotte Street Arts Centre for April 19. The art was submitted by Gazan children depicting their lives and experience during the 22-day Israeli attack on Gaza in 2008-2009, during which over 1,100 Palestinians died including hundreds of children.
However one Fredericton resident says he believes the exhibit’s pieces are inauthentic and fraudulent. “This would appear to have been done by adults certainly not by six year olds, and/or done by children under the direction of adults,” said Israel Unger, a protestor of the exhibit. He says the drawings are propaganda, anti-Israeli, and too sophisticated to be drawn by children. The allegations, along with letters and calls from other protesters, led the Centre’s board of directors to postpone the opening and review the situation. In 2011 the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, California cancelled the exhibition after pressure from the Jewish Community Relations Council and Jewish Federation of East Bay. Image from entry, with caption: A piece in the Palestinian children’s art exhibit, A Child’s View from Gaza.
Netherlands' National Anthem Scrapped in North Korean Propaganda Row: Composer John Ewbank withdraws Koningslied homage for accession of Crown prince Willem in face of 38,000 complaints - Ewan Palmer, ibtimes.co.uk: An anthem to mark the accession of the new king and queen of the Netherlands has been withdrawn after critics likened it to North Korean propaganda.
Obama’s Ministry of Propaganda or: How I Came to Love the New Normal - Michael Oberndorf, canadafreepress.com: Ever since the horror at the end of the Boston Marathon, we have been witness to Obama’s Ministry of Propaganda at its absolute despicable worst. The Ministry of Propaganda, euphemistically self-named the “mainstream” media, includes the major TV networks and their radio news versions, big-city newspapers, and of course, the source of most of their “news,” the AP (Associated Press). In spite of the growth of the “alternate” media – the Internet and talk radio – it’s still the source of most people’s knowledge of what’s going on in the world.
This helps explain the phenomena of what Rush Limbaugh has dubbed the “Low Information Voter,” among other things, since what they all put out is a mixture of lies, intentional distortion – called by them “spin” – and opinion disguised as fact. All of it is designed to brainwash the public into believing the Enemy’s version of reality. We’ve seen this repeatedly, with every mass murder in recent years. The Ministry immediately tries to blame it on “right-wingers” – read, conservatives – with every outlet using the same terms, over and over, making it crystal clear to anyone with an IQ over room temperature that they are being fed their “spin” from a single source. Image from
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