"One cannot match the kind of money and effort in a closed society that Russia is putting into this, but we can certainly help our friends and partners debunk lies, get the straight story out. So we have redirected a great amount of public diplomacy funds to mounting our own truth-telling campaign."
--Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, the top U.S. diplomat for Europe, announcing that the United States has launched a "truth-telling campaign" on Ukraine; image of Nuland with U.S. Ambassador Pyatt to Ukraine from
"Fuck the EU"
--Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland
REVISED PIECE
John Brown, "Revised piece: A final nail in the USSR coffin? Thank you from NATO, Vladimir Vladimirovich!" Notes and Essays. Image (photshopped?) from
EVENTS
Asia in Washington: How Washington is Changing and How Asian Nations Respond - eastwestcenter.org: "An Asia Pacific Seminar and book launch featuring: Dr. Kent E. Calder Director of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies, SAIS ... In his latest book, Asia in Washington: Exploring the Penumbra of Transnational Power (Brookings, 2014), Dr. Kent E. Calder explores the changing profile of the world’s premier political city in an increasingly global age, and how the key nations of Asia work to influence it. Drawing on his experience as an Asia specialist with over twenty years of
Washington think tank, diplomatic, and Congressional as well as academic experience, Calder’s book considers in detail the public diplomacy and private lobbying efforts of China, Japan, South Korea, India, and several ASEAN nations in the U.S. national capital. In his talk, Dr. Calder will discuss how Asian nations establish, increase, and leverage their Washington presence, and the impact on Washington itself and the decisions made here. Wednesday, April 23 12:00 P.M. – 1:30 P.M.A light luncheon will be served.To RSVP, please click here: http://www.eastwestcenter.org/3wi Kindly send your reply by April 22."
Propaganda, April 21 [:] Disinformation, and Dirty Tricks: The Resurgence of Russian Political Warfare - heritage.org: "The Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea, a part of Ukraine, has renewed the interest in Russia’s extensive political warfare activities. In Crimea, Eastern Ukraine, and other states of the former Soviet Union, Russian influence operations have been aggressively increased and targeted at Russian-speaking populations, who often have little other access to news and information and, therefore, are easy targets for Russian propaganda. Russian efforts hark back to the ideological battles and active measures of the Cold War and are aimed at audiences and policymakers here in the United States as well. For home audiences, Russian propaganda persistently shows strong strains of anti-Americanism. Join us as our panel of experts analyzes this threat and how the United States can best counter it."
Cuba Exchanges Explored at April 22 PDAA Lunch Program - pdaa.publicdiplomacy.org: "A panel of experts and recent visitors will discuss the role of private exchanges in maintaining contacts between the U.S. and Cuba, and whether private exchanges
could help pave the way to an eventual normalization of relations between the two countries, at a special Public Diplomacy Alumni Association luncheon meeting on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at the DACOR-Bacon House in Washington, D.C." Image from entry, with caption: Five students and one camera in a photography class at University of the Arts in Havana, January 2013. (A. Kotok)
PDAA Annual Awards Dinner on May 4 Features Family Style Italian Cuisine - pdaa.publicdiplomacy.org: "The annual PDAA dinner offers our members, their spouses, and guests the opportunity to
reconnect with old friends and colleagues and expand their networks with new acquaintances while dining on Italian fare. The event highlights the PDAA awards recognizing public diplomacy achievements." Image from entry
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Public Diplomacy and Hard Power: The Challenges Facing NATO - Philip Seib, fletcherforum.org: "NATO's mission today is broader than the conventional, border-based defense that for which it was originally conceived. ... That is the new reality to which NATO must adjust as it makes the case for its continued relevance.
The adjustment is more political than military and, as such, will require the kind of imaginative and thorough public diplomacy that NATO has yet to prove that it can master."
YATA Italy and the NATO Public Diplomacy Division Invitation, to go beyond theory - hulden-strategic-relations.blogspot.com: "The following by YATA Italy: It’s our honor and pleasure to invite you to the first edition of Gorizia Youth Model NATO. GYM-NATO is an international student simulation of NATO’s decision making process that will be held in Gorizia (Italy)
at the prestigious Conference Centre of the Degree Course in International and Diplomatic Sciences of the University of Trieste, Gorizia Branch. It provides a unique opportunity for students and young professionals to foster their awareness of NATO’s role, activities and organization as well as at increasing the understanding of the capabilities and the restrictions that shape the decisions of NATO Member States in matter of collective defense." Image from entry
Dr Thanos Dokos participated at a NATO PDD workshop in Brussels, 07/04/2014 - eliamep.gr: "On Monday 7 April 2014 Director General of ELIAMEP Dr Thanos Dokos participated at a NATO Public Diplomacy Division (PDD) workshop in Brussels.
This workshop was organised in the framework of the ‘Defence Matters’ co-operation project with the participation of representatives of think-tanks." Uncaptioned image from entry
Students Get a Taste of Australia - Kalen Ponche, stcharlesae.org: "Students in the world cultures class at Hardin Middle School got a taste of Australian culture on Tuesday when they sampled Vegemite, a spread made from brewers’ yeast extract. Justin Biggs, a public diplomacy officer for the Australian Consulate in Chicago, visited three in St. Charles School District on this week and gave students a sample of the salty spread, popular in Australia."
Africa: Turkey’s Africa policies blend hard, soft power - koranewspaper.com: "The Turkish government’s obsession with becoming a global power is employing navy combat vessels to hand out humanitarian assistance in Africa. Although confirmation by the Nigerian navy of the admission (in a phone call) by two senior Turkish officials that Turkish Airlines had been transporting weapons to Nigeria got lost in the election pandemonium at home, it was enough to generate misgivings in Africa of what kind of a mission Turkey was pursuing. But the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, skillful in public diplomacy, is also launching a US-style campaign that may clear the qualms.
The Turkish navy is now on its way to Africa on a humanitarian mission called 'Beyond Horizons.' The flotilla of four navy ships will visit 29 ports in 27 countries on a mission of 102 days to deliver humanitarian supplies. The public diplomacy coordinator of the prime minister’s office announced that the move will display Turkey’s hard-power elements in a soft-power mission: 'The Barbaros [Turkish Naval] Task Force made up of four frigates of the Turkish navy has departed from Kocaeli to fly the Turkish flag at Cape Hope for the first time in 148 years. The task force will visit 27 African countries in 102 days to deliver Turkey’s assistance to countries in need.'” Image from entry, with caption: Turkish navy officers attend a delivery ceremony for the first nationally designed combat ship TCG Heybeliada at the Tuzla Naval shipyard in Istanbul, Sept. 27, 2011.
Foreign mediapersons in Dhaka - bdnews24.com: "The foreign ministry has brought 10 journalists from six countries to Dhaka as part of its 'public diplomacy' to highlight Bangladesh’s success stories to the world. The journalists are from the US, UK, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and Myanmar. Styled 'Visit Bangladesh Programme', the initiative began in 2010 and so far 91 foreign journalists and media personalities from 28 countries have visited Bangladesh. The foreign ministry says these journalists on return have helped “highlight Bangladesh's success in recent years and showcased its prospects."
Forum "Public Diplomacy and National Image" in Boao Forum for Asia [photos]- news.xinhuanet.com
Tender intimacies: Australia Network television to Asia - Presented by: Dr. John Tebbutt (Monash University), artsonline.monash.edu.au: "Public diplomacy attempts to address transnational collectivities through affective attributes or what has been described as ‘soft power’: the promotion of attractive qualities to shape the preferences of target populations. In international relations these strategies have been crucial in foregrounding affective values as national attributes.
In Asia, with the economic ascendancy of China, there has been a significant increase in activities associated with soft power and public diplomacy. This paper will explore the relationships between transnational television broadcasting to Asia, the concept of soft power and affect. The paper proposes that soft power and public diplomacy can be best understood in the context of post-disciplinary ‘societies of control’ (Deleuze, 1990). It will focus on the ABC’s Australia Network television service in the context of the 2012 ‘Australia in the Asian Century’ white paper.'" Image from entry
Theory of controlled chaos. CSTO gunpoint color revolutions [Google "translation] - A.Bartosh, centrasia.ru: "ROLE OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY Given the fundamental changes in the socio-cultural characteristics of contemporary conflicts one of the important technologies for successful control of controlled chaos in the field of cultural and ideological context of countries - participants of the CSTO is the skillful use of the capacity of "soft power" to increase the attractiveness of the Organization and awareness of it among the people, the ruling elites, and especially young people."
Etiquette, Public Relations and Public Diplomacy -- Public Relations and Public Diplomacy: Two Sides of the Same Coin? - Kristian Bonnici, etiquipedia.blogspot.com: "Not only are there many similarities between Public Relations (PR) and Public Diplomacy (PD), were it not for one major element, they might be thought identical. Scholars have argued that issues of power have been neglected in PR. This is true, however, it may not illustrate the complete picture. The main difference is perhaps the cohesion of PD, and the power it can achieve thanks to this. ... A coin has two sides. Sometimes a coin is flipped to determine which party has the final decision or victory. Heads, being heavier than tails, has the traditional advantage. Yet, PR has what it takes to become the heavier side. Once cohesion is achieved, PR can move into the realm of power and become the side of the coin to place one’s faith in."
A Guide to Russian IDisinformation - To Inform is to Influence: IO, SC, PD, what's in a name?: " do not pretend to understand everything the Russians mean when they issue a press release, a news report or an opinion piece, but here are a few key phrases and words I keep seeing that only sometimes make sense. My gut feeling is that if they keep saying these phrases enough, eventually the reader will break down and just accept the words as… not the truth but an acceptable word or phrase."
Two Rice juniors win Udall Scholarships - news.rice.edu: Rice engineering students Hutson Chilton and Zach Bielak have been awarded a 2014 Udall Scholarship. The award, presented by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, is given to students who show passion for careers committed to the environment. ... Bielak is ... a junior and is majoring in mechanical engineering.
He participated in the Public Diplomacy and Global Policymaking Program through Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, which took him to Doha, Qatar, over spring break, and he conducted research in the lab of materials science Professor Pulickel Ajayan, where he analyzed the technical feasibility of sustainable, organic lithium-ion batteries." Bielak image from entry
RELATED ITEMS
Exclusive: U.N. Hints Russia and Its Allies Rigged Crimea's Secession Vote - Colum Lynch, Foreign Policy: Last month, a staggering 96.77 percent of Crimea's voters reportedly chose to secede from
findings of a confidential U.N. draft report on the human rights situation throughout
The Russians Are Starting To Believe Their Own Propaganda - Mark Adomanis, forbes.com: Lately the Russians seem to be fooling themselves. It’s not just that the official statements have gotten more outlandish, though that is unquestionably the case, it’s that the people making those statements seem to genuinely believe them.
Xenophobic Chill Descends on Moscow - David M. Herszenhorn, New York Times: In the weeks since the military incursion into Crimea Russian flags have been hung from the windows of apartment buildings all over the city, just as American flags appeared in profusion after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. There is also now a website with a name that translates as “traitor.net” that includes photos and quotations of public figures who have spoken out in some way against
staff is developing a new “state policy in culture.” Widely expected to be enacted into law, the proposed cultural policy emphasizes that “Russia is not Europe” and urges “a rejection of the principles of multiculturalism and tolerance” in favor of emphasizing Russia’s “unique state-government civilization,” according to Russian news accounts that quoted a presidential adviser on culture, Vladimir Tolstoy. A Russian news site, znak.com, also reported last week that a popular series of math textbooks would be dropped from an official list of recommended educational texts because it used too many non-Russian fairy tale and other characters in its illustrations.Image from entry, with caption: A rally near Red Square in March supporting Crimea’s inclusion into Russia featured an enormous flag of the Soviet Union. Credit Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr./Associated Press
BBC in the service of Israeli propaganda - Amena Saleem, electronicintifada.net: Over the last five weeks, the trend in BBC reporting to ignore events that show Israel in a negative light, while affording coverage to tenuous claims from the
Israeli army that it has uncovered Palestinian “terror” plots, has become quite glaring. Image from entry, with caption: Israel’s slaying of university student Saji Darwish was not deemed newsworthy by the BBC.
Spain Toes US-Led Propaganda Line on Crimea And Catalonia - Daria Chernyshova and Julia Kotlyarenko, RIA Novosti: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy toed the US-led propaganda line on Crimea and supporting the fascist regime in Kiev, while denying Catalans their right to self-determination, Daniel Estulin, an author and public speaker, told RIA Novosti.
Jay Carney Decorates Home With Soviet Propaganda - hunter Walker, Business Insider, nation.foxnews.com: Washingtonian MOM magazine's spring issue has a profile of White House Press Secretary Jay Carney's wife, ABC News contributor Claire Shipman, that features a picture taken inside their home.
In the background of the photo, you can see two framed Soviet-era propaganda posters. One of Carney's posters is a version of this iconic design by artist Dmitry Moor with a soldier pointing his finger alongside text that says "Have YOU Enlisted?" in Russian.
AMERICANA
The death of the US shopping mall - Jonathan Glancey, BBC: Born in the 1950s, these temples of commerce were symbols of the US consumer culture – but many are now dying out.
Via CDM on Facebook; image from entry, with caption: Randall Park Mall, North Randall, Ohio
RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN RELATIONS
Via SD on Facebook
ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"And I saw a picture that really made me tear up: a Bosnian Muslim woman in hijab and long robes staring at a picture of Anne Frank."
--Paul Rockower, Levantine
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