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News Updates: Public Diplomacy

Outreach to Muslim Communities Unveiled
November 5, 2009- In a reflection on President Barack Obama's statement that "Islam is not the problem," Mark Lynch writes for Foreign Policy that the central focus of the Obama administration's outreach to Muslims involves engagement with local communities, initiatives for the common good, a defense of freedom of religion and expression, and addressing local needs instead of an emphasis on curtailing violent extremism.

Hillary Clinton Renews Public Diplomacy in Pakistan
November 5, 2009- During her recent visit to Pakistan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged a fresh start in relations with the country, an "increasingly embattled and skeptical partner" in the struggle against Islamic militancy, reports Reuters

A Year of Living Dangerously: Expectations Undermining Public Diplomacy
November 4, 2009- International expectations went through the roof one year ago today with the election of Barack Obama. The United Stated had elected the man whom many across the globe expected to be the anti-Bush. As controversial abroad as President Bush’s stance on the long war against terrorism had been, just as euphoric was the reaction to the election of the Democratic presidential nominee.

10 Questions on Combating Violent Extremism
November 4, 2009- Obama's initial approach has been outstanding, reframing America's relationship with the Muslim world around a broader lens than terrorism. His personal public diplomacy has achieved its initial goal: a fresh start, a new conceptual frame, and a serious engagement based on "mutual respect and mutual interests."

Debate Still Rages over Who Won the Cold War
November 4, 2009- The 20th anniversary of the 1989 East European revolutions has re-opened contentious debate over who won the Cold War and what caused Soviet communism to disintegrate so rapidly in its final years.

The Role of Humanitarians in Government: Perspectives on Advocacy and Impact Advocacy and Impact
Eric P. Schwartz Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Brookings Institute Washington, DC November 4, 2009

“Ask U.S.”: Engaging on Sudan Strategy
November 4, 2009- On October 19, Secretary Clinton, accompanied by Ambassador Rice and myself, released the Obama Administration’s new comprehensive strategy to confront the serious and urgent situation in Sudan. As mentioned in my past blog post, the strategy focuses on three major areas: ending the conflict in Darfur, implementing the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and ensuring that Sudan does not become a safe haven for terrorists.

The Death of Public Diplomacy Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
November 4, 2009- At first sight, one may come to the conclusion that we don't need an Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. We have Obama, after all, and that seems to be doing wonders for America's image. Yet, despite the president's broad appeal abroad, America's credibility and popularity cannot solely hinge on his words.

Job opening: Strategic Communications Officer
November 3, 2009- Many use “strategic communication” (the singular form is most common) and “public diplomacy” as synonyms. While I have done the same, they are actually different.

U.S. allocates more funds to anti-Iran broadcasts?
November 3, 2009- The United States has incorporated a bill into its annual military budget, which will allocate millions of dollars for Persian-language broadcasts.

Reading Ramadan in Istanbul
November 3, 2009- This year in Istanbul, the flags on Republic Day seemed extra large. It wasn't a special anniversary year. Turkey was celebrating its 86th year as a modern secular state. Nevertheless, the sheer number of flags - 60,000 hanging from government buildings, draped across skyscrapers, dominating squares - was unprecedented.

What does Twitter mean for foreign policy?
November 2, 2009- Defiant protests in the wake of Iran’s disputed presidential election in June showed how tweets could help challenge the grip of authoritarian governments. However, the Iranian protesters’ ability to harness social media also poses some sticky foreign policy questions for Washington.

How TV is making the world a better place
November 2, 2009- watching television, he wanted more time for “real life” than the goggle box. “I appreciate many people may enjoy television,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s good for me.” He is far from alone in voicing unease at the nation’s most popular pastime. Earlier this year Jeremy Paxman dismissed the British public as a “bunch of barbarians” for watching television rather than reading books or visiting art galleries.

Scholar, Student, or Academic: words shape perceptions
November 2, 2009- Words matter. They are the first introduction we have to groups, people, places, and events. Any person in public relations can tell you their importance in conveying an idea. First impressions matter and different words will cause different reactions (emotional) or conclusions (logical).

Kaust and Social Networking: The New Face of Saudi Arabia
November 2, 2009- Twitter has had a phenomenological influence on the international news media in the post-Iranian elections period in June 2009 onwards

Troop Increases? What about the Other Side of the Foreign Policy Coin?
November 2, 2009- More than eight months after President Obama took office, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) remains without an Administrator. While an announcement could happen imminently, the agency -- and indeed the entire U.S. government -- has lacked a politically-empowered figure dedicated solely to U.S. global development policy during a time of unprecedented stock-taking on these issues in the U.S. government.

The New Rules: When Contractors Fill America's Foreign Policy Gap
November 2, 2009- Much ink has been spilt over the question of whether or not globalization leads to the "death" of the nation-state, or at least its eclipse by a rising tide of super-empowered non-state actors -- especially multinational corporations. On this score, history has been fairly clear: States that score high on globalization connectivity typically feature governments with extensive regulatory reach and strong enforcement capacity -- not exactly the demise of the public sector.

Romania: MAE to use Twitter to quench suspicion of ballot box fraud abroad
November 2, 2009- Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) will present on Twitter the organization abroad of the November 22 presidential election, and this initiative is sought as an exercise in transparency over the election, Director General of the MAE Public Diplomacy Department Oana Marinescu told a news conference on Monday.

U.S. allocates more funds to anti-Iran broadcasts
November 1, 2009- The United States has incorporated a bill into its annual military budget, which will allocate millions of dollars for Persian-language broadcasts.

Former U.S. official: Resignation over Afghan war is drawing support
October 31, 2009- A State Department employee who resigned last month in protest over America's war in Afghanistan said Friday he has received an outpouring of support from Afghan-Americans and U.S. active-duty military.

Blood and political ties do not make one a great diplomat
October 31, 2009- Considering the obvious blood and political relationships between a number of recently appointed ambassadors and prominent politicians, the largely negative public reaction is understandable.

Engaging with the Muslim World Will Require More than a Special Representative
October 26, 2009- A key facet of the Obama administration's broader foreign policy strategy has been engaging with the Muslim world. This administration's willingness to do so was welcomed as a beacon of hope across the globe and Obama's speeches in the Middle East this spring brought long awaited overtures between America and Muslim communities.

Understanding and Engaging Now Media
October 23, 2009- The course I'm teaching titled "Understanding and Engaging Now Media" is next month.

Ackerman: State Dept Project Signals Foreign Policy Shift
October 23, 2009- Spencer Ackerman has an article at The Washington Independent on the forthcoming Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) based on his interview of Anne-Marie Slaughter, the State Department's influential Director of Policy Planning.

Donors and cronies still get the choice postings
October 23, 2009- Just after the election in November, we wrote that an Obama administration was likely to eschew "the traditional sale of most ambassadorships, so aptly carried on during the Bush administration." The chatter was that the new team would pick political types, but with some foreign policy credit -- as the Clinton administration tended to do -- and maybe reduce the percentage of politicals in favor of more career Foreign Service officers.

Enterprise architecture can manage the use of social media
October 23, 2009- Can enterprise architecture play a role in the new world of social networking? Several agencies are finding out. The Federal Railroad Administration, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the State Department are aligning enterprise architecture strategies with the development of social-networking tools.

State puts X-Life games into play for Middle Eastern youths
October 23, 2009- Since its founding in June 2008, X-Life Games has launched two mobile computer games in collaboration with the State Department’s eDiplomacy program and has garnered a modest following of players in the Middle East