Public diplomacy

Ravale Mohydin, trtworld.com Excerpt: Could the opening of the Kartarpur Crossing, to facilitate the Sikh community on both sides of the Pakistan-India border, be a step towards talks or initiating a peace process? The Indian media and the Indian government are not interested. ... A monumental moment took place between two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors yesterday. Pakistan and India opened up the historic Kartarpur Crossing, a boon for the Sikh community all over the world. Providing visa-free access to what is known as the ‘Mecca of Sikhs’, the crossing had been in discussion for decades, but due to a perceived and real security threat, as well as strategic concerns for both countries, safe and easy passage to the gurdwara of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, remained a dream. The dream, however, came to life again at the inauguration ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan in August 2018 when Navjot Sidhu, a former cricket pal of the incoming PM and former Congress minister,..

flake.senate.gov https://www. image (not from entry) from [JB note: Original document contains different lettering/spacing from the below entry (JB suggestion: please refer to the original document on the above-cited link).] MDM18A52 S.L.C. AMENDMENT NO. [llll] Calendar No. [lll] Purpose: To require the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media [JB: see] to submit a quarterly report to Congress regarding employees who have been placed on administrative leave for more than 45 days without a formal disciplinary determination. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—115th Cong., 2d Sess. S. 3654 To amend the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994, to avoid the duplication of public diplomacy [JB emphasis] programs and efforts, to improve the research and evaluation of public diplomacy, and for other purposes. Referred to the Committee on llllllllll and ordered to be printed Ordered to lie on the table and to be printed AMENDMENT intended to be proposed..

Sara Ashley O'Brien, CNN Business Updated 6:28 PM ET, Fri November 30, 2018 image from The Department of Homeland Security released a proposal Friday that would increase the number of H-1B visa recipients who have master's degrees or higher level degrees and would move the registration process online. The government has been working to crack down on the H-1B program — a result of President Donald Trump's direction that agencies implement a "Buy American, Hire American" strategy. The H-1B visa is a work visa that's valid for three years and can be renewed for another three years. Many companies use H-1B visas to help fill their workforces. But tech is the sector most commonly associated with H-1Bs. Tech firms big and small say they need the H-1B program to hire trained talent that they can't find at home. With costs rising, many companies are facing shrinking profit margins. Sometimes, that can create buying opportunities. 65,000 H-1B visas are granted annually,..

dod.defense.gov; see also image fromExcerpt: STAFF: Good afternoon and welcome to today's ceremony in honor of House Speaker Paul Ryan. Please stand for the arrival of the official party. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE JAMES N. MATTIS: Wow, that was some (inaudible) -- hi, (inaudible). Please everyone, grab a seat, don't want to get too formal here, please. (Laughter.) Good to see you all. Can I talk? You OK? STAFF: Absolutely. (Laughter.) SEC. MATTIS: I don't want to mess with the protocol here, you know? And where's the members of the press? Let's see, you've got to fess up -- there you are, all right, it's good to have you here, thank you. But Speaker Ryan and flag officers and secretaries and members of the press – for a moment I'll say I like you, how's that? (Laughter,) Actually, we have a great press team over here, Mr. Speaker, they're the pros of Washington D.C. But I want to thank all of you for making time as we've bid what we cal..

hoover.org The Hoover Institution hosted "Chinese Influence & American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance" on Thursday, November 29, 2018 from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM EST; entry contains a video on the meetingWritten by a new working group report convened by The Hoover Institution at Stanford University, Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations, and The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands. Panel I:Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution Orville Schell, Director of the Center of US-China Relations, Asia Society Elizabeth Economy, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations Minxin Pei, Professor of Government, Claremont McKenna College Panel II:Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution Orville Schell, Director of the Center of US- China Relations, Asia Society Winston Lord, former Ambassador to China John Garnaut, Former Senior Adviser to Australian PM Malcolm TurnbullOn 11/29/18 a group of leading experts on China and American foreign policy released t..

Li Aixin, Source: GlobalTimes Published: 2018/11/29 20:09:23 Moon Hee-sang, South Korean National Assembly Speaker Photo: Courtesy of The Charhar Institute Editor's Note: Amid thawing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and warming relations between Beijing and Seoul, the Fourth South Korea-China Peace Diplomacy Forum was held in the South Korean capital on November 21. It was co-hosted by Uijeongbu municipal government and the Charhar Institute. Earlier this week, South Korean National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang (Moon) shared his views on the forum and future of Northeast Asia with Global Times reporter Li Aixin (GT)in a written interview. GT: What do you expect from the series of South Korea-China Peace Diplomacy Forum? Moon: South Korea and China are friends sharing Chinese characteristics, Confucian culture and the same destiny. They are neighbors that cannot be separated. As part of the Northeast Asian community with a shared future, the two sides should continuously stren..

tampabay.com image (not from article) from Excerpt:About two-thirds of Mormon voters nationwide favored Republicans in the midterm elections, but President Donald Trump's approval rating among members of the faith lagged behind, according to a nationwide survey of midterm voters WASHINGTON (AP) — About two-thirds of Mormon voters nationwide favored Republicans in the midterm elections, but President Donald Trump's approval rating among members of the faith lagged behind, according to a nationwide survey of midterm voters. ... The new data reaffirms Trump's struggle to gain widespread acceptance among Mormons despite the faith's deep-rooted conservative leanings. ... Among Mormon voters in Utah, 76 percent preferred Republican congressional candidates, but only 56 percent said they approved of Trump. ... Trump has struggled since he was a presidential candidate to gain acceptance among Mormons and in Utah, where the mostly Mormon electorate has long been uncomfortabl..

Kadira Pethiyagoda, nationalinterest.org China's Legacy in Sri Lanka's Civil War Gives It a Diplomatic Edge image (not from article) from, under the title "Sri Lanka backs China port city deal after threat to cancel," lankapage.wordpress.com Excerpt: China, India, and the United States have all been accused of interfering in Sri Lanka during both the 2015 election and the recent turmoil. While these countries have denied it, what is likely is that China’s new-found confidence in its image is based in an increasing insight into Sri Lankan politics, an insight that helps Beijing capitalize on the current situation. In particular, Beijing’s strategists may have come to appreciate the lingering trauma of the three-decade civil war in the minds of Sri Lankans of all ethnic groups. ... The American and European positions during the war were viewed by large parts of the population as, at best, acquiescent to the separatist cause, and at worst, pursuing a clandestine divide-and-conqu..

Gabby Orr and Eliana Johnson, politico.com; see also Two of the president's preferred candidates for the U.N. ambassadorship are out of the running. | Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images 'It seems like this has been the position they could never quite find someone to fill,' said one Republican close to the White House. Politico ambassador — a job for which State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was once considered a lock but is now out of contention — has faced repeated delays and is running up against Nikki Haley’s end-of-year departure date. Meanwhile, a raft of new candidates has emerged, but no one has grabbed the front-runner mantel, raising the possibility that President Donald Trump could tap someone at the 11th hour who has already been passed over. The White House Counsel’s office has not yet been asked to vet anyone for the role, further indicating the president may not have settled on a finalist. “It seems like this has been the position they could never quite fi..

sites.tufts.edu Excerpt: Fletcher Students Explore The Digital WorldThe Murrow Center is pleased to highlight student work on the related issues of media, cyber, and public diplomacy [JB emphasis]. This body of research and activity forms a strong, integrated foundation for the Center’s work. The Murrow Center also recognizes those Fletcher students using the skills we teach to cover a broad base of issues in publications and other multimedia projects.Highlighted PublicationsCapstone ProjectsFletcher’s JournalsPublications by Students ...