Public diplomacy

lclark.edu NOVEMBER 26, 2018Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Jennifer Hubbertby Yancee Gordon BA ’21Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Jennifer Hubbert has been awarded a two-year research fellowship through the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy. [JB emphasis] She is one of three faculty members selected this year from a global pool of applicants. Her project, “Recalling Public Diplomacy: Sister Cities and the Shifting Landscapes of International Relations,” will analyze public diplomacy through the Sister Cities International program.The Sister Cities International program was initiated during the Eisenhower era and remains one of the predominant programs for city-to-city diplomacy. Portland has nine sister city relationships, and Hubbert will begin her research by focusing on the histories of four: Suzhou, China; Bologna, Italy; Mutare, Zimbabwe; and Ashkelon, Israel. She will conduct research in both archival and ethnographi..

bbc.com By Sean Coughlan BBC News education and family correspondent28 November 2018Share Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES The number of new international students enrolling at United States universities and colleges went down by almost 7% last year, according to official data published this month.It's the second year in a row that the number of new international enrolments in the US has declined, denting a market worth £42bn (£33bn) to the US economy last year.Prof Simon Marginson, of Oxford University, an expert on trends in international students, says there is "little doubt" this downturn is related to the Trump administration.He says it's a combination of the anti-immigration messages putting off applicants and the tightening of the student visa system.'Political environment'The International Institute of Education, which gathers the annual data, asked potential recruits about reasons for not studying in the US, and found a mix of politics, practicalities and cost. ..

canadacouncil.ca; see also (1) image (not from entry) from Speech by Simon BraultCercle France-Amériques, Paris October 16, 2018 Canada: Diverse and equal voices In both the Americas and France, much has been written and said about the ways governments can use cultural diplomacy as a tool of foreign policy. Governments might, for example, share scientific, academic, literary and artistic research, ideas and creations, and exchange comparative perspectives on a variety of topics within the cultural field. They pursue these kinds of activities in a bid to have a positive influence, initiate a dialogue with the potential to move beyond the realm of ideas and culture, and to maintain ties that could soften economic or political disagreements, if not military conflicts. Of course, countries—and especially governments—vary in their approach. These differences are marked by the size of their budgets, the specific tools they implement, their public diplomacy [JB emphasis] directives and, incre..

Wa'el Nimat, uscpublicdiplomacy.org uncaptioned image from article Today, the threat and danger of violent extremism—whether foreign or domestic—is far more challenging than it has ever been. The unpredictable nature of violent extremism enables it not to be restricted to a single race, gender, religion, culture, country or even an ideology. In the 21st century, the notion of violent extremism has expressed how volatile its adherents are in the age of information and constant worldwide integration. New interactive developments that range from the globalization of the media, to transnational developments, have allowed violent extremist ideology to become digitized and more readily available for those who seek it. To the dismay of contrary belief, differing methods for countering violent extremism (CVE) have created division within the U.S. With so much of the U.S. government’s efforts to eliminate violent extremism directed abroad, containing homegrown violent extremism (HVE) has ..

The Strategist (blog) 26 Nov 2018|Richard Herr uncaptioned image from entry President Xi Jinping’s attendance at the recent APEC summit in Port Moresby was meant to be the cap on a soft-power charm offensive validating Chinese influence in the Pacific. In the event, it has been widely regarded by non-Chinese media and commentators as a diplomatic bust for Xi. That APEC was a failure seemed clear enough to virtually all observers. The meeting ended without an agreed communiqué for the first time in its history. Xi’s central role in the forum was gazumped by the buzz about the pre-summit announcements of increased Australian aid to the region and the funding of a major electrification project by a consortium of Western allies, and by the American declaration at the summit that it would partner with Australia and PNG in reviving the Manus Island naval base. While it would be difficult to portray the APEC summit as an unmitigated success for China, it may not have been quite the disaster i..

The Conversation AU uncaptioned image from articleExcerpt: [W]hile Mandarin speakers in Australia access a variety of online outlets, newer Chinese-language news websites are a primary source of information – particularly when accessed via WeChat, the Chinese social media app. These data can help inform debates about whether and how Chinese government influence may operate in Australia via the media. They could also be useful to those who want to encourage greater civic participation within our Mandarin-speaking migrant communities. This would help the Australian government better achieve its goal of public diplomacy [JB emphasis] via digital channels. ...

jpost.com Image from article: AJC Jerusalem hosted its 16th annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Lone Soldiers. AJC Jerusalem hosted its 16th annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Lone Soldiers on Thursday. Dozens of lone soldiers who came from the US and Canada joined for a dinner and turkey, and an inspirational talk by IsraAid's Co-CEO, Yotam Polizer, about Israeli humanitarian aid around the world. Lt. Col. (Res.) Avital Leibovich, AJC Jerusalem Director, said, "In light of the horrific event in Pittsburgh, this is an important time to unite around our shared values. This dinner is an opportunity for us to say thank you to those soldiers who made a huge sacrifice for the country, and make them feel at home, as much as we can." AJC is an a-political NGO, which for the past 112 years has been working to advance the interests of the Jewish people around the world, using public diplomacy [JB emphasis] methods.

ThePrint; original article contains a video Image from article: Chinese president Xi Jinping It coincides with launch of Belt and Road initiative and president Xi Jinping’s call to “tell China’s story better” to the world. “Visiting journalists give glowing report”, read a headline in the Beijing edition of the China Daily, an English-language newspaper that’s run by the Chinese government. Not unusual in China, no doubt, where the state controls the media with a firm hand. But what was unusual about this particular news report last year was where the journalists were from: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and more than a dozen countries from Southeast Asia and Africa. They were all part of a unique Chinese experiment that may yet be Beijing’s most successful – and least known – attempt to better shape the world media’s reporting on China. For 10 months every year, starting 2016, China’s foreign ministry has hosted around 100 foreign journalists from leading media houses in Asia and Afric..

RT; [JB - please refer to original article for complete illustrations]. uncaptioned image from article Anonymous has published documents which it claims have unearthed a massive UK-led psyop to create a "large-scale information secret service" in Europe – all under the guise of countering "Russian propaganda." In a document dump on November 5, the group exposed the UK-based 'Integrity Initiative', said to have been established by the ominously titled Institute for Statecraft in 2015.The main objective is "to provide a coordinated Western response to Russian disinformation and other elements of hybrid warfare."The Institute for Statecraft is affiliated with the NATO HQ Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] Division and the Home Office-funded 'Prevent' program, so objectivity is, of course, at the forefront of their work. Operating on a budget of £1.9 million (US$2.4 million), the secretive Integrity Initiative consists of "clusters" of local politicians, journalists, milita..

Knowing that music has the power to cross borders and that musicians can be ambassadors for their creators and countries, the US public diplomacy...