Public diplomacy

Kadir Jun Ayhan, uscpublicdiplomacy.org; see also (1) What is public diplomacy [JB emphasis] (PD)? Can non-state actors do PD? When I first began teaching PD, I found my students confused and frustrated about these questions after reading articles that lacked an agreed-upon definition and boundaries. To address their frustration, I began summarizing different approaches to PD, including answers to these questions.Then, I developed this teaching material into an article, which was recentlypublished in ISA’s International Studies Perspectives journal, a great platform for international studies pedagogy as well as recent trends in the field. In this blog, I summarize how scholars conceptualize PD, particularly non-state actors’ role in it and finally, I offer a list of criteria to map the boundaries of PD.Most PD articles have state-centric definitions. One of the most common definitions that appears in state-centric conceptualizations of PD is that of Hans Tuch, who defines PD as “a gov..

via email Connecting Iranians in support of Freedom and Democracy Amanda Bennett of VOA, Setareh Derakhshesh of VOA Persian/VOA365 and Mehdi Parpanchi of RFE/RL Radio Farda discuss the evolution of the network (left to right) Last week, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) held a launch event on Capitol Hill for VOA365: a 24/7 Persian-language global network targeting Iranian audiences and the Persian-speaking diaspora around the world. Thank you to all who joined us in person. In case you missed the event, you can: Watch the discussionWatch the VOA365 promoRead about the network John F. Lansing of USAGM, gives remarks ahead of a panel on media and politics in Iran with Gregg Sullivan of the U.S. Department of State, Michael Pregent of Hudson Institute, Behnam Ben Taleblu of Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Setareh Derakhshesh of VOA (left to right).

via email bgregory1@aol.com Mon, Mar 11, 2019 at 3:32 PMTo: BGregory1@aol.comMarch 11, 2019 Intended for teachers of public diplomacy and related courses, here is an update on resources that may be of general interest. Suggestions for future updates are welcome. Bruce GregoryInstitute for Public Diplomacy and Global CommunicationGeorge Washington UniversityBGregory@gwu.eduhttps://smpa.gwu.edu/bruce-gregoryhttp://ipdgc.gwu.edu/bruce-gregorys-resources-diplomacys-public-dimension Katherine A. Brown, Your Country, Our War: The Press and Diplomacy in Afghanistan, (Oxford University Press, 2019). In this excellent and engaging book, grounded in years of interviews with journalists and political actors in Afghanistan and the US, Katherine Brown (Global Ties U.S., Georgetown University) achieves several objectives. First, she examines narratives and framing of modern Afghanistan in the journalism of US and Afghan news media. Her empirical findings are shaped by two strands in communications s..

Danielle Kost, hbswk.hbs.edu image (not from article) from Countries such as Israel now realize they need to engage in public diplomacy [JB underlining] as well as foreign diplomacy, and in place branding, not just political advocacy, says Elie Ofek. The 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding last year stirred reflection about the country’s image, values, and position in the world among everyone from former diplomats to Hollywood actors. Despite efforts to portray Israel as modern and safe, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the country’s complicated history still dominate public consciousness. Memories of failed peace talks tend to loom larger than Israel’s image as a startup nation. Thousands of Instagram posts from Tel Aviv’s gay pride festivities or the buzz from winning the recent Eurovision song contest may not be enough to overcome decades of TV footage of soldiers and tanks that linger in the mind. To Harvard Business School marketing professor Elie Ofek, it’s more proof that ..

state.gov ***THE DAILY PUBLIC SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*** image (not from entry) fromDEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2019Excerpt:ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MICHELLE GUIDAAssistant Secretary Giuda is on travel in London, United Kingdom from March 11-12.ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS MARIE ROYCEAssistant Secretary Royce is on travel to Hungary, Serbia, and Turkey from March 9-21.PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS W. PATRICK MURPHY ...3:15 p.m. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Murphy meets with International Women of Courage Awardees Naw K’nayaw Paw and Razia Sultana, at the Department of State. [JB - see also] (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE) ...

state.gov; see also image (not from entry) from Media Note Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DCMarch 11, 2019 Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and Senior Official for Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] and Public Affairs Michelle S. Giuda travels to the United Kingdom March 11-12.In London, Assistant Secretary Giuda will deliver opening remarks at a meeting of the Communications Working Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. The Working Group seeks to contest the information space in which ISIS operates. It also seeks to ensure that the contraction of the group’s territory is followed by its ideological defeat, while coordinating strategic communications among Coalition members to tackle future propaganda threats from other violent extremist organizations.Assistant Secretary Giuda will also discuss government communications strategies with UK government officials. In addition, she will meet with U.S. Embassy staff and the Department’s London Media Hub.

state.gov image (not from entry) fromFact Sheet Office of the SpokespersonWashington, DCMarch 11, 2019The President’s FY 2020 budget request proposes $40 billion for the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The FY 2020 budget request provides the necessary resources to protect United States citizens, increase American prosperity by utilizing foreign assistance to create the conditions that will expand opportunities for U.S. businesses, support our allies while asking other nations to do more, and advance a secure, prosperous world by assisting countries to become self-reliant economic and security partners.This budget request focuses resources on providing better results for the American people. It supports effective American diplomacy, prioritizes embassy security and the protection of diplomats and staff, and provides support for strategic partners and diplomatic progress. It also makes programs more effective while increasing burden sharing in orde..

“People think that data is in the cloud, but it’s not,” said Jayne Stowell, who oversees construction of Google’s undersea cable projects. “It’s in the ocean.” Image from article* --Adam Satariano, "How the Internet Travels Across Oceans," The New York Times *Inside the ship, workers spool the cable into cavernous tanks. One person walks the cable swiftly in a circle, as if laying out a massive garden hose, while others lie down to hold it in place to ensure it doesn’t snag or knot. Even with teams working around the clock, it takes about four weeks before the ship is loaded up with enough cable to hit the open sea.

image from “It could be there is some well-thought-out strategy behind all of this,” Mr.[ Stephen] Schwartz [United States ambassador to Somalia from 2016 to 2017] added, “but I really doubt it.” --From Eric Schmitt and Charlie Savage, "Trump Administration Steps Up Air War in Somalia," The New York Times (March 10, 2019)

catalystresearch-institute.strikingly.com uncaptioned image from entryExcerpt: The Catalyst Research Institute is a Washington DC based Think Tank and a conduit between industry Thought Leaders and the Legislative and Federal Agency communities. We facilitate a powerful platform of programs, cutting edge research and initiatives that support the exchange of ideas and provide a forum for our Fellows to engage in the open, non-partisan discourse needed to effectively support the injection of next-generation ideas and strategy into today’s legislative and regulatory challenges. CRI understands that through generative and focused dialogue, private sector companies will be better able to provide the ideas, tools, tactics, and proactivity needed by government and industry thought leaders responsible for building, managing and securing vital sectors of our economy such as technology, healthcare, finance, energy, transportation, and defense. CRI bridges the gap between the legislative communit..