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The Public Diplomacy Blog is intended to stimulate dialog among scholars, researchers, practitioners and professionals from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere. The opinions represented here are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School.

BRAVO, BURLINGTON: A SMALL VICTORY FOR AL-JAZEERA ENGLISH, A SYMBOLIC VICTORY FOR THE UNITED STATES
JUN 27, 2008 - 3:14PM PST
Posted by Shawn Powers
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It is about time that the Al-Jazeera Network received some good news from America. Having been accused by the former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld of inciting terrorism and assisting Iraqi insurgents, and then allegedly considered as a potential target of a U.S.-led military strike, Al-Jazeera has not exactly felt welcome here in the United States since the beginning of the war in Iraq. When Americans hear the words "Al-Jazeera", many immediately associate it with Osama bin Laden, the world's most recognized face of terrorism. It is thus easy to see why Al-Jazeera English has had trouble finding room in... FULL TEXT
 
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A CONSTRUCTIVE LOOK AT AL-HURRA AND ITS CRITICS
JUN 24, 2008 - 5:35PM PST
Posted by Craig Hayden
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I have to admit I did not expect to be writing what could be deemed a defense of Al-Hurra -- the U.S.-sponsored Arab-language television station beamed across the Arab world. Al-Hurra (which means "the free one" in Arabic) has come under scrutiny over the past few years for its potential impact on U.S. public diplomacy objectives. Yet the recent story by CBS News on the failings of Al-Hurra and coverage by The Washington Post, necessitates a critical response. The following blog entry provides two critiques -- first of the oddly framed arguments in CBS's coverage of Al-Hurra, and second of... FULL TEXT
 
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PD AND COUNTERINSURGENCY IN THE GLOBALIZATION AGE: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN?
JUN 23, 2008 - 12:42PM PST
Posted by Daryl Copeland
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Globalization is contributing to a growing international divide -- political, economic, cultural, and digital. This gap, characterized by the polarization of wealth and resources and the breakdown of shared goals and identity, has contributed to heightened instability and the generation of conflict. Terrorism and holy war have been among the reactions.

Unfortunately, the West's organizational tools, policy instruments and military doctrine, mired still in Cold War era thinking, appear incapable of responding adequately. Foreign ministries and departments of defense tend to be rigid, compartmentalized and hierarchic; they aren't designed or equipped to connect with populations, forge partnerships with civil society,... FULL TEXT
 
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MR. BUSH, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL
JUN 4, 2008 - 5:24PM PST
Posted by Rob Asghar
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Why good razor wire doesn't make good neighbors

The United States Embassy in Islamabad is a wary and reluctant piñata. Scheduled to meet the embassy's cultural affairs officers at 2 pm on a weekday afternoon in late May, I found myself running at least twenty minutes behind as I navigated a labyrinth of razor-wire-topped walls, car inspectors, metal detectors and interrogators.

I had undergone similar scrutiny that morning while visiting the American-run International School of Islamabad, which I had attended from 1978 to 1980. Even though the embassy had been decimated by rioters and the school had been attacked during... FULL TEXT
 
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THE CHALLENGE OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
APR 4, 2008 - 4:53PM PST
Posted by Jill A. Schuker
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Understanding and influencing public attitudes and those who shape them, beyond the traditional diplomacy of government-to-government contact, is the "work" of public diplomacy in our globalized world.

More than ever, almost daily improvements in communications technology and the ability to have a true transnational flow of ideas and information, has transformed the conduct of public diplomacy. It has made it both more important and more challenging for the successful formation and execution of foreign policies by governments and a range of multi-national authorities.

Conducting effective public diplomacy is a serious global security challenge. While the engagement of civil society, non-state... FULL TEXT
 
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