The USC Center on Public Diplomacy Newswire presents articles about speakers and events in the Los Angeles area relevant to public diplomacy and international relations.
On July 24, 2007, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy and the Center for American Progress (CAP) co-sponsored an advance screening of the documentary “No End in Sight” at the Landmark Theatre in Los Angeles. A Q&A with a panel of experts and the director of the film followed the screening.
“No End in Sight” is a powerful documentary based on over 200 hours of interviews with key US officials such as Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Ambassador Barbara Bodine, and Colin Powell's former chief of staff Col. Lawrence Wilkinson as well as Iraqi civilians and... FULL TEXT
Greece's experience shows that "there is nothing stronger, nothing more important, and nothing more rewarding as a means of national accomplishment than membership in the European Union," Greek Ambassador to the United States Alexandro Mallias said last Wednesday.
Mallias spoke at the University of Southern California about the future of Southeastern Europe, emphasizing the importance of the EU, energy resources in the area, and the final status of Kosovo in contributing to the growth and stability of the region.
Both Romania and Bulgaria are now members of the EU, making it a 27-member organization. But Mallias said... FULL TEXT
LOS ANGELES--Author and former State Department official John Prendergast is offering a three-point plan to halt the genocide in Darfur that does not involve military intervention.
Speaking to a packed auditorium at USC Gould School of Law, Prendergast noted that, "Between one and 500 thousand people have died, but we don’t know exactly because we don’t care enough to know." He later said "the crisis is intensifying."
According to Prendergast, "They are starving hundreds of thousands of people to death, and the only defense for this is humanitarian aid." However, the aid agencies are suffering from similar... FULL TEXT
LOS ANGELES--Most people in foreign countries do not want to leave their homeland and only do so because of financial necessity, repression or the lure of living in another country temporarily, said a guest lecturer at a talk at USC on November 13, 2006. Marilyn Evans spoke about her recent experiences working with women on political change and democracy building in four Muslim countries plus Armenia.
"People don’t want to leave their countries," she said when describing the lessons she learned living abroad for four and a half years. "They want to have a wonderful life in their homeland." The... FULL TEXT
Radio Free Europe's Role During 56 Revolution Examined by Amanda Price
LOS ANGELES--Historians and freedom-fighters alike appearing at a forum here marked the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution with spirited debate over whether Radio Free Europe broadcasts helped inflame the anti-Communist uprising that was ultimately crushed in a matter of days by Soviet forces.
"Responsible journalism can end up serving as inadvertent incitement," said A. Ross Johnson, former Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty acting president. "I think that's the real dilemma that we have to think about."
Johnson presented the results of his work in RFE's archives on Wednesday to... FULL TEXT
Public Deplomacy Should Employ Methods of Journalism by Matt Mundy
America is facing a public relations disaster in the Middle East, and public diplomacy initiatives working to alleviate the problem must utilize journalistic methods and resources for them to be successful, said Philip Seib at the USC Annenberg School for Communication recently. "Reasserting the role of media in public diplomacy will be an important step if public diplomacy wishes to remain relevant," said Seib, the Lucius W. Nieman Professor of Journalism at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Important to this incorporation will be determining how public diplomacy relates to journalism... FULL TEXT
"The music of Dizzy Gillespie spoke the language of freedom: the freedom to think; to innovate; and to speak in one's own voice," said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in video-recorded remarks to open the 50th anniversary commemoration of Dizzy Gillespie's State Department-sponsored world tour at the University of Southern California's Bovard Hall.
Press "play" to watch Secretary Rice's opening remarks (3min 43sec). Or read the transcript (PDF).
Special guests stars joined USC's Thornton Jazz Band for a performance of Dizzy Gillespie classics as they were heard on the 1956 tour. On trumpet was Jon Faddis, who performed with... FULL TEXT
While the task may seem overwhelming, we have the power to stop genocides through political advocacy, community action and fundraising efforts, said a panel of speakers at the USC Annenberg School for Communication recently.
"Genocides happen because people let them happen," said panelist Donald Miller, professor of religion and executive director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at USC. "We're clearly at a moment right now in the Darfur case in which all of us bear a moral responsibility to stand and make our case known."
At least 200,000 black Africans have been killed and 2 million displaced... FULL TEXT
American Business Can Improve Perception by Andrew McGregor
LOS ANGELES--American business practice is capable of enhancing the public perception of Americans, said Lanie Denslow, founder of World Wise Intercultural Training & Resources, an organization dedicated to bridging cultural barriers and enhancing the practice of commerce. "We cannot control what comes out of the State Department, but business can make a difference on how Americans present themselves."
Denslow said that when American businesspeople take time to learn about the culture of other countries that it is possible for Americans as a whole to be viewed in a more positive light and... FULL TEXT
How the Internet Is Backfiring on Arab Governments
By Noah Barron
LOS ANGELES -- A visiting Egyptian media scholar said Monday at the USC Center for Public Diplomacy that "the Internet is creating a new media agenda in the Arab world, creating new audiences and putting new pressure on Arab governments."
Doctoral candidate Ahmed El Gody of the Modern Sciences and Arts University in Cairo discussed how Web usage in the Middle East has contributed to grassroots political activism.
According to El Gody, Internet penetration in Arab countries was very low until 2000. He said the number of Web users... FULL TEXT
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