John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review

Courtney Freer, middleeasteye.net, 6 May 2019 Trump’s Arab allies have used claims about the Brotherhood’s links to terrorism to dismiss the group's efforts at effecting domestic political changes Image from entry: US President Donald Trump welcomes Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to the White House in Washington, US, 9 April (Reuters) Excerpt: No effective banAs Will McCants and Benjamin Wittes pointed out in a 2017 piece, the Muslim Brotherhood differs too substantially across national contexts to be banned effectively, and so banning the group would be akin to restricting an ideology, which is, of course, illegal.Nathan Brown and Michelle Dunne further explain the potential fallout of such a designation: "The greatest damage might be in the realm of public diplomacy [JB emphasis], as using a broad brush to paint all Muslim Brotherhood organisations as terrorists would be understood by many Muslims around the world as a declaration of war against non-violent politica..

abouther.com Lina AlmaeenaThis week, Saudi Arabian women hit a new milestone in the field of sports, this time through a very unique initiative launched by Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council member, Lina Al-Maeena, and Belgium’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Dominique Mineur. According to Arab News, the two women created a project that saw a Riyadh-based, all-Saudi-female team compete – and triumph – against their rivals, a team of envoys from Belgium, Switzerland, Taiwan, Algeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The sister of Al-Maeena, who is co-founder of the Riyadh United basketball team, and their teammate Dania led their team to victory, breaking the deadlock in the very last moments of the game, a few seconds into overtime. Dr. Salwa Al-Hazza, head of the ophthalmology department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, and Martina Strong, charge d’affaires at the US Embassy in Riyadh, awarded medals and trophies to the players. Amongst those cheering the teams on were Hind Al-Za..

Christian Whiton, Published May 06, 2019 opinion foxbusiness Whiton image fromExcerpt: Rather than cave in or walk away, Trump has cranked up the pressure on China with the new tariffs, and given Beijing another chance to understand the old days are over for good. Either they shape up or face the consequences of more economic pain, as they help fill the coffers of the U.S. Treasury through higher tariffs. Christian Whiton was a senior advisor in the Donald Trump and George W. Bush administrations. He is a senior fellow for strategy and public diplomacy [JB emphasis] at the Center for the National Interest and the author of “Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War.”

Joseh S. Nye, May 6, 2019, Project Syndicate; original article contains links Nye image (not from article) from Many in the current US administration argue that soft power does not matter much; countries cooperate out of self-interest. But this misses a crucial point: cooperation is a matter of degree, and the degree is affected by attraction or repulsion, not just weapons and sanctions. CAMBRIDGE – US President Donald Trump’s administration has shown little interest in public diplomacy [JB emphasis]. And yet public diplomacy – a government’s efforts to communicate directly with other countries’ publics – is one of the key instruments policymakers use to generate soft power, and the current information revolution makes such instruments more important than ever. Opinion polls and the Portland Soft Power 30 index show that American soft power has declined since the beginning of Trump’s term. Tweets can help to set the global agenda, but they do not produce soft power if they are not attr..

Edwin Mora, breitbart.com, 2 May 2019; original article contains links uncaptioned image from article Excerpt: There is significant Islamist ideological overlap between the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and some of the globe’s most murderous jihadi groups — the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) and al-Qaeda, Breitbart News learned from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). All three groups maintain a shared goal of establishing an Islamic global caliphate. However, MB has the advantage of being “one of the oldest and broadest-reaching Islamist organizations in modern times,” the non-governmental organization (NGO) noted in its Muslim Brotherhood profile, citing data from various governments and news reports.According to CEP, MB itself or some of its affiliated groups maintain an active presence in at least 18 countries primarily located across the Muslim world, namely in the Middle East and Africa. ... Qatar The Gulf Arab nation has long supported MB “through financial, public diplomacy (JB..

Nur Yasmin, jakartaglobe.id, May 3, 2019 Image from article, with caption: Azis Nurwajyudi, director of public diplomacy [JB emphasis] at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaks to journalists in Jakarta on Friday. (JG Photo/Nur Yasmin) Jakarta. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United States Embassy are offering fellowships to 10 Indonesian students to study culture in America as part of the 70-year commemoration of bilateral relations between the two countries, an official said.The fellowship is part of the International Visitor Leadership Program for youth ambassadors from Indonesia to the United States."As part of celebrating the 70th year of US-Indonesia bilateral relations, we will send 10 students from various regions in Indonesia to stay in the United States from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1," Azis Nurwahyudi, public diplomacy director at the foreign ministry, said in Jakarta on Friday.He said they are looking for accomplished students, to give them the chance to network with their p..

imemc.org, May 5, 2019 6:15 AM On World Press Freedom Day, PLO Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] & Policy Department Head Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said, in a statement: “We reach out in gratitude all journalist, who endeavor to speak truth to power, expose injustice, and protect the pillars of democracy, namely accountability and transparency.Dr. Ashrawi added :”Throughout our modern history, Palestinian and international journalists have played a significant role in exposing the criminality and brutality of occupation, while also ensuring that Palestinian leaders honor their obligations to protect and defend the civil and human rights and freedoms of our people, despite the occupation.”“We honor the memory of the dozens of brave journalists who have paid with their lives while exposing the brutality of the Israeli occupation and while reporting from the frontline of the struggle for freedom and dignity,” she said, according to the PNN.“At this time of alternative facts, populism, and fear-mong..

nytimes.com image from To the Editor: “How Trump Co-opts Leaders Like Barr,” by James Comey (Op-Ed, May 2), should be required reading for every high school student. Mr. Comey offers an important lesson on what happens when power corrupts and when bad leaders lead even good people astray. In explaining why and how the current attorney general could frame the Mueller report as a vindication for President Trump, Mr. Comey puts his finger on a human problem with enormous consequence: “Amoral leaders have a way of revealing the character of those around them.” He cites the courageous behavior of James Mattis, the former defense secretary who resigned in disagreement with Mr. Trump, as opposed to those who refuse to call out his bad policies. I resent what Mr. Comey did to Hillary Clinton in opening an investigation of her emails so close to an election. But Mr. Comey is speaking truth to power and warning all of us of the dangers of unchecked loyalty. That’s an important lesson. Tara Sonen..

usajobs.gov [JB: for full description of the advertised job, please consult the original documents at link cited on the left] image from BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRSPromoting Mutual Understanding Excerpt: OVERVIEWOpen & closing dates05/03/2019 to 05/17/2019ServiceCompetitivePay scale & gradeGS 15Salary$137,849 to $166,500 per yearAppointment typePermanentWork scheduleFull-Time ... DutiesSummaryThe position is located in the Office of International Visitors (OIV), Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of International Visitors (OIV) [JB link]. The incumbent of this position serves as Deputy to the Office Director, sharing in the management of the entire organization and all phases of its programs. ... Responsibilities Carries out such duties and responsibilities typical of a second level supervisor such as overseeing the work of supervisory staff and dealing with high level officials of other agencies and organizations.Coordinates the formulation of the Intern..

upenn.edu Excerpt: Eve of Destruction is a provocative contribution to a growing international debate over the acceptance of preventive military action. In the first work to identify the trends that have led to a coming age of preventive war, Thomas M. Nichols uses historical analysis as well as interviews with military officials from around the world to trace the anticipatory use of force from the early 1990s—when the international community responded to a string of humanitarian crises in Somalia, Bosnia, and Kosovo—to today's current and potential actions against rogue states and terrorists. He makes a case for a bold reform of U.S. foreign policy, and of the United Nations Security Council itself, in order to avert outright anarchy. Thomas M. Nichols is Professor of Strategy and Forrest Sherman Chair of Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] at the United States Naval War College. His previous books include The Russian Presidency and Winning the World: Lessons for America's Futur..