John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review

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..

weforum.org Image from article, with caption: Non-governmental exchanges can be a powerful tool to promote understanding between countries This article is part of the World Economic Forum's Geostrategy platform With both China and Japan making efforts to shift the focus of bilateral relations from competition to common development and prosperity, the bilateral relationship has seen steady improvement in 2018. Following Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Japan in May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited China in October, his first official trip in nearly six years since he returned to power in December 2012. Apart from changes in the international landscape, the thawing relationship between China and Japan is largely attributed to the constant people-to-people exchanges, despite disputes over territorial and historical issues. Although some netizens from both countries are still posting inflammatory remarks on the Internet, Sino-Japanese civil diplomacy has maintaine..

germanyinafrica.diplo.de German Information CentreAfrica image from Google search What’s happening in Germany? What’s up in Africa? Find out more about Germany’s engagement with the African continent! Check out German cultural events on the continent! And find out what scholarship opportunities there are to study in Germany or to learn the German language in Africa! The GIC is a public diplomacy [JB emphasis] initiative of Germany's Federal Foreign Office. It offers English-language stories with a German-African angle, as well as information on business, education, research, politics, sports and culture in Germany. Please also check out our Twitter and Facebook page!

seek.com.au image from DFAT Cyber Cooperation ProgramMonitoring and Evaluation OfficerPosition Terms of ReferenceTo apply Please submit CV with a short description (no more than 500 words) telling us why you are the right person for the job. Applications should be provided to Asha Sharma, Manager – Cyber Cooperation Program (CyberAffairs@dfat.gov.au) and will be accepted until filled.Summary of PositionThe Cyber Cooperation Program is a $24 million investment that aims to build cyber resilience across the Indo-Pacific. The Program is managed by DFAT and works closely with whole-of-government agencies, academic institutions, NGOs and the private sector to deliver activities.The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer will be engaged to advise and undertake project monitoring and evaluation support under the Cyber Cooperation Program. The M&E Officer will support implementing partners, to ensure activities are meeting project objectives, outputs and outcomes in line with the Cyber Cooper..

erienewsnow.com image from MONUMENT VALLEY, Utah, Nov. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Set high above Monument Valley's stunning sandstone structures, two German athletes set out to unite Germany and America in a thrilling event. On October 25, 2018, Alexander Schulz and Niklas Winter walked along a one-inch belt at about 2,500 feet in the air. The belt was suspended between two hot air balloons, one wrapped in the German flag and the other wrapped in the American flag. The symbolic slackline bridge is part of "Deutschlandjahr 2018/19" (Germany year), a year-long celebration honoring the relationship between Germany and America. The German-American cultural exchange is sponsored by the German Foreign Ministry, the Goethe Institute and the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Representatives from these organizations were on-hand to support the event, including: Christoph Mücher, Director, Deutschlandjahr USA and Goethe Institut; Markus Sporkmann, Video Journalist, Deutschlandjahr ..