PD commentary
Selection and commentary by PDC members and authoritative experts in the field
Wednesday, May 22nd 2013
Many Public Affairs Sections get involved in preserving or restoring cultural heritage sites, and so does the military. It helps to understand how U.S. Defense Department offices view cultural heritage. So a recent talk by PDC Vice President Robert Albro may be of interest.
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Monday, May 20th 2013
As controversy over federal intrusion into AP journalists’ phone records roiled Washington, an investigator reported a steep decline in the government’s support of free media development overseas.
A panel of experts convened by the Center for International Media Assistance http://cima.ned.org joined former U.S. News Editor and Reporter Peter Carey to review his paper U.S. Government Funding for Media Assistance: Trends and Strategies. Public diplomacy garnered only a mention during the hour and a half discussion at the National Endowment for Democracy last Thursday. But the findings are salient for any public diplomacy section interested in the topic.
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Thursday, May 9th 2013
Helle Dale of Heritage tipped her hat to Nicholas Cull’s presentation of his book “Decline and Fall of the U.S. Information Agency” at our Forum on May 6 (thanks for the mention!) But her main subject was the impending departure of Under Secretary Tara Sonenshine, leaving a new gap in public diplomacy at the State Department.
Dale asserts that “rapid leadership turnover undermines strategic planning and operational effectiveness.” True to an extent, but less attention has been paid to another layer of leadership.
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Wednesday, May 1st 2013
It’s a pleasure to begin contributing to the PDC’s web presence. I come to the Council as an independent analyst of PD and international development and 13-year veteran of the former U.S. Information Agency’s Office of Academic Programs.
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Friday, April 19th 2013
How I wish I could have had leaders from the Middle East participating in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) or other State Department international exchange programs with me Tuesday evening. They would have had the opportunity to get beyond grim headlines and see America at it's best. The event was the Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards Dinner hosted by the Arab American Institute Foundation (aaif@aaiusa.org). It was inspiring. It reenergized. It reaffirmed fundamental values that so often receive lip service but that the impressive award recipients embody and live on a daily basis. The event also underscored three lessons that are central for those of us engaged in practicing, teaching, or researching public diplomacy.
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