Neon Tommy- What Substance are Karzai's Marble Made Of? by Justin Rashin 4.15.10

What Substance Are Karzai's Marbles Made Of?
by Justin Rashid

Columnist

Creative Commons Licensed (World Economic Forum)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been courting controversy lately.  He blamed the U.N. for the fraud that marred the 2009 presidential elections, claiming there was an international conspiracy to stop him being re-elected. He threatened to block a NATO summer offensive against insurgents in the south. Oh, and he's been accused of being an overly emotional heroin addict, irredeemably corrupt, and an incapable partner of the U.S.  Even more bizarrely, it is also alleged that he privately threatened to quit the political process and join the Taliban. 

Let's look at each in turn.  Why would Karzai pick a verbal fight with the West, one that seems to have escalated to a personal one-on-one with the White House?  Well, Karzai was essentially installed as president by the U.S. after the toppling of the Taliban government in 2001 and the subsequent Bonn Process.  Ever since, many Afghans have accused Karzai of being a U.S. puppet, enjoying money from the West, sitting back and letting NATO troops run about the country.  Recently though, Karzai's bubble in Kabul has been burst.  The past nine months have seen an increase in attacks in the Afghan capital, and locals are suffering economically as property prices skyrocket.  Perhaps the people around Karzai are finally urging him to show them what his marbles are made of. Perhaps standing up to the U.S. is his way of doing it.

On a visit to his home province of Kandahar, Karzai was sharply cricitised by elders for not doing enough to stem corruption and nepotism.  The elders also told Karzai that the former Taliban capital was not ready for a NATO offensive against insurgents, which U.S. troops are preparing for this summer.  (By the way, did anybody ask this question ahead of other NATO offensives, such as Operation Moshtarak?)  Karzai replied that he might delay or even cancel the offensive.  Listening to the elders in this way sounds like a president doing his job, but it has compounded U.S. frustration with Karzai.

These actions led Peter Galbraith, former U.N. representative in Afghanistan, to call Karzai an incapable partner for the U.S.  By way of explanation, Galbraith hints that Karzai's marbles may be made of Afghanistan's top export (opium).  Crazy comments like "maybe I'll join the Taliban" suddenly make sense.

So what if Karzai's marbles are made of opium?  At least he seems to have some marbles at all.  Opium is woven so tightly into the fabric of Afghanistan that it would be unusual if Karzai was not connected to drugs somehow.  His brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, is well-known within Afghanistan to reap huge profits from the opium trade.  The same goes for corruption and nepotism.  

Western standards of zero tolerance for drugs and corruption cannot and should not be applied to Afghanistan because they have been part of the culture there for thousands of years.  Yes, their levels should be managed to a reasonable point, but we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking they can be eliminated altogether.  You can be corrupt and on drugs and still make the right decision.

Karzai is emotional at the moment?  That doesn't mean he's on drugs.  Afghans are emotional people.  It's actually about time Karzai showed some emotion.

Justin Rashid is a graduate student in the Masters of Public Diplomacy program. This op-ed is part of a partnership between Neon Tommy and the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars (www.uscapds.org)

http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/04/what-substance-are-karzais-mar.html

Neon Tommy- Obama's Nuclear Summit: Did It Matter? by Matthew Wallin 4.14.10

Obama's Nuclear Summit: Did It Matter?
by Matthew Wallin 

Contributor

Creative Commons Licensed (nznationalparty)

This week, President Obama convened agathering of 47 nations in Washington, D.C., for the world's first Nuclear Security summit -- deemed the "largest gathering of world leaders on U.S. soil" since the founding of the UN in 1945.  

The results of the conference appear promising, with solid commitments by a number of nations to reduce stockpiles and to take actions that would help lessen the threat of proliferation. Notably, Ukraine, scarred by the experience of Chernobyl and still battling its aftermath, agreed to convert its existing reactors to low-grade status and remove its entire stock of highly enriched uranium.  

As a bonus to the new START treaty, the U.S. and Russia also signed an update to a 2000 agreement on the reduction of weapons-grade plutonium. And in a win for the Obama Administration, China has warmed to the idea of discussing sanctions against Iran. Perhaps best of all, the attendees promised to secure all nuclear material within four years. Appropriately, the next summit will be held in Seoul in 2012.

But not all is rosy in Washington, as the summit has not been without its hiccups.  

Highlighting tensions between the U.S. and Israel, at the last moment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu elected not to attend. Reasoning that the conference would be used as a platform by Arab nations to attack Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity, his decision could preclude the opening of an important dialogue on a topic that is of the utmost concern to Israeli security. Pointing out that Israel is not a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory, Foreign Policy's Avner Cohen notes that Netanyahu's participation in the Nuclear Summit would have helped the image of Israel as a responsible nuclear power. Interestingly, Obama ducked the reporters' questions about Israel, saying that his position is consistent with that of previous administrations.

A key element of the summit was loose nukes. Buzz about the ability of terrorist or criminal organizations to get their hands on loose nukes has circulated wildly over the past decade. Of particular concern has been the security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal -- security that was especially questionable when, in 2009, Taliban elements seized control of areas within 70 miles of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. While American and Pakistani leaders have publicly stated that the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons is not at risk, questions remain about the Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence's alleged support of the Taliban and al Qaeda. Though Obama expectedly reconfirmed U.S. commitment to Pakistan's nuclear security, he gave no specifics as to what this actually entails.

Finally, there are Iran and North Korea. In a move hardly considered surprising, Iran announced its own upcoming summit, titled "Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for No One." More than 60 nations have been invited and the Iranians insist the summit will be successful. While success may be relative, the Obama administration must consider the pull that this conference may have on Russian or Chinese interests.  

With regards to North Korea, Obama appeared to have one foot set in fantasy, and another in reality. Though he correctly recognized that "sanctions are not a magic wand," he expressed hope that continuing pressure on the North Korean government will bring them back to the six party talks -- a process widely regarded as failed.  

Nuclear security efforts will take time. Time is a luxury that nuclear half-life affords, and security does not.  

Matthew Wallin is a second-year master's candidate in the Master of Public Diplomacy program. This op-ed is part of a partnership between Neon Tommy and the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars.

http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/04/obamas-nuclear-summit-did-it-m.html

Neon Tommy- A Glimmer of Hope in Palestine by Naomi Leight 4.10.10

A Glimmer Of Hope In Palestine
by Naomi Leight 

Contributor

Creative Commons Licensed (Rusty Stewart)

From stalled pre-negotiation discussions to the growing divide between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government, the small area of land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River is always in the news -- and not in a generally positive way. 

Time and again negotiations for a final status agreement on Israel and Palestine have failed. Armed resistance and military retaliation has caused nothing but suffering on both sides. Palestinian statehood and Israeli security are as far away as ever. 

However there has been one new glimmer of hope -- Palestinian self-empowerment and non-violent protest. The New York Times reported this week that senior Palestinian leadership have been participating in "unarmed protest marches" to encourage Palestinian self-empowerment in building a sovereign Palestine.

While there is some debate as to whether these protests are truly non-violent, as there have been reports of burning settler-made goods, and whether or not the non-violence movement is a new occurrence, passive resistance could be an important tool for Palestinians. Non-violent protest is a way for the Palestinian people to demonstrate their opposition to the occupation without weapons, violence or threats. 

A key to building a future Palestine is to work toward Palestinian self-empowerment. The development of a stronger Palestinian civil society through its economy, infrastructure and other components necessary for an independent state, allow Palestinians to take back the fate of their sovereignty. As Economic Minister Hasan Abu Libdeh said, "We want ordinary people to feel like stockholders in the process of building a state". 

While advocating a two-state solution through negotiations, a collective Palestinian movement for nonviolent resistance and self-empowerment is a positive step towards achieving a solution to the conflict. Palestinians need to be invested in the process of building Palestine and take ownership of their state; Israelis must feel that the Palestinian state being built won't threaten its security. 

The public that the Palestinians must try to reach in their shift towards non-violence is not the world, but the Israelis. Palestinians should not use this opportunity as an attempt to isolate Israel in global public opinion, but rather as a means to reach out to the Israeli people to build trust. When Palestine is indeed a sovereign nation, Israelis need to trust they will have a neighbor that will not engage in violence, but instead exist as a neighbor with whom they can live next to, side-by-side. And Palestinians must believe that Israel will act likewise.

Even if a peace accord is signed between the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority, the people of the two countries need to trust each other. Actions speak louder than words--and peaceful protest on both sides of the Green Line for a two-state solution could speak loudest.

Naomi Leight is a second year master's candidate in the Master of Public Diplomacy program. She is the Managing Editor of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy's periodical, PDiN Monitor and the Social Events Chair for the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars (APDS).This op-ed is part of a partnership between Neon Tommy and the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars.


http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/04/a-glimmer-of-hope-in-palestine.html

CPD/APDS Blog- The Green Rule of Corporate Diplomacy by Martha Adams 4.9.10

THE GREEN RULE OF CORPORATE DIPLOMACY: BUSINESS 3.0?
APR 9, 2010Posted by APDS Bloggers
All posts by APDS Bloggers


APDS Blogger: Martha Adams

Green is not just a color. Culturally, green can have contradictory meanings within its spectrum of usage. It is often associated with slang for money or ‘green with envy’, while the opposite end of its range of meaning is closely related to the Old English verb growan or “to grow” [plant life], or more relevant today, sustainable practices and formation of trust.

Any one of these cultural definitions alone does not adequately encompass all the meanings of green as it pertains to Corporate Diplomacy. Here, just as the color green is created in the Subtractive Color System by mixing yellow and blue, an alternate image of green applicable to businesses can be developed by blending the concepts of ‘Innovation’ and the ‘Golden Rule’.

Variations of the Golden Rule appear world-wide throughout many cultures, tribes, and religions, dating back to ancient times. Its English version is commonly linked to Jesus of Nazareth in the Biblical book of Matthew, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you”.

Trust goes hand in hand with the Golden Rule; typically we trust those individuals we know well and who also treat us well, such as neighbors or family members. When transitioning from the living room of one’s home to the board room and then venturing into the consumer market, one sees trust is equally as important in forming meaningful relationships and consumer confidence.

Edelman, the leading independent global Public Relations Firm, released its2010 Trust Barometer in January 2010 and was a focal point of discussion recently in a USC seminar course on Corporate Diplomacy. This studydocuments a major shift in global opinion that should revolutionize the way business is conducted world-wide (see Methodology).

For the first time in the ten-year history of Edelman Annual Trust Barometer Reports, trust and transparency are ranked as being more important to corporate reputation than the quality of the products and services provided. In fact, 54% of people in the United States trust business and an average of 60% in most BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China). These factors of trust and transparency far outweigh the importance of financial returns, which is now listed by respondents at the bottom of all criteria.

It should not be a complete surprise that the ranking of financial returns shifted 180 degrees since 2006. Perhaps this is due to the downturn of the global economy, as approximately 70% of respondents believe business and finance companies will revert to their old habits when the financial crisis is over.

However, is it really the economic downturn, as identified by respondents, which changed the way people think about business? Why have respondents identified their ability to trust a company is currently of highest importance? There are many schools of thought that identify catalysts, which range from downward trending economic forces to a return to core family values. They also include an upward trend in global environmental awareness and populations well informed on global issues. Whatever the reasons, executives should recognize this shift as an opportunity to get their foot in the door, gain trust, and increase their social capital so they may draw upon it in the future.

Perhaps it is beneficial to analyze trust at the individual company level in order to understand this future benefit. On March 2, Gallup released results from their poll entitled, “Americans, Toyota Owners Still Confident in Toyota Vehicles”. Amazingly, while a March 4 Reuters article noted that a total of 7.2 million recall notices were issued in the United States with more than 50 United States crash deaths attributed to mechanical problems, 74% of Toyota owners say they have not lost confidence in Toyota, 82% believe their cars are still safe, and 79% would buy another Toyota!

This is a paramount example of brand loyalty and trust. There is no doubt Toyota accumulated consumer trust during the past fifty years of their existence. Toyota demonstrated this in a recently aired apologeticcommercial, framed in the beginning and end by black and white scenes reminiscent of car dealers from fifty years ago, and highlighting the perception of safe, reliable, high quality vehicles with a focus on core family values. While Toyota may lose some sales in the coming days, it seems its future as a company has not been completely destroyed and potentially will be saved by this element of family trust.

Well, what if a company does not have a historical reputation with an abundance of social capital? This corporation may be lucky enough to get its foot in the door early enough to take advantage of consumer psychological biases, which mandate a consumer change its behavior when trying a new product. Both the status quo bias and endowment effect must be overcome by the consumer. Such required psychological change is primarily due to the fact people largely overvalue benefits they currently posses relative to those they do not. So, the sooner a company enters the market and positions itself, the better.

In addition, new companies or existing businesses that wish to increase trust should look to innovation, not as a starting baseline, but as the focus for corporate culture. Trust is built among individuals through having innovative corporate diplomats practice cutting edge corporate diplomacy continuously. Such leaders must have an intuitive global mindset and executive skill-set which include a mutual respect and understanding of others, an ability to listen, understand, and adapt to foreign cultures, as well as have knowledge of emerging trends in sustainability and social media.

These qualities are necessary to possess in order to build trusting relationships and meet public expectations. The central strategy of a business should be rooted in these traits ultimately generated from the Golden Rule. Here is thus coined the “Green Rule”, or the business practice of using the Golden Rule to promote green sustainable growth both in society and in the company, while simultaneously generating a green profit.

Microsoft is among the corporations leading the way in this Green Rule movement. In January 2010, Microsoft created a new position entitled ‘Director of Innovative Social Engagement’. Time will tell if these job types are simply a passing trend or if other companies will jump on the Green Rule bandwagon for the long haul after fully recovering from the current recession.

Generation 2.0 of Government and the Web has succeeded in making information sharing and collaboration coexist both online and in public-private partnerships that have also been solidified into mainstream global culture. Business 2.0 features characteristics of Generation 2.0 incorporating social networking into its current campaigns.

Looking to the future, Web 3.0 will unfold with further web personalization ingrained in many aspects of life. It is inevitable this will lead to the creation of Generation 3.0 of business as well where businesses will take a broader approach and fully affect the lives of consumers. This budding age promises to have evidence of Green Rule components such as trust and full spectrum innovation as practiced by proper corporate diplomats.

Corporate desires strictly for a return on an investment will fade as companies begin to listen to and further focus on consumer desires of fulfilling meaningful relationships and promoting the greater good. Companies will find when they meet these consumer demands they are actually likely to see a return on an investment in the long run. Companies must rethink business strategy in order to be successful in the coming days in Business 3.0.

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Martha Adams is a first year graduate student in the Master of Public Diplomacy Program. A US Naval officer, she has traveled to 23 countries, and served as an intern at the World Trade Center Association, Los Angeles. Her areas of interest include corporate, design, and US military diplomacy as well as the cross-cultural psychology of communication.

http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/newswire/cpdblog_detail/the_green_rule_of_corporate_diplomacy_business_30/

Neon Tommy- Time for Pope Benedict to Start Talking by Mariana Gonzalez Insua 4.6.10

Time For Pope Benedict To Start Talking

by Mariana González Insua
Contributor

Creative Commons Licensed (Sergey Gabdurakhmanov)

The old issue of pedophile priests has come back to haunt the Catholic Church, as a series of fresh sexual abuse scandals threatens to shake the long-standing religious institution to its core. 

The Church took the first big hit in early March, when a report revealed that the head of the Irish Catholic Church had been present at meetings in 1975 where children had signed vows of silence regarding their experiences with pedophile priests. Thereafter, allegations of child sexual abuse echoed across Europe in the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and even in Germany, where Pope Benedict XVI's brother was accused of being involved in some of the scandals and the pontiff himself was personally linked to the mishandling of the cases. The latest in this string of scandals surfaced less than two weeks ago in the US, when The New York Timesreported the failure of the Vatican to defrock a priest who had molested some 200 deaf boys in Wisconsin. 

What shocked the world, and the Catholic community in particular, has not only been the nature of these revelations but the Vatican's haphazard and ill-advised response. The Vatican's tone-deaf reactions include declarationsemphasizing that pedophilia is not a problem limited to the Catholic Church but one that affects society at large,protests against the international media for waging what the Vatican considers a smear campaign, an (unsuccessful) letter of the Pope to the Catholics of Ireland on sexual abuse (which, failing to punish Church leaders for past mistakes and lacking a mea culpa on the part of the Pope, simply added insult to injury), the launch of six Twitter channels where old Vatican declarations on sex abuse were tweeted, and the inappropriate comparison by Benedict's personal Preacher of the accusations levied against the Catholic Church to the "collective violence suffered by the Jews." 

(Backpedaling, the Vatican had to do damage control by stating that those words did not represent the Church's official stance.) 

What speaks loudest, however, is the Pope's silence on the issue. And when the world was expecting the head of the church to finally address the scandals during the Sunday Easter mass, it was instead subjected to Cardinal Sodano'spraise of the Pope for rising above "petty gossip."

Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has shown impressive resiliency, and it is unlikely that the turmoil that is currently rocking the institution will bring about its demise. But it is also true that the competition the church faces for soul-share (a fact that led the 82-year old media-wary Pope to urge priests earlier this year reach out to the people by blogging) and the Vatican's blemished record, especially in light of the ongoing sex abuse scandals, will certainly prevent potential converts from joining the Church's ranks and might even alienate current members. 

At this point, whatever the Church does to address the pedophilia allegations will almost certainly be too little too late. But if Benedict XVI wishes to defend his credibility and that of the institution he represents, he would do well to speak out, punish those involved in abuse cases and put measures in place to prevent this type of misconduct on the part of the clergy.  

As for the future, he might consider hiring a public diplomacy team.

Mariana González Insua is a first year student in USC's Masters of Public Diplomacy program. She is originally from Argentina and recently completed a Masters in Latin American Studies at Stanford University.

http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/04/time-for-pope-benedict-to-star.html

CPD/APDS Blog- The Sporty Spice of Colombia by Miles Knowles 4.5.10

THE SPORTY SPICE OF COLOMBIA
APR 5, 2010Posted by APDS Bloggers
All posts by APDS Bloggers


APDS Blogger: Miles Knowles

Even as most of North America was closing out the XXI Winter Olympics by viewing an epic hockey match between Canada and the U.S., America's Southern Hemisphere had already started preparing for their own version of the Summer Olympics. The South American Games, which featured over 5,000 athletes from fifteen different countries, came to a close earlier this week in Medellín, Colombia. The significance? The emergence of Colombiansports diplomacy and its vital role in re-branding the country's image.

Colombia certainly tops the list of countries in need of a brand makeover. To most outsiders, Colombia evokes imagery of dense jungles, impoverished coca farmers, guerrillas, and of course, the drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Despite its reputation, Colombia has undergone an incredible transformation from almost-failed state to one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America. With U.S. assistance, the Uribe Administration's security policies have reduced the capacities and numbers both of guerrillas and paramilitaries while decreasing the level of domestic coca cultivation.

When the Colombian government first approached a marketing consultant about re-branding the country's image in 1996, the consultant's reply was "Don't waste your time." However, when the Colombian government rang him up again in 2004, the result was the establishment of Colombia es Pasión (Colombia is Passion). Since its inception, Colombia es Pasión has typically relied on tourism and cultural diplomacy as its principle Public Diplomacy outlets.

Until recently, the most recognizable cultural exports from Colombia were art, literature and music: Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez is one of the most well-known writers in the world and Fernando Botero's disproportional "fat" sculptures can be found all the way from Mexico City to Armenia. Colombia is also home to international megastars Shakira and Juanes, who will represent Colombia by singing at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Though the Colombian National Soccer Team did not punch their ticket to South Africa, Colombia will host the 2011 FIFA "Under 20" World Cup and intends to make a serious bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

Colombian sports are on the rise as a useful public diplomacy resource. Five-time All-Star Edgar Rentería opened the door to Major League Baseball for his country and recently established the first professional league in Colombia. Juan Pablo Montoya and Camilo Villegas continue to compete (and win) internationally in NASCAR and PGA respectively. Even the former FARC stronghold of Villavicencio has garnered international praise for hosting the annual Cowgirl World Championships. Colombian athletes competing in other countries' professional leagues and the increasing number of international sporting events hosted in Colombia demonstrate the potential sports diplomacy has for re-branding the country.

Colombia put down some serious pesos in hosting the South American Games. The inauguration ceremony featured world-class pyrotechnics and the choreography of Cirque du Soleil director Franco Dragone. Colombian Public Diplomacy efforts during the games were directed at both athletes and spectators in attendance. Entrance was free to all of the events at the Medellín million-dollar arenas and sports complexes constructed specifically for the Games. Particularly clever was the accommodation of international athletes in the same apartment complexes that Medellín has constructed as part of its urban renewal projects. Consequently, all athletes were issued a Metro pass to utilize Medellín's public transport (which include a MetroRail and Gondolas) to commute between the events and their accommodations. And despite an urban terror offensive by the FARC, not one act of violence managed to disrupt the Games in Medellin.

Though this is not Colombia's first time hosting an international sporting event, the South American Games may have been its most important. Less than twenty years ago, Medellín was known as "the most dangerous city in the world," leading global homicides with 381 per 100,000 inhabitants. Hosting international events in Colombia's most infamous city is perhaps the best way of demonstrating the leaps and bounds Colombia has made in recent years to those who continue to doubt its progress. In any case, Colombian sports diplomacy will hopefully function as another cultural commodity in re-branding the country's image and distancing itself from its tumultuous past.

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Miles Knowles is a graduate of the Master of Public Diplomacy program at the University of Southern California. His interests and areas of expertise are Cultural Diplomacy and Sustainable Development in Latin America. He is currently living in South America doing freelance NGO work and blogging about his experience at http://rockstardiplomat.blogspot.com/

Neon Tommy- Let's Make a Nuclear Deal by Katherina Jawaharlal 4.5.10

Let's Make A Nuclear Deal

by Katherina Jawaharlal
Columnist

Creative Commons Licensed (Lucias Clay)

The US and Russia have come a long way since the Cold War. 

On April 8, 2010 the US and Russia will sign a new nuclear deal, a demonstration of mutual trust between two nuclear heavyweights. The signing in Prague will officiate the long-standing discussions that began in April 2009 for the first new nuclear treaty since the expiration of the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) in December. 

President Obama and President Medvedev represent the world's largest nuclear arsenal, 95 percent of all nuclear weapons are held by the superpowers. The new treatywill limit operationally deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550 - down from current levels of 2,200 to 2,700. 

Following the 2002 Moscow Treaty, where both states agreed to cut strategic nuclear warheads to 1,700-2,200 by 2012, the US and Russia are about to banish all Cold War sentiments and set a precedence in actively disengaging their nuclear arsenal. 

Though lingering hesitation from Republicans in the US and conservative defense experts in Russia, the diplomacy implications are positive on both ends. For the US, Russia is a key player in Iran and an important source of support in Afghanistan. Improving relations and fostering mutual trust is a priority for President Obama.  A US-Russian nuclear treaty will bolster global unity in reining in 'rogue states,' including Iran and North Korea. Kudos to Obama for bolstering global support and building momentum for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty security summit to be held in the US this May. 

The Kremlin's chips lie in their nuclear arsenal, keeping Russia a formidable global power despite the economic repercussions of the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union. While signing a new and improved START agreement is in Medvedev's best interest, there are those in his country, including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who just can't seem to relinquish power and who are wary of dismantling Russia's weaponry.  

"America needs nuclear weapons less and less, because it is shifting its focus toward high-precision conventional weapons of both defensive and offensive types. Russia, on the other hand, depends increasingly upon its nuclear deterrent as the bedrock of our national security." said Alexander Konovalov, President of the independent Institute for Strategic Assessments in Moscow. 

However, Russia has much to gain in soft power by committing to decrease their formidable nuclear arsenal. 

Nuclear cooperation between Russia and the US has no doubt taken a turn for the better. By aligning themselves against the threat of a nuclear Iran and increasingly menacing North Korea, the two nuclear hegemonies are in a peculiar position of embracing nuclear diplomacy. 

Though a long way to go from complete dismantlement, the reduction in nuclear arsenal is a positive message to the non-nuclear holding state signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. While rumor has it that the delay in signing the treaty is due to differences between Obama and Medvedev, it's pretty good timing for Obama before theNuclear NPT Security Summit. 

Bolstering U.S. image abroad by decreasing nuclear arsenal has never been so timely.

http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/04/lets-make-a-nuclear-deal.html

Neon Tommy- A Policy for the Cuban People by Danielle Skloven 3.31.10

A Policy For The Cuban People
by Danielle Skloven 

Contributor

Creative Commons Licensed (Franco Cheung)

Throngs of protestors turned out for marches in cities around the world (includingLos Angeles) last weekend to draw attention to the plight of political dissidents in Cuba. These demonstrations followed an event on Thursday of last week in Miami attended by tens of thousands and led by Cuban-American musician Gloria Estefan.

The protests were spurred by an incident that took place a week ago in Havana. Cuban security forces attacked the so-called "Ladies in White"--mothers, daughters, and wives of political prisoners--and dragged them off the streets into awaiting vans. The Ladies were walking silently holding flowers as they do each year to commemorate the anniversary of "Black Spring," the day the Cuban government jailed 75 human rights activists.

Will the increased level of clamor from abroad push Cuban leadership to rethink its policy? Not likely. Although Obama openly condemned the regime's repressive tactics last week, only time will tell whether or not these words are supported by substantive deeds. Earlier in his term, Obama hinted at a rapprochement with Havana by easing restrictions on Cuban-American travel to the island and initiating talks on migration issues and resumption of direct mail service. Obama's stick-and-carrot strategy of relaxing some policies while maintaining a message of disapproval for Cuba's human rights record has failed to engage leaders in Cuba.

Raul Castro has repeatedly attacked Washington for its (often secret) support of Cuban dissidents, labeling the U.S an imperialist force bent of regaining control over Cuba. Such imagery finds sympathy in the hearts of many Cubans, who easily recall American military forays into various Caribbean nations throughout the twentieth century. Meanwhile, it is widely recognized that the State Department funds opposition groups within Cuba and in Miami--a constant stick in the eye of the Cuban Communist party.

The recent death of a dissident after a prolonged hunger strike illustrates the unwavering obstinacy of the Cuban government to give in to pressure -- either internal or external.  Rather than provoking the ire of the regime through inflammatory Martí broadcasts (which are mostly blocked by the Cuban government and thus a drain on U.S. funding) and pro-democracy leaflets, U.S. efforts should be focused on providing basic needs to the Cuban people - not political ideology. 

By offering the citizens of Cuba much-needed medical supplies, food, and other necessities, the U.S. will be implicitly illustrating the merits of democracy. Furthermore, such policies would undermine Cuban officials' constant effort to vilify the U.S. as the source of the island nation's woes.

If the current tension in Washington-Havana relations can be lowered, the possibility of allowing American tourists back on the island may ultimately become a reality. In November, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) drafted a bipartisan Senate bill calling for an end to the ban on Americans traveling to Cuba. If such a policy became law, people-to-people contacts between the two nations would increase exponentially. Ordinary American citizens are often the most effective ambassadors, and such contact would do much to eliminate distrust between the two nations. 

Danielle Skloven is in her second year of the Masters of Public Diplomacy program. She has worked in international advertising and PR as well as with the World Trade Center-LA. Danielle received a BA of International Relations from USC as well. 

This op-ed is part of a partnership between Neon Tommy and the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars.


http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/03/a-policy-for-the-cuban-people.html

The Huffington Post- This Isn't Your Parents' Cultural Diplomacy by Tala Mohebi 3.26.10

Tala Mohebi

Posted: March 26, 2010 03:32 PM

This Isn't Your Parents' Cultural Diplomacy

It used to be that Dizzy Gillespie was dispatched by the U.S. Department of State to play overseas and Cold War divisions were gently eased. In 1956, this simple offering allowed foreign publics to find new ways to relate to Americans and their musical ingenuity. Similarly, the Ping Pong diplomats of the 1970's that took sports culture and broke down hardened barriers of entry into China proved to be a great and often cited success of cultural diplomacy functioning for policy. While these traditional types of exchange continue to supplement state-to-state diplomatic relations, communicating with foreign publics needs to adapt to the ever-changing communications landscape.

The end of the Cold War signaled many changes in the offices charged with conducting public and cultural diplomacy. Significantly, the budgets set aside for cultural programs have tended to decline while the demands of engaging broader (including more age-diverse) publics have continued to increase. This paradox has been especially apparent through haphazard and compulsive cultural programs put forward by the United States. Alternatively, many countries have used the post 9/11 period to pursue innovative programs working with new technologies and communication networks.

As an example, the Nigerian film industry, known as "Nollywood," has come to play a significant role in representing the country both regionally and internationally. Nollywood came to prominence in the early 1990's and has since become the second largest movie industry in terms of annual production, overtaking Hollywood in the process. The types of films produced vary in their genres and stories, but a significant element of creating over 1,000 movies annually, is the ability to represent stories from this African country from the viewpoint of its inhabitants. No longer is the image of Africa solely shown through the lens of Western media. Changing the storyteller's perspective has broadened and balanced the realities of life in Africa. Recognizing this opportunity, the Minister of Information and Communication of Nigeria enlisted Nollywood in 2009 to serve as part of its rebranding project. Using film as a central part of this initiative, the Nigerian government hopes to distinguish its country and reveal the cultural assets it can offer. Nollywood films are available in remote areas of Africa and to American viewers through Internet and satellite connections. The opportunities for rebranding Nigeria's image and opening space for dialogue about the art coming from Africa are precisely what makes Nollywood a prime example of a new wave of cultural diplomacy.

While Nigeria directly reached out to its Nollywood community for assistance with public diplomacy programs, other countries have begun to recognize the power of their cultural assets. Japan has recently begun to harness the vast amount of interest and excitement generated by its manga (comics) and anime (animated film) arts. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has recently tapped into this wealth of curiosity to incorporate its public diplomacy messages into the dissemination of these art forms. Initiatives have been launched to promote Japanese language studies as well as travel and tourism to Japan through various expos and other pop-culture events. Additionally MOFA has made direct use of these cultural assets by appointing, for example, an anime Ambassador who has hosted nearly 120 screenings of anime movies in over 60 cities around the world. These programs are not intended to replace other, more traditionally focused elements of public diplomacy, but the openness to engaging with younger generations interested in this aspect of Japanese culture points to the adaptability and potential for furthering Japanese cultural diplomacy programs.

Present day cultural diplomacy bears the characteristic mark of being influenced by ever-greater and more physically distant individuals connecting through new forms of communications technologies. The Internet and tools of social networking create real-time dialogue that relays messages and responses in addition to channeling visual and audio materials that previously would have been filtered through television or radio outlets to determine if they would ever be made available to the public. In the new communication landscape, as the amount of cultural content available broadens its content becomes more diverse.

Cultural diplomats may raise eyebrows about the particular arts and content being used today. But as always, the subjective nature of culture leaves endless room to debate each item a country presents as representative of its nation's offerings. The value of a cultural diplomacy program can only be gauged by its ability to engage with foreign audiences and adapt to their means of communicating in meaningful ways. Nigeria and Japan, as two of countless countries that can be selected for their innovative programs, have proven yet again that the role of culture in public dialogue cannot be overvalued. Promoting understanding through the sharing of cultural programs continues to be a vital element in the promotion of a state's interests no matter how different the content may look over the years.

Tala Mohebi is a graduate student in Masters of Public Diplomacy program at the University of Southern California. She is Editor-in-Chief of Public Diplomacy Magazine, a bi-annual publication that brings together works from scholars and practitioners in the field of public diplomacy.

CPD/APDS Blog- Korean Tacos and Kimchi Diplomacy by Paul Rockower 3.25.10

KOREAN TACOS AND KIMCHI DIPLOMACY
MAR 25, 2010Posted by APDS Bloggers
All posts by APDS Bloggers


APDS Blogger: Paul Rockower

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
- James Beard

South Korea has recently launched a serious re-branding effort. The South Korean government has been worried that the country’s brand has been underperforming in years past, and not at the level befitting a country that is the solid middle power that South Korea believes itself to be. There was consternation at the fact that Korean brands had better awareness recognition than the country, or that often, when recognized, Korean brands were mistaken for Japanese models.

Seoul has held public diplomacy commissions and brought in the experts to discuss how to raise awareness of Korea in the international community. The government tried various slogans with the appropriate buzzwords that never exactly connected or meant anything (‘Sparkling'? 'Be Inspired'? Really?).

One area that the Korean government has recently chosen as a target for outreach is the realm of gastrodiplomacy. Gastrodiplomacy, simply put, is the act of winning hearts and minds through stomachs. The technique of gastrodiplomacy was perfected by Thailand as it used its kitchens and restaurants as outposts of cultural diplomacy. Given the growing popularity of Thai restaurants around the globe the government of Thailand implemented the “Global Thai program” in 2002 as a means to increase the number of Thai restaurants worldwide.

The Thai government’s rationale, The Economist noted, was that the boom in restaurants would, “ not only introduce delicious spicy Thai food to thousands of new tummies and persuade more people to visit Thailand, but it could subtly help deepen relations with other countries.”

More recently, the Los Angeles dining scene has been abuzz with Korean-Mexican fusion cuisine. The Kogi Taco Truck, which sends out its location via Twitter and features Korean-Mexican fusion fare, has become a veritable cult phenomenon on the LA dining scene. When it first opened, lines snaked for up to two hours, as hungry diners waited to eat barbecued beef tacos slathered in Korean “salsa roja,” and topped with cilantro, onions, cabbage slaw and soy-sesame chili. The Los Angeles Times comments on the popularity, “perhaps it’s the exquisite cultural co-mingling inherent in the food that draws the crowds; the only-in-LA combination of two of the city’s most beloved ethnic cuisines.”

According to Kogi owner Roy Choi, the idea, “was to bring his ethnic background together with the sensibility and geography of Los Angeles, where Koreatown abuts Latin-dominated neighborhoods in midcity, and where food cultures have long merged. Former Mexican restaurants, now Korean, serve burritos, and Mexican workers populate the kitchens of Korean restaurants.” The popularity of Kogi and Korean-Mexican fusion food has led to a mushrooming of Korean taco trucks getting involved in the act, although Kogi is still the best (in my opinion). Korean taco trucks have now also begun to pop up in New York.

Moreover, other ethnic foods are also pushing fusion cuisine like the Indian-Mexican tikka tacos and chicken masala quesadillas available at 23rd Street Café near USC, Japanese tacos found in Little Tokyo and Chinese tacos fromDon Chow’s (the ginger lime-marinated tofu tacos are incredible). Most recently, I found a Mexi-terranean taco truck called Kabob Express that served shwarma tacos.

The point of this blog is not to cause hunger pangs, but to point out one of the most serious and central components of Public Diplomacy: listening. When public diplomacy actors pay attention to local and global public opinion rather than gluttonously engaging in advocacy, they are more adept at taking advantage of unorthodox openings created by authentic cultural innovations to carry out enhanced public diplomacy.

At present, the preponderance of various fusion food trucks led to an LA Street Food Festival. It would have been a wise PD investment for the Korean Consulate of Los Angeles to help sponsor such an event, or try to push something similar. For all that Korea is spending trying to rebrand itself and push Korean gastrodiplomacy, it would be better served listening and looking for examples of organic, authentic and homegrown outlets of cultural gastrodiplomacy like the Korean taco truck. My advice is not free, mind you - the Korean Consulate may kindly pay my consulting fees in the form of bulgogi tacos covered in kimchi.

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Paul Rockower, gastronomist, is a candidate for a Master’s of Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. He is the Communications Chair for the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars (APDS) and a Contributing Researcher at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy.
http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/newswire/cpdblog_detail/korean_tacos_and_kimchi_diplomacy/

CPD/APDS Blog- Google Diplomacy by Peter Winter 3.25.10

GOOGLE DIPLOMACY
MAR 25, 2010Posted by APDS Bloggers
All posts by APDS Bloggers


APDS Blogger: Peter Winter 

Is Google bold? It takes some serious courage to stand up to the gatekeepers of the world’s biggest market. By refusing to kowtow to the Chinese censors, the tech company that built its fortunes on the free flow of information stood up for its business model, not to mention the ideals of its home country.

Even the act itself was elegant. Rather than simply shutting down its Chinese website, Google transferred all visitors to the censorship-free Hong Kong website. It is still China, right? This “diplomatic” approach allowed the Silicon Valley giant to cross the cavernous fault line between morality and business.

Or is Google dumb? The Chinese powers that be have already hit back, charging Google with breaking its written promise to the country and acting as a White House pawn. The company’s hopes of protecting its advertising and research divisions within China are fading fast as state media and government officials lash out.

You often hear about how important “face” is in China. Similar to one’s reputation in the West, the concept has a more collectivist tint in the Middle Kingdom. People will go to seemingly absurd lengths to save face - if you have ever seen a street side shouting match in Beijing, then you have some sense of just how important one’s public appearance is to the Chinese.

Perhaps the worst possible way to get the Chinese government to change is by making them lose face. In almost every diplomatic tussle between the two countries, a head-on approach invariably leads to both sides digging in. There is a saying popular among American diplomats in China: It means “steadfast and unwavering,” and is regularly evoked in regards to the U.S.’s One-China policy (there is only one China on either side of the Strait). The same idiom perfectly captures China’s central government: while U.S. foreign policy can be stubborn, Chinese foreign policy is downright immovable.

The best approach is to push China’s leaders from the side, deflecting their energies toward more beneficial ends. Rather than confront the government outright, Google could have better served its own interests through quiet, backdoor negotiation. Perhaps Silicon Valley has a ways to go in its foreign policy.

What is unclear, however, is how Google’s move is influencing the Chinese public. Are ordinary people content without a free flow of information? The flowers left at the company’s front door make me think no. It’s not that Google’s move is an “Oh my god! We are being censored!” moment, but it may serve as the tipping point for an already simmering public, ready to join the modern, technology-open world.

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Peter Winter is a second year student in the Master of Public Diplomacy program, and managing editor of US-China Today.

http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/newswire/cpdblog_detail/google_diplomacy/

Neon Tommy- The Broadband Dilemma by Brian Tenenbaum 3.23.10

The Broadband Dilemma
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by Brian Tenenbaum
Contributor

Creative Commons Licensed (Daniel R. Blume)

If you watched the Superbowl this year, or happen to be a die hard Luke Wilson fan, you may have noticed the corporate flame war that has erupted in advertising between cell phone providers AT&T  and Verizon Wireless. Both companies contend that their respective networks provide superior coverage. However, the issue at hand is the ability of these providers to boost their network capacity to handle the spread of smart phones. 

Last year AT&T briefly halted sales of the iPhone in New York City due to rolling blackouts in service. Customers using the popular smart phone made up less than ten percent of local subscribers, yet were using a majority of the available network capacity to access the Internet. 

AT&T and Verizon are faced with the daunting task of building competitive high speed Internet and telecommunications networks to meet the needs of the growing smart phone market. Many smart phones currently have the ability to tether, which allows other devices, such as laptops, to access the Internet through the phone. AT&T has shut off this feature in its smart phones because its network cannot handle the additional load. Customers may not tolerate restricted functionality for long when premium data plans can cost up to an additional $80 a month. 

Verizon is in the midst of an $18 billion network upgrade, but this will only benefit 18 million home subscribers. For its part, AT&T has boosted spending on infrastructure development, but it is not enough to meet future demand. Both companies have scrambled to install newer and more advanced cell phone towers in big cities like New York and San Francisco, but this is only a temporary fix. 

The reality is that the cost of upgrading the telecommunications networks that provide Internet, television, and cell phone service in the United States is too costly for any one company to do by itself.

Yet in the recently released National Broadband Plan, the Federal Communications Commission recommended to Congress that boosting competition between telecommunications providers will push the market to upgrade. So far the competition between AT&T and Verizon has produced a price war over data plans and cell service, but no progress on upgrading their respective networks for the long term. 

Americans are increasingly conducting financial transactions and streaming high definition video using mobile services. Mobile productivity boosts the productivity of subscribers, and with greater network capacity, costs can be reduced drastically. 

The Obama administration, Congress and the FCC should consider providing greater incentives and regulations to foster a comprehensive upgrade to the nation's broadband networks. In South Korea, consumers enjoy the fastest cell phone networks and Internet access in the world. Unlike in the United States, the telecommunications providers are state-owned.  

The U.S. government may not be ready for a broadband society, but the consumer surely is. 

Brian Tenenbaum is a first-year progressive student in the USC Public Diplomacy program. He is actively researching virtual education and exchange in the context of cultural diplomacy. 

This op-ed is part of a partnership between Neon Tommy and the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars.

http://blogs.uscannenberg.org/neontommy/2010/03/the-broadband-dilemma.html