Less than a week before the end of President Trump’s term in office January 20, at least 30 VOA journalists and staff members petitioned for the immediate resignation of its new director Robert R. Reilly, and his recently appointed deputy director Elizabeth Robbins. As the Washington Post reported: “Simmering tensions between journalists and managers at…
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1. A CHILLING WAKE-UP CALL AND THE “INFORMATION WAR”: As Americans — and people around the world — continue to struggle to understand the stomach-churning January 6, 2021 insurrection in the Capitol and the historic second impeachment of President Trump, one concern is crying out for attention: the intersection between democracy and technology. Policymakers, social media…
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This article was originally published in the USC CPD Blog. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any agency of the U.S. Government. The goal of professional training isn’t simply to impart new knowledge, but to get the trainee to integrate and…
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1.CHAOS IN THE CAPITOL AND DEMOCRACY: Any public diplomacy officer who has ever served in a so-called “banana republic” or Third World country — with authoritarian leadership, muzzled media, unfair elections, weak law enforcement, violence, and corruption — could not have been comfortable with the ugliness they viewed on January 6, 2021. As the rioters…
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January 6, 2021, is a day that will live in infamy, not only in the United States but among tens of millions of friends and allies abroad and millions of Americans here at home. The assault by protestors on the U. S. Capitol is an unprecedented 21st-Century challenge for our nation’s public diplomacy. WHAT WAS…
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New Year resolutions that matter. There are millions of these, circulating the globe. Here are some of my favorites — past and present. All are a public diplomacy challenge to the U.S. and its allies, as noted below. 1.The tragedy of COVID-19 continues to be overwhelming, especially in developing countries. New York Times columnist Nicholas…
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1. THE WESTERN SAHARA PUBLIC DIPLOMACY CHALLENGES: President Trump’s historic December 10, 2020 proclamation recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara has created new U.S. policy — and PD — challenges. That territory has long been controversial, and it is quite an uncharted area for traditional diplomacy. After Spain withdrew from its then-colony in 1975, Morocco…
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In a lead editorial entitled “The Plague Year,” The Economist minces no words: “Like the COVID-19 endemic, climate change is impervious to populace denials, global in the destruction it causes and will be far more costly to deal with in the future if it is neglected now. “Something good can come from the misery of…
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From a tiny Persian Gulf country to brightly decorated homes throughout America, new friendships span faith traditions and signal hope and peace for countless millions in the year ahead. Washington Post correspondent Steve Hendrix visits Dubai to observe the arrival in brightly illuminated market squares of an unprecedented tour by an estimated 10,000 Israeli Jews,…
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1. UNIQUE HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS: It’s good to have a sense of humor and creativity, especially if you do public diplomacy work during these challenging times. One small business that is helping meet the gift-giving needs of people who care about diplomacy is called Burn Bag Gear. A veteran-owned small business, it has an online catalog…
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