The members of the Public Diplomacy Council
1. “TALKING ABOUT RACE” These are fast-moving, tumultuous, troubled and historic times that challenge all Americans, and they remind all of us how difficult it is to talk about race. An avalanche of media messages, horrific and powerful images, and statements are “out there” reflecting a range of reactions and emotions – sadness, anger, disappointment,…
JBJohnsonJoe B. Johnson consults on government communication and technology after a career in the United States Foreign Service and seven years in the private sector. He is an instructor for the National Foreign Affairs Training Center, where he teaches strategic planning for public diplomacy. Read More
1. George Floyd and America’s Image The tragic, painful, and unprecedented events surrounding the murder of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of a white policeman in Minneapolis continue to deeply affect the country and damage America’s image around the world. Our ambassadors and PD officers are surely being challenged to explain how…
We have just welcomed our 12th Rising Professional member to the Public Diplomacy Council! One PDC member recently asked me why I am so excited and investing so much effort in this new membership category. Three main reasons come to mind. First, the category came about through a series of group discussions among graduate students,…
This is the Season of the year when we offer family, friends, and colleagues various wishes and positive admonitions – Best wishes for the Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Have a prosperous New Year…Whatever phrases you use, you are letting them know that you hope all unfolds well for them during this special time of…
Ambassador Linda Jewell, who died November 18, was treasurer of the Public Diplomacy Council and a longstanding board member, active up to the time of her passing. She was one of the most distinguished public diplomacy officers of that generation in charge when the U.S. Information Agency was abolished and incorporated into the State Department…
When you’re my age, twenty years pass in the blink of an eye. On an autumn day in 1999, I was standing by a bank of elevators watching office furniture exiting the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) building in Southwest Washington, enroute to its new location in the State Department. I was deputy director of USIA’s…
Norway is a stunningly beautiful, strikingly picturesque Scandinavian country. Its five and a half million citizens thrive in a land slightly larger than New Mexico. Less well known is Norway’s nearly 120 years of peace building around the globe, in many ways, a triumph of public diplomacy. The Heil family of three generations had a…
A capacity crowd filled a 6th floor lecture hall at George Washington University’s School of International Studies. It was the First Monday Forum on June 3 of public diplomacy specialists and GWU students. They came to hear Dr. Nicholas J. Cull of the University of Southern California, an internationally known scholar and advocate of the…
I was surprised and very pleased to be invited to be the commencement speaker this year at Keuka College. I have been working with the College for the past several years on its programs in Viet Nam and elsewhere and came to know several members of the Keuka faculty and administration through our common service…