The Public Diplomacy Blog

Justice Katju, Salman Rushdie and the Jaipur Lit Fest

2012-01-28T20:46:00.000+05:30

Press Council of India chairman, Markenday Katju's observation that Salman Rushdie is a "poor" and "sub-standard" writer generated considerable debates over the last three days. While Justice Katju was voicing his own opinion on Rushdie's writing (I remain a Rushdie fan) he raised interesting questions about the Jaipur literary festival.

'Jaipur Lit Fest' (JLF) as it is popularly called has become a platform for India' public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy initiatives in the recent times. However, Justice Katju observed that during the festival,

"there was not enough serious discussion about indigenous literature at the festival, naming Kabir, Premchand, Sharat Chandra, Ghalib and Faiz as writers whose works could have been discussed."

Justice Katju criticised educated Indians and stated that they “suffer from the colonial inferiority complex” and have a fascination for writers (Indian origin writers) based out of London or New York. I had written a post on the CPD Blog of USC Annenberg where I talked about the potential of India' regional literature to influence global popular culture . Justice Katju's observations are significant in the context of the participation of the state in discourses in such platforms. He may not be off the mark completely. I subscribe to the Hindustan Times, which among other thing, boasts of an edit team with 'evolved literary sensibilities'. The newspaper has dedicated a separate section for the Lit Fest and unfortunately most of the writers featured there happen to be the "Indian origin writer from the East Coast" or foreign writers of repute. Considering the fact that JLF is a media spectacle it is not surprising. However, does Indian literature stop at that? How are we looking at JLF to tell India's story from a public diplomacy perspective?

Nonetheless, to be fair to Hindustan Times, I was glad to read Amit Chaudhuri's comments on the Rushdie controversy and JLF in the opinion pages today. Commenting on the very closed world of Indian liberals, Chaudhuri observed,

"Liberalism is not just a matter of solidarity, but of an openness to people, even strangers, of disparate social backgrounds, who haven't necessarily been domesticated into the mainstream, and who come together out of a shared respect for the realm of ideas. One has to admit that this isn't the case in India; that our liberals are too over-familiar with one another, and comfortably so. An idea of freedom that emerges out of a closed world, from a sense of entitlement rather than from constant intellectual striving, can experience its crises with only so much urgency."

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

‘New Urban Cultures’ strengthen ties between Spain and India

2011-12-23T20:17:00.001+05:30

The Government of Spain's Ministry of Culture - Casa Asia, the Cervantes Institute and the Spanish embassy in New Delhi joined hands to promote the Spanish 'cultural industries' in India through the third edition of “New Urban Cultures” programme. The two-day event that took place on Dec 17^th & 18th represented the best possible amalgamation of Indian and Spanish culture in fashion, video games, sports, music, design, gastronomy and films. The program showcases the diversity and creativity inherent in Spanish culture to young Indians and encourages a dialogue and exchange between professionals, designers and artists in the 'national cultural industries' of both countries. The program seeks to take advantage of India's growing political and cultural clout in the international arena, and a growing interest about the world among Indians, to create a forum that can explore possibilities of 'cultural industries' in these countries to collaborate.

The first day started with the dialogue on ‘Fashion and Design’ by designer Ritu Kumar, Spanish artist Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and hosted by Jivi Sethi. On the occasion, an exhibition of Agatha Prada's graphic work from diverse fields such as marketing communications to fashion was inaugurated. It was followed by a dialogue on ‘Video games and Digital content’ by Xavier Carrillo, CEO of Digital Legends and Vishal Gondal, CEO of Indiagames, hosted by Iván F. Lobo, president of the academy of Arts and Interactive Sciences in Spain and director of Gamelab Barcelona. The last talk of the day ‘Gastronomy’ was presented by José Luis Galiana of Basque Culinary Center, the first university-level education centre in Gastronomic Sciences in Europe.

L to R: Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Jivi Sethi and Ritu Kumar at the exhibition 'Carteles''

The second day of the event highlighted the film and music industry of both the countries. Young and notable directors Raj Kumar Gupta (Aamir, 2008 and No one killed Jessica, 2007) and Kike Maíllo (Eva, 2011) talked about the new filmmaking trends in Spain and India. Music was the final treat of the programme that included a concert by the emerging group Fuel Fandango that played pop music mixed with flamenco sounds. Another highlight of the two day event was a performance by Sunny Singh, the founder of first professional bollywood dance company in Europe ‘Bailamos Bollywood.’

Speaking on the occassion, Juan José Herrera de la Muela, director-general of Casa Asia said, “India is the subject of utmost interest in Spanish foreign action programmes, and the promotion of the cultural industries in India, along with the development of education, culture and the economy is a priority for Casa Asia.”

Casa Asia is a public diplomacy institution formed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Spanish Government, the Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council and Madrid City Council. Its mission is to promote knowledge concerning Asia in Spain and to foster relations between the civil societies of Spain and Asian countries.

-- Madhur

'Emotional connect' in the elections in Egypt

2011-12-06T09:43:00.001+05:30

So we all know the results of the elections in Egypt. Muslim Brotherhood leads with radical Salafists coming a close second. In fact Islamist parties cornered two-thirds of the votes in the elections. On March 21, 2011, I had clearly written in my blog that it is too early to write off Islam as a political force as a result of the Arab Spring. In a bit of kamikaze thinking, I also applied the Gartner Hype Cycle to explain why religion might become central to Arab political discourse after the Arab Spring. You can read the post here - Revolutions and emotions in Middle East. By this time we also know that Tunisia has turned 'green' and Libya intends to do so as well.

History has showed us time and again that revolutions often lead to 'millenarian' expectations that often results in it becoming reactionary or throwing up results that maybe unanticipated. This is not to suggest that the victory of Islamists is a reactionary development; it might be good for those countries and the world in general. They were elected by a democratic process. Just that we don't know yet.

Religion is emotional and appeals to the heart and so has wider appeal than political concepts. It can be felt and doesn't need to be learnt unlike a political concept. Besides, religion promises final salvation, the education and training for which begins at home. It is also not alien and is instead steeped in the local customs, culture and folklore. It is familiar, pure and can be trusted. It is what in communications we call the 'emotional connect.' In societies where religion has always been central it is no surprise that people have expressed their faith in Islamists. Congratulations to the people of Egypt for successfully electing a government of their choice!

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

No Child Born To Die

2011-11-27T12:32:00.001+05:30

I am currently involved in another advocacy project that aims to use social media to mobilize Indian citizens. This Right to Health campaign was inaugurated by acclaimed Indian actor Shabana Azmi, who is also the ambassador for the NGO, Save The Children that's running the campaign called "No Child Born To Die."

International NGOs seem to have more faith in the power of social media than most private sector companies. More than generating awareness, these campaigns are used mostly to build a soft pressure on the policymakers and government from the Indian middle class in urban areas. The No Child Born To Die campaign hopes to create a people's movement to demand better healthcare facilities for every mother and child in India by increasing the share of budget allocation for healthcare to 5% of GDP, from the current 1.1%.

The campaign runs on a webportal where one can sign up to show support for the cause. More the sign-ups the better it is. It will run parallel with a focused publicity campaign leading up to the Union budget 2012, demanding increased spend on healthcare by the Government of India. Last week, to give the campaign action a wider visibility among public and media in New Delhi, India, Save the Children showcased people’s support on a huge screen, 60 feet by 50 feet, mounted at the Statesman House, a landmark building, in the heart of New Delhi. This was a first of its kind stunt by an NGO in India.

Wall of Fame at Statesman House, New Delhi

The need for this campaign was felt given the following alarming statistics on healthcare in India:

Every 20 seconds, a child is dying in India due to PREVENTABLE diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia.
India has the highest number of children dying, more than anywhere in the world.
These children are dying even before they are five years old. According to a report prepared by Save The Children, every year, 1.73 million children die in India even before the age of five. And nearly one million of them die within the first month of their life.
India ranks lowest in public healthcare spending. South Asian neighbors like Nepal & Bangladesh spend more than India on healthcare.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that all developing countries must allocate five per cent of GDP on health. India's current spend is only 1.2 per cent with a goal to increase it to 2.7 per cent by 2017.

Do support the cause.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Survey of attitudes by India's PD division

2011-10-23T11:47:00.000+05:30

The Public Diplomacy division of Government of India in collaboration with the Center for Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania, is conducting a survey of attitudes with regard to India's foreign policy. It is a survey of 'elite attitudes' - given that fact that it is a survey of international relations faculty in Indian academic institutions - and is a first of its kind exercise undertaken by the PD division.

It is currently also being conducted at the first National Conference on International Relations - Shifting Sands: India in the Changing Global Order, in New Delhi, India. The introduction to the survey states,

"... there is relatively little understanding about what Indians take to be the nature of international politics, and correspondingly, how their power and influence should be used. This survey seeks to help better understand Indian attitudes on the role of power, order, force and justice in international politics. How will the interplay of long-held beliefs, India's vision of itself, the rise of new actors and institutions and India's changing relationship with the West influence India's worldview and role in global affairs?"

It will be interesting to see the results of this survey, which has good news potential as well. The conference in itself is a first time initiative by the PD division to create a forum for Indian academics, policymakers and practitioners of international relations to meet, network and exchange ideas.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Guest Post: Public Diplomacy researchers from USC to visit India

2011-10-16T11:25:00.000+05:30

By Maya Babla

This December, a group of seven graduate students from the Master of Public Diplomacy program at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism in Los Angeles will embark on a journey to India. We will visit New Delhi and Mumbai, meeting with a range of stakeholders interested in how this global player is positioning itself to foreign and domestic audiences.

Our research will assess the role of each of these actors: public, private, and nonprofit, as well as media and academia—and seeks to understand how they create the public diplomacy ecosystem in India. We will survey a wide range of ‘diplomacies’—from cultural to economic to citizen-powered initiatives—to understand how each of these is contributing to communicating the idea of India. Along the way, we'll be reporting on our findings through the project’s website, India: Inside Out. The objective of the website is to spark a larger dialogue on the relevance and value of public diplomacy within the international affairs and communications communities, but we invite those from all fields to participate.

As part of the team, I started the conversation last week by offering my own definition of public diplomacy. In the coming weeks, each of the members of the India: Inside Out team will be writing about our particular research areas before our trip, our impressions of India upon our arrival, and once we’ve delved in, our analysis of what that public diplomacy ecosystem looks like.

-- Maya Babla, Master of Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California

Maya Babla is a student and researcher at USC's Public Diplomacy program. This December she will lead a USC delegation to study India's PD efforts.

* Guests posts are opinions of respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Public Diplomacy Blog. They are published here as a part of the blog's mission to create a forum for discussion on Public Diplomacy.

The "India is ……." Global Video Contest

2011-10-01T09:42:00.001+05:30

New Delhi, Sept 30, 2011 (News Release): The Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi, is launching a global initiative called the “India is ………. “, aimed at encouraging individuals and countries around the world to think of India in interesting, pervasive and positive ways. For this purpose, a Global Video contest is being organized on the following three themes:

( i ) India is …………….. Colourful

( ii ) India is …………….. Creative

( iii ) India is …………….. Wherever You are

2. Under this programme, a 3 minute video film about India on one of the above mentioned themes is being invited from anyone interested in participating in the programme. Detailed information on the programme, including rules and regulations as also the procedure to participate is available on the website www.indiais.org,

3. The programme will run from from October 1 – December 31, 2011.

4. Ministry of External Affairs will be organizing an event in March 2013 where the winning entries will be recognized and will be rewarded suitably. You are invited to take part in this very interesting programme along with your family, friends and colleagues.

Find details of the contest in the following video created by the PD division:

Also check my recent piece - Communicating the Idea of India - for CPD Blog at USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Understanding the Indian Digital Consumer

2011-09-18T13:20:00.000+05:30

I attended a talk recently by business analyst & strategy consultant, Mr Mohit Chhabra, (currently, Business Head at Skillment Edu) on the rise of the digital consumer in India. Mohit, who is also closely associated with TED gave his audience great insights on the digital revolution that is sweeping the country aided by the penetration of mobile phones in India. Contrary to the general perception that social media/digital platform is an urban phenomenon what emerged during the talk and discussions was that the growth of the digital medium in India will, in fact, be pushed by demand from rural India. According to Census projections of 2010, Government of India, there are 164 million households in rural India - 70% of the population - and this group loves their mobile phones!

There are 3 Indias according to Mohit:

The Metropolitan India
Rur-ban India
Deep Rural India (the group that loves their mobile phones the most.)

In a really interesting example, it was demonstrated that while consumers in India rarely pay (or prefer to pay) for their own education but when it comes to entertainment, have no qualms in spending. In 'deep rural' India, there is a huge demand for entertainment and it has been found that the favorite entertainment device for rural India is the mobile phone. This demand for entertainment according to Mohit will drive adoption of social media and rise of the digital consumer in India. Communicating to 'deep rural India' digitally is more effective if it serves this most important demand - something that communicators must be aware of - the plank of entertainment. I have included Mohit's presentation below:

Indian digital consumer

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Indian bloggers for PD practitioners to engage... ?

2011-08-28T14:19:00.001+05:30

My friend, a certain Mr X, member of the diplomatic corps in New Delhi, asked if it makes any sense to engage bloggers in India. Mr X apparently is being prodded by the 'higher ups' in his country to reach out more to bloggers in India; and my friend believes it is important, but, not so important.

To my 'why' he gave an interesting insight.

Apparently, the free press (militant, vitriolic, opinionated and commercial) and proliferation of media in India makes it unnecessary, unimportant. It's unlike the Middle East where blogs are an outlet to discuss and debate in the absence of a free press. Blogs are influential in countries where there is no space for a public discourse. (?)

If we look at the Indian blogosphere there are indeed very few that are authoritative or 'referred to' blogs in the 'issues' space. For many Indian bloggers the interest areas range from personal hobbies, lifestyle and professional topics.

Classification of blogs in India
by www.indiblogger.in

At the end of our chat I understood where Mr X was coming from. I promised to find him a few!

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Public Diplomacy and the new media landscape

2011-08-14T11:37:00.001+05:30

Public Diplomacy practitioners today deal with a dynamic media landscape. Enabled by technology, ways and means for media production and distribution has changed rapidly. Coupled with this is the decline in revenues, resources and credibility of traditional corporate media giants worldwide. Media today is localized, customized, fragmented, often real time in its distribution, while it is more inclusive, cross cultural and diverse in its production. Besides, there is no longer an 'official credible source,' it can be simply anywhere!

(Jake Horowitz, Co Founder, PolicyMic)

A new media project in this context is PolicyMic. Founded by Harvard and Stanford grads, Chris Altchek and Jake Horowitz, this website is an online platform for news and debate on policy for the younger generation by the younger generation. The portal claims that it stands for the spirit of debate to counter partisanship in traditional media and facilitate, "real conversations about real issues."

I spoke to Jake Horowitz and Hanqing Chen, Assistant Editor, PolicyMic, to understand the project better.

"There is a lack of representation of young voices in media," said Jake. He said content at PolicyMic focuses on young people's perspective on issues. The content can range from head-to-head debates, opinion pieces, enterprise reporting, multimedia stories all produced by a new generation of voices. "PolicyMic offers real engagement from multiple perspectives all across the world," he said.

The website currently boasts of nearly 400 writers contributing from more than 20 countries around the world, including from countries like Estonia, Latvia, South Africa and the Middle East.

There are four writers from India and Jake said that the Lok Pal Bill was a topic widely discussed on the portal.

PolicyMic's attempt to build engagement is unique.

The more a reader/contributor participates by responding to articles, sharing ideas and receive endorsements on contributions, the more 'mics' (credits from others) one can accumulate The more 'mics' one accumulates the more one can do or say to develop an audience and eventually become a 'PolicyMic pundit'.

"We are trying to make Twitter meet The Economist" said Jake.

"It is designed to be a little like a video game where they have to comment on stories and have to be voted in order to move to a different level. In each level, you can do more and say more," he said.

(Hanqing Chen, Assistant Editor, PolicyMic)

"The idea is to find a fun system with the smartest contributors," added Hanqing.

"Success and prestige on our site won't be driven by how loudly you speak, but by how thoughtfully you participate. We believe in debate, and we've built features that allow you to challenge others you disagree with," claims the website in its 'About Us' section.

Hanqing said that comments on contents are received every 6 to 7 minutes on the website which is reflective of its potential to influence.

From a PD perspective, Jake believes that the portal is an effective "cross boundary" discussion forum on policy and international affairs.

These are early days for PolicyMic, as its founders focus on creating a stable revenue model and source funds. However, media such as these offer both an opportunity and a challenge to PD practitioners. While in terms of reach and targeted engagement it can promise a lot; the challenges are in monitoring, crafting messages and responsiveness.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Sri Lanka fails to counter alleged Channel 4 propaganda

2011-07-17T15:29:00.000+05:30

The Asian Tribune recently made an interesting observation on Sri Lanka's Public Diplomacy capabilities. The article refers to the screening of the Channel 4 documentary ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Field’, at the Capitol Hill on July 15. It says,

"...the foreign policy handlers for Sri Lanka in Colombo and Washington failed to use strategic communication and public diplomacy to remove this event from the headlines focusing on the man, McGovern, who has a record of maintaining contacts and supporting terrorist/guerilla movements whose main aim was to destabilize or overthrow democratically elected governments."

It further says,

"This writer who was in the U.S. State Department’s diplomatic outpost in Colombo saw how the American Foreign Service Officers anticipated events, developments and their impact in advance to take appropriate measures to use strategic communication and public diplomacy to act to advance American interests in Sri Lanka or her immediate neighborhood.
The foreign policy advisers of Sri Lanka’s presidential secretariat, those ‘experts’ in the foreign ministry or its overseas representatives need to attend the American Foreign Service Training Institute..."

Most South Asian countries are not very advanced communications societies and bureaucracies therein may not always be adept at navigating the world of global media. For many it may not be worth the time. Sri Lanka is likely to feel the heat all the more in the coming few years with the international community and even Ban Ki Moon himself asking for genuine and thorough investigations into the alleged atrocities committed by the armed forces during the Eelam War IV. The Indian foreign policy establishment in the meantime are ambiguous in their response to the airing of the Channel 4 documentary and has refused to react/comment on the matter. (Read here: Lanka war crimes: No comments, says Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao)

-- Madhur

US Educational Exchange programs in India

2011-06-28T21:18:00.002+05:30

The role of educational exchanges in Public Diplomacy caught my interest since the discussion on Australia-India relations in April. When it comes to educational exchange, the United States has a strong recall in India (Nearly 100,000 Indians study in the US every year). It also contributed to building strong ‘generational bonds’ between both countries with a promise to deepen the strategic partnership further.

To explore educational exchanges between India and United States, I thought it worthwhile to meet with Ms Stephanie F. Morimura, Cultural Attaché for Exchanges, Embassy of United States of America, in New Delhi. Stephanie helped me understand the ‘policy connection’ behind educational exchanges between India and United States better. Stephanie received me at the American Centre and what followed was a stimulating discussion on the role of education in Indo-US relations.

A STRATEGIC INITIATIVE

Stephanie Morimura at the American Centre in New Delhi

Stephanie believes that educational exchange has a significant role to play in strengthening public diplomacy initiatives and furthering strategic goals. In the larger scheme of things, US educational exchange programs are congressionally-funded programs and very much a part of overall strategy of furthering U.S. national interests abroad.

“Every country has strategic goals,” said Stephanie and for United States, exchange programs promote better understanding and cooperation among people of both countries. Eventually, Stephanie said it helps “cooperating better on a range of issues, including security issues, especially regional security.” It’s the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, under the Department of State that is the nodal body administering these programs worldwide. The money that is spent worldwide varies from mission to mission in support of specific goals of every mission.

EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

Most of us who are familiar with Fulbright programs only, Stephanie said the depth and extent of engagement of United States in educational exchange is actually quite comprehensive. For a list of programs that are operational worldwide see the following link: Exchange Programs.

Stephanie talked at length about the International Visitor’s Leadership Program with India. “India has one of the largest programs,” she said. This is actually a demonstration of the deepening ties between both countries at the strategic level. The department’s website describes this program as, “The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Launched in 1940, the IVLP is a professional exchange program that seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through carefully designed short-term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders.”

“Ms Indira Gandhi and President Pratibha Patil have been IVLP fellows,” said Stephanie.

BUILD NETWORKS OF INFLUENCE

The focus of current exchange programs with India is to build networks and sustain those to create an enduring relationship between both countries. This is a paradigm shift from earlier times where it just ended with facilitating an exchange. Stephanie talked passionately about newer domains that her department is moving into like social developmental projects. There are programs for youth from underprivileged sections (who otherwise do not have the means to travel to US) that give opportunities to them to visit the US for summer and year-long study programs. They are supported with a mentorship program when they are back in India and connected with other alums of various programs so that their development is continuous. “We do not want them to flounder when they are back,” said Stephanie of the mentorship program demonstrating a commitment for a long term involvement in the lives of these people and also an appreciation of their need for joining the mainstream once back from United States.

BARRIERS TO EXCHANGES

While the number of visitors from India is huge one of the challenges is the relatively smaller number of Americans who come to India to study. On an average, only 2800 students come to India from United States annually. Most of these come for short term programs. This is a significant barrier for both countries to overcome. “There are infrastructure constraints on Indian campuses and the support system for international visitors needs to be built up.,” said Stephanie.

However the potential for this partnership to grow is huge. “There is also a huge interest in U.S. Universities for partnership with Indian educational institutions and we are actively encouraging that.” She said that the US and India hope to hold a higher education summit in the Fall this year to build ties between educational institutions of both countries.

I asked Stephanie if educational ties contributed to India being listed as among the few countries where US has high positive mindshare according to a Pew Survey last year. “Mutual understanding is the key,” said Stephanie and agrees that educational exchanges enable a better appreciation of U.S. society, values and culture. Educational exchanges are focused on experiential learning and she said, “Nothing beats personal experience.”

Study of United States Institutes (SUSI) alumni

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Public Diplomacy and communications strategy

2011-06-05T19:06:00.000+05:30

One of my consistent arguments in this blog is that for public diplomacy to be effective it is important to be backed by an effective communications strategy. What I also mean by this is that not all PD programs can be/necessarily be like a communications campaign, but, there are communications implications (potential?) nonetheless of any PD program.

What is the story that we want to tell?

An interesting story carried today by Hindustan Times, quoted UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, to a question on how much difference was made to the fight against HIV by cheaper drugs made available from India,

"In 2001, no one had access to treatment. Now 86% of drugs given to poor people are from India. Within 10 years of setting the goal to provide treatment to all, 6.6 million people were on antiretroviral therapy (drugs used to treat HIV infection) at the end of 2010, a nearly 22-fold increase since 2001"

He also said,

"We need new partnerships between India and Africa to transfer technology to help African countries make cheaper Aids drugs"

This statement is important when seen in the context of the recent summit level meetings between India and Africa. This is also a great story that talks a lot about India's scientific prowess, business prowess in the context of drug companies and is also a significant political issue when we consider trade and business issues in the context of global pharmaceutical industry. Does having a communications strategy in place help exploit the potential of such stories - that are so intertwined in politics, diplomacy & human issues of global nature?

The argument for a communications strategy have recently found support in the article "Making public diplomacy work: The need for an effective communications strategy", in the Journal of International Communication, Volume 17, Issue 1, April 2011, by Amit Dasgupta. Dasgupta, who is the current Consul General of India in Sydney and former head of Public Diplomacy division in the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India (2007-09) says,

"In many countries, such as India, foreign policy formulation and practice has, till recently, been the exclusive reserve of professional diplomats. Such countries are new entrants to the world of public diplomacy and have begun to recognize the importance of engaging with non-State players. However, the success of public diplomacy lies entirely in the efficacy of the communication strategy it adopts."

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

McKinsey report: One-third of the global population connects to the internet everyday

2011-05-28T19:19:00.004+05:30

The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) and McKinsey’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications practice's report - ‘Internet matters: The Net’s sweeping impact on growth, jobs, and prosperity’ has come up with interesting India related findings. This reinforces the importance of the medium to boost commerce, exchange, conversations and progressive political and social values. The report stated that, in India, Internet contributed five per cent to the growth of gross domestic product (GDP) in the last five years, two percentage points higher than the average three per cent for BRIC economies. Significantly, it also stated that,

"India and China are strengthening their position in the global internet ecosystem rapidly with growth rates of more than 20 per cent..."

Talking about the growth of Internet, the report states,

"Since the 1990s, internet has grown leaps and bounds with about two billion users worldwide now. This number is growing by 200 million each year. This means, almost a third of the global population connects to the internet every day and almost $8 trillion a year is spent through e-commerce...

...India leads the growth component of the McKinsey Internet Supply Leadership Index. For example, Bangalore registered 50 patents to 200 in fours years, compared to Singapore which took six years to cross this threshold"

The report has established a clear linkage between internet and growth and has recommended that policymakers push for increased internet access and usage. Crucial to achieving this is a strong public-private partnership. We would definitely see more and more people getting online now, even in India, and this is a medium that would eventually become dominant for business, politics and human interactions. Hence it is important for public diplomacy practitioners to accept the medium as pervasive and strong on influence, and, in a world dominated by corporate media, sometimes it can be more credible and an effective platform for an alternate point of view.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

The Arab Spring and minorities

2011-05-21T10:38:00.001+05:30

In one of my previous posts - Revolutions and emotions in the Middle East - I had written how it may be too early to write off Islam as a political force in the Middle East after the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Taking the discussion forward I would like to bring to my readers' notice a recent opinion piece by Rene Guitton in Hindustan Times.

In the piece - 'A major change' - Rene writes that,

"New regimes will be judged by how they treat their ethnic and religious minorities. It is by the space allowed for these various minorities to live and flourish in their societies that we will judge the true nature of the Arab Spring"

Rene argues that so far the uprisings in the Arab world has not "led to xenophobia, anti-western demonstrations or a breakthrough for Islamists" however the true nature of these revolutions are yet to be unraveled. In the article he also draws attention to the attack on a Coptic Church in Alexandria in 2010. There are numerous minorities in the Middle East - Christians, Jews, Hindus and a significant number of people from different Muslim sects in South Asia. Political transitions sometimes are hard on minorities and it would be the true test of the Arab uprisings.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Paper: The role of global media and how governments can strengthen Australian–Indian relations through strategic communications

2011-04-15T12:29:00.002+05:30

The following is an abstract of a paper I recently presented at an international PD conference - "Public Diplomacy in Theory and Practice: Culture, Information and Interpretation in Australian-Indian Relations" - at the India International Centre, New Delhi, on April 8th. Do email me your observations/critiques, if any.

An analysis of the role of global media and how Governments can strengthen Australian–Indian relations through strategic communications

Australian-Indian relations were severely tested recently over unprovoked violence against Indians in 2009 and early 2010. The issue revealed the central role of media in international relations today. Indian newspapers - Mail Today, The Times of India etc., - aggressively reported on the issue and made the Australians defensive, and, Government of India to react as per media’s analysis of events. This reflected a lack of

- Media relations strategy &

- Realization by both governments about pervasiveness of “conversations in media” today.

This paper argues how governments need to be imaginative, strategic and adopt a campaign approach to media relations when it comes to public diplomacy.

Be it the angry rebuttal by Victoria Police or

India

’s foreign minister’s veiled threats to

Australia

, the official reactions lacked direction. The problem was further exacerbated by inherent limitation in government communications which are mostly “one way” and seen as “less credible” and “defensive” vis-a-vis media in democracies. Besides, both governments failed in communicating effectively to domestic audiences on the issue. The solution lies in governments understanding role of

- Global media relations,

- Diverse players in a “conversation economy,” and,

- Adopting a “campaign approach” with tools used effectively by the private sector

There is a convergence of strategic interests between both countries. Bilateral relationships, trade, people to people contacts have never been so good. Both have an interest in the stability of Asia and preventing Chinese dominance of Asia.Keeping in mind the synergies, it is a cause for alarm when The Times of India recently reported that there has been a 46% drop in the number of student visa applications to

Australia

.While certain sections in

India

may feel vindicated, it holds significant implications when it comes to building a strategic partnership with

Australia

as student exchanges are a key to building “generational flesh and blood linkages.” Hence, it is important for governments to shape the debate successfully in the media to encourage people to people exchanges.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Public Diplomacy and 'national rhetorical competence'

2011-04-10T14:07:00.001+05:30

An interesting article in the People's Daily Online quoted head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Zhao Qizheng, that China needs to enhance its "national rhetorical competence." The article stated,

"Speaking at a meeting on Thursday, he (Zhao) said senior officials in China are now more aware of the need to communicate effectively with the rest of world. Stressing on the importance of enhancing "national rhetorical competence" - the ability Zhao said is highly important to express the country's unique features effectively, and it is the key to successful public diplomacy, he added."

This is an interesting piece given its focus on 'words', 'expression' and 'conversations' as being crucial to any PD program. The same article quotes China's Vice Foreign Minister, Fu Ying as saying that,

the job of talking and expressing oneself through public diplomacy has an integral role in China's future development. "We have been doing well on the development front, and we are facing an even better new decade. Now we need to talk better, to make our messages clearer to the world. That can not only help form a better environment, but also boost the nation's confidence," she said.

The Chinese apparently are working on the messaging - tone, semantics etc apart from just 'laundering information.' The focus it seems now is how does China express itself? How does it talk to the rest of the world that would enhance its influence in the global stage? In human history, this period will be seen as the 'age of conversations' and the Chinese are right in recognizing the need for 'national rhetorical competence'. As Zhao said,

"China cannot always be the gentleman who works more but talks less in the present world flooded with information."

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

There's more to social media than Facebook and Twitter!

2011-04-09T21:20:00.002+05:30

I was at an international PD conference yesterday speaking on the "Role of global media and how strategic communication can strengthen Australia-India relations." This was at an international conference - "Public Diplomacy in Theory and Practice: Culture, Information and Interpretation in Australian-Indian Relations" - organized by the Alfred Deakins Research Institute, Australia and Rajdhani College, Delhi University, India. The conference is being sponsored by the Australia India institute and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India.

During my talk, I emphasized the role of conversations in shaping perceptions today and the potential of social media. It was interesting to field lot of questions, after my talk, that bordered on cynicism towards social media and the sphere of influence of web enabled platforms. In this gathering of academics and policy wonks, what I could not help notice was that social media was broadly understood to be 'Facebook' and 'Twitter,' and, the limitations of the these two social networking platforms to influence and engage.

Conversations in social media do not necessarily happen on these two platforms. There are numerous other areas where debates are being shaped, opinions formed and perceptions created. Simplest example, that comes to mind, is the space for reader's comments on news websites. This is where people take action on news, engage in debates and express opinions. Consider the article below that generated 477 comments on the issue of violence against Indians in Australia. This is The Economist and not even a newspaper from Australia or India. This is an example of social media enabled conversation that can shape perceptions. How do we manage such conversations?

Regrettable facts

Thuggery mars a burgeoning friendship

Australia and anti-Indian violence

See article

Jun 18th 2009 | SYDNEY

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EliasX wrote:

Jun 18th 2009 4:48 GMT

The Economist, like other media, fails to mention what kind of Lebanese-Australians are apparently attacking Indians in Australia.

Officialdom calls this a “law-and-order” issue, and the Indian press rants about “racism” in Australia. No one, it seems, is asking what kind of Lebanese these assailants are.

Are they Christians? Or, more likely, are they Muslims? The Indians are mostly, one would assume, Hindus. Maybe this is a religious issue? Muslims, given Islamic tenets regarding polytheists and idolators, have a long, sordid, intolerant, and murderous history of “Hinduphobia.”

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Measurement and evaluation of Public Diplomacy

2011-04-04T23:24:00.000+05:30

As India's Public Diplomacy Division brings structure and strategy to Indian PD efforts it is also important for the PD division to have systems in place that can evaluate these efforts. This is not easy. The U.S. National Strategy for Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication (2007) is a comprehensive document that sums up the importance of evaluating PD. In acknowledging the difficulties involved in evaluating PD efforts, the document states,

"As Edward R. Murrow once observed, no cash register ever rings when a mind is changed. The impact of information and education programs that touch the emotions, beliefs, intellects and allegiances of diverse audiences around the world is often difficult to gauge, especially when any public diplomacy activities may only produce long-term, rather than immediate, impact."

There are some obvious difficulties associated with measuring PD. Some obvious reasons are:

The gestation period for results of PD efforts tend to be long
Mostly the desired outcomes, measures and concepts tend to be intangible
What derives from the above is the fact that it is difficult to achieve the 'cause-effect' relationship It is difficult to ensure continuous, sophisticated 'tracking' as it is done in communication campaigns. The reason maybe lack of tools, large sizes of samples and databases in terms of numbers as well as spread etc
This in itself makes it a very time, labor and cost intensive process

Nonetheless it is important that evaluation is given a priority to ensure dynamism in PD strategy. According to Prof Eytan Gilboa, Director, Center for International Communication at Bar Ilan University, 10% of PD budget should be dedicated for evaluation and evaluation efforts should be a built in component of any PD strategy.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

The New Arab World Requires New Public Diplomacy

2011-03-23T10:15:00.005+05:30

Egyptian protesters on the street. Source: The Huffington Post

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

I tend to agree with the observation that it might be worthwhile to reorient the focus of PD efforts towards service (measurable objectives?) rather than pure 'branding.' While branding might be important at certain times for visibility and recall, the "age of conversations" actually offers meaningful opportunities to "talk about actions" as well. In a political and economic culture driven by conversations and information, PD should reorient itself towards facilitating such conversations and information that strengthen such actions, rather than just 'advertising.' However, I tend to disagree with Philip on the use of social media and I think it can be a powerful medium on a case to case basis. In some countries, social media is more democratising and empowering (sometimes) than any other medium. The world wide web in class ridden (even if politically democratic) and in closed societies, is empowering and equalizing simply because it makes information accessible to who ever is looking for it. Some BRIC countries are managing social media in a way that would help create more equitable societies.

From a service point of view, PD cannot ignore social media.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Revolutions and emotions in the Middle East

2011-03-21T00:18:00.000+05:30

There is considerable hope and optimism all around that political churn in the Middle East would eventually lead to a democratic transition in the entire region, overcoming political Islam and dictatorships. I feel this is where we need to be careful and understand how revolutions tend to unravel.

As I sit to write, news comes in of Operation Odyssey Dawn entering a crucial phase with coalition forces firing hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles into 'military targets' inside Libya. Gaddafi, meanwhile, has declared the coalition's intervention in Libya as "war on Islam." Nearby in Egypt, where a referendum is underway, critics are wary of Islamists becoming a major political force in Egyptian politics.

Expectations tend to rise to unrealistic levels during revolutions. Revolutions also create powerful emotions. The measures that follow, more often than not, may not be able to meet such expectations resulting, very often, in a reactionary tide against the revolution. In the Middle East, lack of economic dynamism, unstable political culture and a closed society may very well lead to a gap between expectations and delivery. This is when reactionary forces might set in, and in the Middle East, it may very well be Islam. Because when people lose hope, become desperate, they often turn to God. Besides religion is something deeply emotional and personal and is in the heart. It appeals to emotions unlike a political concept - democracy.

This might be bit of a stretch, but I would like to apply Gartner's Hype Cycle to the above argument as it is applied to new technology in the world of communications. There might be the possibility of Islam emerging as a force in the "Trough of Disillusionment" as illustrated below:

Stages in the Gartner's Hype cycle hypothetically applied to revolutions in Middle East

Freedom, as the West understands it, may not appeal to some societies in these regions. Besides, be it the French Revolution or the Iranian revolution, examples of a strong counter current are many in history. Hence, it is too early to write Islam off as a political force in the Middle East. In this entire debate, there is a tendency to assume that Islam is antithetical to democracy. In fact, India is the best example where the second largest Muslim population in the world have embraced democracy. To pit Islam against democracy, and, adopt a line of discussion/news reporting that encourage such a demarcation will only lead to a "clash of emotions."

Suggestions/Critiques welcome

-- Madhur

Gov2.0 Award for Public Diplomacy Division

2011-03-14T22:28:00.001+05:30

The Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, was on Friday awarded the prestigious Gov2.0 Award- 2011 by Governance Now magazine for exceptional achievement in 'Gov2.in' and for being the first central Ministry to propagate and use social media extensively. Other recipients were Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD), Delhi Traffic Police(DTP), India Post, Census India 2011 & Planning Commission 12th Plan.

The event was held in the evening of Friday, March 11 at the Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi.

Initiated by Governance Now magazine in 2011, the 'Gov2.in' Awards aim to recognize the pioneers in the Government organizations for the use of social media tools for creating interactive platforms for improving citizen service delivery. It is also awarded for promoting use of social media by the government.Governance Now magazine successfully highlights issues related to governance and public policy.

On this occassion, a Gov2.0 forum was launched by Governance Now, which was inaugurated by Honourable Minister of IT and Communications, MrShri Kapil Sibal. Speaking on the occasion Mr Sibal said,

"Social media platforms are transformational and should be used to facilitate governance though some time is needed for teledensity to improve in rural areas but eventually the mobile revolution will power gov 2.0 there."

Speaking at a panel discussion in the morning session, Joint Secretary Navdeep Suri, who heads India's PD division said,

"The Public Diplomacy division is using social media to communicate more effectively with diverse constituencies, to receive feedback in a way that makes the Ministry of External Affairs more responsive to citizen concerns and to build global communities of friends of India. Effective use of Twitter during the evacuation of our nationals from Libya by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and by PD division has received an extremely positive response."

The award was received by Under Secretary Abhay Kumar, who manages digital diplomacy initiatives at the Public Diplomacy Division, MEA, on behalf of the Division. The PD division is one of the first Government of India organisations to tap into the potential offered by social media and Web 2.0 tools.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

PM acknowledge 'corruption' as a perception management challenge

2011-02-05T09:28:00.001+05:30

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday acknowledged that corruption negatively affects India's image abroad. In today's "conversation economy," perception is crucial for economic success, and the astute economist in Dr Singh could foresee the opportunities that India might miss if its image is associated with 'Corruption.'

Addressing the second annual conference of chief secretaries (top bureaucrat at the state level) of states in New Delhi, Dr Singh said:

"Corruption strikes at the roots of good governance. It is an impediment to faster growth. It dilutes, if not negates, our efforts at social inclusion. It dents our international image and it demeans us before our own people,"

This is very much in line with what I wrote in Sept. 2010, as to how corruption remains one of India's biggest perception management challenges. (Read: Corruption: India's perception management challenge.) At the Public Diplomacy in Information Age conference I participated in New Delhi, in December 2010, Shashi Tharoor too raised this point when he called for communication around the theme of "Credible India" to supplement current branding campaign of "Incredible India."

However, developing a line of communication on 'Credible India' may demand showcasing achievements at the ground level. This can be quite a task when we are yet to clean the mess of Commonwealth Games. What can be done instead is sustained communication on the "pace of progress" in India's fight against corruption that will eventually lead to a "Credible India."

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

Awaaz Do: Digital Campaign to spread awareness on Right To Education (RTE)

2011-01-15T20:16:00.000+05:30

I am currently working on an interesting project to promote UNICEF's campaign to mobilize Indians to support Right To Education (RTE) in the country. It's a unique digital campaign, in the space of education policy, with the aim to keep the debate alive and the public discourse focused on issues around RTE in India. The target audience is the urban middle class - hence the digital medium - who can sign up and act as a pressure group to keep the government focused and accountable. The campaign is called "Awaaz Do." (Website)

In less than 3 months more than 2,00,000 people have already signed up and it is growing. The website acts as the platform that integrates all aspects of direct marketing and social media outreach for targeted engagement. What's unique about this campaign is its exclusive focus on engagement and creating buzz, even though there are resources for people who are interested to get more actively involved. It also acts as forum where different stakeholders come together to forge partnerships to ensure that the 8 million out of school children are given their due.

Increasingly, more and more organizations realize that when it comes to engaging Indians, digital is a medium that is quite powerful with lot of potential. With 3G services coming in, nearly 700 million mobile phone users and more than 80 million internet users, the future of media in India is definitely digital. For PD practitioners, looking at Indian audiences, this actually is a trend that better not be ignored.

Watch Mr Kapil Sibal, Minister of Human Resource Development, Government of India, speaking in support of the Awaaz Do campaign:

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur

The Huff Post Blog on India's Public Diplomacy

2010-12-19T12:57:00.002+05:30

In an interesting post in The Huffington Post, Philip Seib, Professor of journalism and public diplomacy and director of the Center on Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California, remarked that India lacks a comprehensive Public Diplomacy strategy. Philip was also a participant at the "Public Diplomacy in Information Age" conference in New Delhi last week. Philip says about India,

"In many respects, this exotic, chaotic country remains geopolitically undefined. It possesses nuclear weapons and aspires to a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. It has a population of well over a billion, and its work force is steadily becoming better educated. It has a hostile neighbor - Pakistan - to the north, and a powerful competitor - China - to the east. More and more, India is a significant player in world affairs, and yet it lacks a consistent profile that it can present to the rest of the world."

What is implied is that India is yet to come up with a compelling and coherent narrative that is consistent across all its communications to global audiences. He also says,

"A visitor to India is certain to be impressed by the energy and determination of people here. Channeled through education and economic development, these qualities are gradually transforming the country and, coupled with the great size of the population, place India at the threshold of international leadership."

I could not agree with Philip more. In fact, I had written on my blog last year about the lack of a coherent strategy. Read these:

"A Public Diplomacy Strategy for India"

"Towards a broader understanding of India"

However, these are early days for India's policy establishment and as the conference showed last week there is a commitment to become strategic.

Suggestions/Critiques welcome.

-- Madhur