http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/ en USC Center on Public Diplomacy Copyright 2012 2012-04-16T14:55:49+00:00 USC Center on Public Diplomacypublic,diplomacy,politics,international,relations,policy,speakers,lectures,education,diplomacyNews & Politicscpd@usc.edunopublic,diplomacy,politics,international,relations,policy,speakers,lectures,education,diplomacyevents at the USC Center on Public DiplomacyPodcasts of events from the USC Center on Public Diplomacy34.026448-118.282901http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/http://uscpublicdiplomacy.orghttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/favicon.icoPublic Diplomacy Events and Podcasts http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/TjleMjJoT9A/ #When:14:55:49Z On April 16, 2012, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host a briefing in Washington, D.C. as a follow-up to its February 27 conference at USC - Water Diplomacy: A Foreign Policy Imperative. This briefing was geared toward public diplomacy practitioners, scholars and legislators interested in water diplomacy and policy. Click here to read the event summary. Panelists included: • Katherine Bliss, Director, Project on Global Water Policy and Deputy Director and Senior Fellow in Global Health Policy Center, Center for Strategic and International Studies • Naomi Leight, Assistant Director for Research and Publications, USC Center on Public Diplomacy • Philip Seib, Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy • Jaehyang So, Manager, Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), The World Bank The Center presented highlights from the conference in Los Angeles as well as policy recommendations for those working in the field. This event is part of CPD’s Water Diplomacy Initiative which includes research and programming that will contribute to the following three objectives: 1) Achieving a greater understanding of the impact of water diplomacy on the recipients of current and future programs; 2) Assessing best practices in the field; 3) Developing technological and policy recommendations for governments and organizations conducting Water Diplomacy. For more information about CPD's Water Diplomacy Initiative, please click here. More information about CPD's February 27 conference at USC on Water Diplomacy can be found here. The Center's Water Diplomacy activities are co-sponsored by USC Center for International Studies, and USC Viterbi School of Engineering. ]]> 2012-04-16T14:55:49+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:14:55:49Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/Xugvhc5MAVU/ #When:19:16:49Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to welcome NATO Lieutenant General Karlheinz Viereck, Deputy Chief of Staff Joint Force Training at Allied Command Transformation, to discuss NATO’s public diplomacy initiatives. Laying the foundation with the Partnership for Peace Program, NATO’s members are not limited to the Euro-Atlantic area, but include the Gulf and Asia-Pacific region. Lieutenant Viereck shared how this program fits into larger public diplomacy initiatives with partners around the globe. NATO’s mission requires a wide network of partner relationships with countries and organizations around the globe. Establishing and maintaining these relationships involves NATO undertaking various public diplomacy initiatives. About Lieutenant General Karlheinz Viereck Lieutenant General Viereck is Deputy Chief of Staff Joint Force Training at Allied Command Transformation. His duties have ranged from combat pilot to assignments at the German Ministry of Defense and NATO. In 2006 and 2007, he commanded the EUFOR mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.. His military decorations include the Bundeswehr Cross of Honor in Silver and Gold, the European Security Defense Policy Service Medal, the Commander of the National Order of Merit (France), Cross of Merit 2nd Class of the Estonian Ministry of Defense and the National Defense Medal France. About NATO The fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means. NATO provides a forum in which countries from North America and Europe can consult on security issues of common concern and take joint action in addressing them. NATO is the vital transatlantic bond of solidarity between America and European countries that share essential values and interests and are committed to the maintenance of democratic principles. ]]> 2012-04-12T19:16:49+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:19:16:49Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/sf8trI1Evq8/ #When:19:48:29Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy, the USC Office of Religious Life, and the USC Department of Political Science were pleased to host Professor Zachariah Cherian Mampilly for a conversation about his new book, "Rebel Rulers: Insurgent Governance and Civilian Life during War" (Cornell University Press 2011). Perhaps not since the heady days of independence has the African continent been roiled by so many political and economic convulsions. From the non-violent protests across the continent to more violent ongoing confrontations, a new political dispensation is coming into view, shaking off the last vestiges of the Cold War stereotypes of the continent. Combined with the entry of the Asian powers into Africa's economy, the sense that anything is possible leaves many hopeful about the future of the demographically young continent. At the same time, regressive forces remain at play, stifling popular protest and seeking to preserve the old order. Focusing on popular protest, both violent and non-violent, this talk examined various challenges to the contemporary African political landscape while offering an assessment of the possible new dispensations coming into being. SYNOPSIS Professor Zachariah Mampilly discussed his recent book “Rebel Rulers,” an analysis of how rebel rulers provide public goods in areas of insurgency. The book looks at the level of civilian access to services like medical care, schooling and legal services that are provided from those other than governments. Mampilly suggests that there is a need for international governments to develop a more formalized and substantive process to recognize insurgent governments as opposed to relying on geopolitical machinations. ‘Some groups we frame in the language of freedom fighters; others we treat like terrorists,” said Mampilly.” But none of this is actually based on the actual behavior of insurgencies on the ground.” There needs to be better recognition of the treatment of citizens by insurgent governments. He provided the example of the Libyan insurgency and the accommodations made by foreign governments to help the rebels gain international legitimacy “despite the fact that they were not necessarily the best in providing governance to civilians who lived in eastern Libya during the war.” Mampilly’s rebel framework presents a challenge to traditional public diplomacy. Are African rebels conducting public diplomacy? Can they be considered legitimate actors in public diplomacy? Mampilly's framework advances our understanding of how such non-state actors can activate their networks and impact political agendas in the region. Referencing the KONY 2012 campaign he questioned the assumption, which he called a “trap,” that militarization and violence are the only way to bring change to Africa, Mampilly argued that the U.S. needs to move away from its position of “strong men rule” and focus on other avenues. With the steady decline of violent politics in Africa, attention needs to be paid to non-violent, political protests. About Professor Mampilly Zachariah Mampilly is Assistant Professor in the Departments of Political Science, International Studies & Africana Studies at Vassar College. His research focuses on the nature of contemporary conflict processes, with an emphasis on Africa and South Asia. Based on field-work behind insurgent lines in D.R. Congo, Sri Lanka and Sudan, his first book, Rebel Rulers: Insurgent Governance and Civilian Life during War, was published by Cornell University Press in 2011. In addition, he has an interest in international relations theory and the global South and is working on a project examining contemporary Indian-African relations. Mampilly teaches courses on civil wars and rebel movements; terrorism; race, ethnicity and nationalism; and the international relations of the Third World. ]]> 2012-04-05T19:48:29+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:19:48:29Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/kyN_1S4F_1s/ #When:01:45:40Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy, USC Center for International Studies, USC School of International Relations, UACES, and Professor Mai'a Cross, School of International Relations, University of Southern California invite faculty and students to attend a working event on "European Public Diplomacy: Soft Power at Work". This workshop is open to USC students and faculty only. Registration is required and must be received no later than March 28, 2012.Please email to register or for any additional questions. Click for more information about the research project, European Public Diplomacy: Soft Power at Work WORKSHOP AGENDA 9:30am Opening Remarks and Welcome Address Patrick James, Director, USC Center for International Studies Philip Seib, Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy Mai'a Cross, University of Southern California 10:00am –10:45am Perspectives from IR Theory Mai'a Cross, University of Southern California Commentator: Steffen Rasmussen, University of the Basque Country 10:45am – 11:00am Coffee Break 11:00am – 11:45am Perspectives from History Nicholas J. Cull, University of Southern California Commentators: Geoffrey Wiseman, University of Southern California and Geoffrey Pigman, University of Pretoria 11:45am – 12:30pm The Domestic Dimension of Public Diplomacy in the European Union at Supranational, National and Sub-national Levels Ellen Huijgh, Carleton University Commentator: Philip Seib, University of Southern California 2:00pm – 2:45pm EU Public Diplomacy Simon Duke, European Institute of Public Administration Commentator: Brian Rathbun, University of Southern California 2:45pm – 3:30pm City Diplomacy Teresa La Porte, Universidad de Navarra Commentator: Jeffrey Sellers, University of Southern California 3:45pm – 4:30pm Networks and Networking in European Public Diplomacy Ali Fischer, Mappa Mundi Consulting Commentator: Nicholas Weller, University of Southern California 4:30pm – 5:15pm The Normative Power of EU Public Diplomacy Ian Manners, Roskilde University Commentator: Patrick James, University of Southern California 5:15pm – 5:30pm Book Progress & Wrap-Up Session Mai'a Cross, University of Southern California Jan Melissen, Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’                              ]]> 2012-03-31T01:45:40+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:01:45:40Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/4X5OZqv-NZc/ #When:20:35:32Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Caitlin Byrne (CPD Research Fellow 2010-2012) who discussed her research project, "Public Diplomacy and the United Nations Security Council: Securing a Seat at the Top Table." Caitlin spoke about why and how sovereign states use public diplomacy in the pursuit of a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The research for this project was drawn upon the experience of middle power Australia, a founding member and longstanding supporter of the United Nations, with past and current aspirations to sit at the UNSC table. Read the event synopsis below.. Key objectives included: i) Assess the strategic role of public diplomacy (vis a vis traditional diplomacy) in the development of a state-initiated campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC; and ii) Examine and map the range of public diplomacy methods typically used in a campaign for the UNSC, as a tool that might inform policy-makers with regard to both strategic development and evaluation of UNSC campaigns; and iii) Assess in qualitative terms, the soft power value (positive or negative) that is derived by the campaigning state as a result of the public diplomacy aspects of that campaign, (quite apart from whether that state is successful or unsuccessful in gaining the UNSC seat). To read more about Caitlin's project, Public Diplomacy and the United Nations Security Council: Securing a Seat at the Top Table. SYNOPSIS For middle powers, winning a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) is a “prize to be pursued with vigor.” “It’s like moving from the little kids table to the big kids table,” said CPD Research Fellow Caitlyn Byrne. Byrne argued that a successful campaign employs both traditional and public diplomacy tactics because of the importance placed on a country’s image and reputation in today’s global society. Image is increasingly cultivated through public diplomacy. “Positive national reputations are hard earned,” she said. “Policies are taken into account by global community, with special attention being paid to the difference between what states do and what they say they do.”One of Bryne’s main arguments for engaging the international public in the UNSC campaign process is the effect of UN decisions on the international community. “Many of the world’s most vulnerable people feel the impact of sanctions and force,” she said. “Therefore there should be a wider public interest in the process.”Byrne also suggested expanding the definition of public diplomacy to include domestic publics. She cited Australia’s previous failure to win a seat on the UNSC and the ensuing domestic outcry by the Australian public as an example. Engendering domestic commitment and projecting it to an international audience may improve the chances of election. About Caitlin Byrne: Caitlin Byrne is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Bond University, (Queensland, Australia) where she teaches courses in global statecraft, East-West diplomacy and Australian foreign policy. Caitlin’s current research explores frameworks to enhance the development and delivery of public diplomacy as an instrument of strategic international policy. She is also exploring the implications of public diplomacy for the practice of traditional diplomacy, including within institutions such as the United Nations. Caitlin has recently joined the academic profession, having established her credentials as a policy practitioner. She began her professional career with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). From 1994-2001, Caitlin was engaged in roles encompassing legal and foreign policy, diplomatic and consular representation, and service delivery. In 2001, Caitlin left DFAT to expand her career interests in social policy projects and reform agendas, with domestic and international policy implications. Caitlin received both her LLB and Ph.D from Bond University in 1993 and 2010 respectively. Read more. ]]> 2012-03-29T20:35:32+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:20:35:32Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/TF3Gbn2KXqo/ #When:21:37:30Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to welcome Martin Davidson, CEO of the British Council, the UK’s cultural relations organization to discuss international cultural relations in the 21st Century. This discussion, moderated by CPD director Philip Seib, addressed how the British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries, and builds trust between them worldwide. With 191 offices in 110 countries, the British Council works through the arts, education, and society to create long-term relationships with the UK that provide cultural, educational, diplomatic and economic benefits. About Martin Davidson Martin Davidson became the British Council’s Chief Executive in 2007, having been Deputy Director-General since 2005. When he joined the British Council as Assistant Representative in Beijing in 1984, British Council China was an operation of 6 people working in a converted bicycle shed at the British Embassy. Davidson played a pivotal part in building this fledgling presence up to its present strength of more than 230 people in four offices. He has also held various posts in the British Council’s Geographical Directorate with responsibilities that have included South East Europe, in a particularly troubled time in the region’s history, the Middle East, East Asia and the Americas. To read the co-written blog that appeared in the Huffington Post, "The Independent Power of Cultural Diplomacy," by CPD Director Philip Seib and British Council CEO Martin Davidson, please click here. To read more about Martin Davidson's visit to the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, check out the British Council's April Newsletter. SYNOPSIS Long-term relationships go beyond states and non-state actors, to fundamental core interactions amongst people to people relations in order to provide key cultural, educational, diplomatic and economic benefits. Martin Davidson, CEO of the British Council, said that relearning this importance and developing trust are core elements for public diplomacy and cultural relations. “Trust is built over time and not created in the moment,” observed Davidson during his talk. He outlined some recent forays in cultural diplomacy by China and Turkey, and reminded the audience that establishing mutual trust is a prerequisite for successful public diplomacy. Davidson continued to explain that there are a number of essential techniques and dimensions in generating trust. Among them is dialogue. However, recalling the importance of listening rather than speaking as a means to developing a shared agenda is a strategic public diplomacy model. “British Council is aware of its impetus to build trust and engagement for the UK, but works to the extent that there are mutual benefits.” In response to how to strike a balance between the need to fit within the foreign policy agenda while maintaining a distinction from the government, Davidson suggests that British Council places great importance on the distinction between cultural centers and government. “We need to be prepared to engage in the conversation around the importance of cultural diplomacy and learn to tell the story about why the cultural relationships add to that agenda.” Davidson said, “After all, there is greater appreciation for the role of cultural diplomacy in the present government than in the former.” Yet, there are challenges that remain in constructing these types of international, domestic, state, non-state or person-to-person relationships. One of the on-going challenges for these types of developments is the rapid change of culture through influence by social outlets like media and technology. Davidson suggests that by providing a “flexible” voice in cultural relations it reduces the possibility of building tensions. And ultimately, this presents an opportunity to create understanding amongst participants in cultural exchanges. Conversations in Public Diplomacy with Martin Davidson from British Council USA on Vimeo. ]]> 2012-03-01T21:37:30+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:21:37:30Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/abv8CKj7zv8/ #When:20:46:59Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host CPD Advisory Board Member, Simon Mainwaring for a discussion about his recent New York Times bestselling book, We First. We First is a new way of looking at the role of the private sector and social media in our world. Mainwaring explores how global social issues can be addressed by business using social technology. The implications and implementation for the public diplomacy student and practitioner include: • How do we use social media to share and amplify relevant and timely messages to home and foreign audiences? • What is the role of U.S., foreign, and multinational corporations in a mutually dependent global community? • How can social media be used to create cultural bridges between countries in the same region or across the world? • What are the long term implications of social technology for business and public diplomacy? • How do brands and customers form meaningful partnerships that can leverage mobile, social and gaming technologies to build a better world? Simon Mainwaring shared the thinking behind We First and the implications for public diplomacy at home and abroad. SYNOPSIS With online information-sharing rapidly occurring in “real time,” corporations are facing increasing public scrutiny as consumers continue to demand consistent and transparent corporate social responsibility practices. In particular, consumer use of social media has created the existence of a vast public forum where consumer approval and/or distrust of various companies and their practices is shared—repeated and “re-posted”—across communities and borders worldwide. “Transparency is everything now,” observed global branding expert and CPD advisory board member Simon Mainwaring during a “CPD Conversations in Public Diplomacy” discussion at USC on February 9, 2012. Consumers are often motivated by social purpose and are increasingly turning to brands that are informed by a relevant purpose: “Cause marketing must become because marketing.” Mainwaring’s new book, We First, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) is a New York Times best-seller that explores how businesses can use social technology to address a range of global social issues that matter to consumers. Mainwaring, who has worked extensively with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Nike, Motorola, and Toyota, dubbed 2012 the year of consumer activism, calling for new forms of brand and consumer partnerships built through contributory consumption. “The evolution of revolution is contribution,” he said. “The future is the shared story we write every day." Noting the similarity to the practice of public diplomacy, Mainwaring argued that there has been a shift in the consumer/business relationship as companies now engage in direct communication with their customer base via mediums such as Facebook and Twitter. This emerging relationship inherently begins when a company listens to its worldwide consumer base. Listening is one of the most basic and vital tenets of public diplomacy and when used effectively as a soft power tool, it creates a mutually-beneficial platform of engagement between non-traditional actors, including companies and consumers. “Brands are effectively becoming analogous with nations, placing more value on the ties between their brands and customer base,” he noted. Mainwaring concluded his remarks by urging attendees to share in his optimistic vision of “driving the change we want to see in the world”. ]]> 2012-02-09T20:46:59+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:20:46:59Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/epvBEDRS0eI/ #When:03:00:50Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy, USC Office of Religious Life, USC School of Cinematic Arts, Levan Institute for Humanities and Ethics, Interfaith Council, International Human Rights Clinic, Academic Culture Assembly, Baha'i Student Association and the Los Angeles Baha'i Center are pleased to co-sponsor a screening and discussion of the film, Education Under Fire. Following the screening, actor-comedian Rainn Wilson and activist Reza Aslan join director Jeff Kaufman, USC alumnus and executive producer David Hoffman and Shabnam Koirala-Azad for a panel discussion, moderated by USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni. About Education Under Fire Education Under Fire is produced by Single Arrow Productions and co-sponsored by Amnesty International. The 30-minute documentary profiles the growth, struggle, and inspiring spirit of the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education. Baha'is in Iran have been subjected to systematic persecution, including arrests, torture, and execution simply for refusing to recant their beliefs. They are also prohibited from going to college (and blocked from many professions). In 1987, the semi-underground Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) was formed to give young Baha'is their only chance for a university-level education. Despite repeated raids and arrests, volunteer teachers and administrators created an independent, decentralized university system that has lifted the lives of thousands of Baha'i students across Iran. In May, 2011, an organized assault was launched by the Iranian government in an attempt to shut down the BIHE. Over 30 homes were raided and over a dozen BIHE professors and administrators were detained. Several are still in prison for doing nothing more than trying to teach. The film connects a diverse audience to a grave human rights issue, a powerful story of resilience against oppression, and the need to respect human rights everywhere. In the documentary, a BIHE graduate expresses a shared resolve, "The government can crush our bodies, but they cannot crush the mind and soul." Another BIHE graduate whose father was executed in 1981, says, "We can use this experience to not only just think about ourselves and what is important to us, but to look at the bigger picture; to think of people of this world as they were our own family." That is the larger, universal message of this film. Education Under Fire will inform and move a diverse audience around the world. About the Panelists REZA ASLAN (Founder/Scholar, AslanMedia.com) Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions, is the founder of AslanMedia.com, an online journal for news and entertainment about the Middle East and the world. Reza Aslan has degrees in Religions from Santa Clara University, Harvard University, and the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa, where he was named the Truman Capote Fellow in Fiction. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities, and the Pacific Council on International Policy. He serves on the board of directors of the Ploughshares Fund, which gives grants for peace and security issues; Abraham's Vision, an educational, conflict transformation organization for Israeli and Palestinian youths; PEN USA, which champions the rights of writers under siege around the world; among others.Aslan's first book is the International Bestseller, No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, which has been translated into thirteen languages. He is also the author of How to Win a Cosmic War (published in paperback as Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in a Globalized Age), as well as editor of two volumes: Tablet and Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East, and Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalties, Contentions, and Complexities. DAVID HOFFMAN (Founder, "Education Under Fire" / Executive Producer) Myrtle Beach oceanfront developer and marketer who made a significant mark in driving new and innovative development all along the Myrtle Beach coastline. A member of the Baha’i Faith, himself, and married to an Iranian for nearly thirty years, Hoffman has long been concerned with the systematic attack of the Iranian government on Baha’is. In 2011, Hoffman formed Single Arrow Productions and began documenting on film individual accounts of human rights abuses in Iran, producing a series of short documentaries - Angels of Iran - featuring Baha’is, Kurds, student activists and others who are targets of the Iranian regime. In response to the May 2011 attack on the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), Hoffman quickly assembled resources to launch a new campaign and documentary under the same name, Education Under Fire. Hoffman is also executive producer of Savoy King, a feature documentary written and directed by Kaufman about Swing-era drummer-bandleader Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald, and Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom. JEFF KAUFMAN (Producer, Director) Producer/Director Jeff Kaufman has produced ten short films for Amnesty International, including one that launched a human rights youth mentoring fellowship with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. He also donated his services to make a film for the families of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, the two young Americans who have been unjustly imprisoned in Iran since July 2009. He recently finished the feature documentary The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America. It features the voices of Bill Cosby, Janet Jackson, John Legend, Andy Garcia, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Tyne Daly, Ron Perlman, and Billy Crystal, among others. Earlier efforts include several Discovery Channel programs, a documentary on behalf of Iranian-American political prisoner Haleh Esfandiari, a behind-the-scenes history of the series COPS, and the feature documentary, Brush With Life. SHABNAM KOIRALA-AZAD (Assistant professor of Human Rights at SFU and teacher at the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education) Shabnam's research areas include: globalization and transnationalism; immigration and education; global citizenship; social and cultural theory; international comparative education; gender, education and social change; qualitative approaches to research. VARUN SONI (Moderator) Varun Soni is the dean of religious life at the University of Southern California (USC). He is also a University Fellow at USC Annenberg's Center on Public Diplomacy and a member of the State Bar of California, the American Academy of Religion, and the Association for College and University Religious Affairs. He serves on the advisory board for the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement, the Music Preservation Project, the Journal for Interreligious Dialogue, CrossCurrents, the Guibord Center, and the Parliament of the World's Religions. Prior to joining USC, he spent four years teaching in the Law and Society Program at UCSB. He also produced and hosted his own radio show on Pacifica (KPFK) showcasing music from South Asia and its diaspora. He holds degrees in religion from Tufts University, Harvard Divinity School, UCSB, and the University of Cape Town, as well as a law degree from UCLA School of Law. RAINN WILSON (Actor/Comedian) Rainn Wilson can currently be seen on NBC in the seventh season of the Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning series for “Best Comedy,” The Office. Wilson turned in a humorous cameo in the summer blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Working through his short summer hiatus from The Office, Wilson completed production on three independent features for 2011: Peep World; Hesher; and Super (which he also co-executive produced). Wilson was also heard as the voice of the lone alien, ‘Gallaxhar,’ trying to take over the planet in the Dreamworks’ 2009 animated feature Monsters vs. Aliens. Wilson honed his theatre skills on the stage in New York for years before making the trip to Los Angeles to pursue on-screen work. His credits include performances in two Broadway plays, London Assurance and The Tempest, as well as off-Broadway productions of The New Bozena (a piece he created), Plunge, Venus, Titus Andronicus, and Twelfth Night. To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here. To R.S.V.P, please follow this link. ]]> 2012-02-04T03:00:50+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:03:00:50Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/ULvIIuprQ8Q/ #When:01:23:41Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy, the USC U.S.-China Institute, and the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy were pleased to co-sponsor "Talking with Chinese about Press Freedom: The Play "Top Secret" in China. What secrets do governments need to keep? What if the secret is that the government misled the public about an important issue? Do news organizations have the right, do they have the responsibility to bring such a secret to public attention? Those are some of the questions raised in "Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers", which was recently performed in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai before packed auditoriums. Geoff Cowan, executive producer Susan Albert Loewenberg, and actor Joshua Stamberg discussed how they managed to take Top Secret to China, how it was presented to Chinese audiences, and how the play was received. USC US-China Institute executive director Clayton Dube moderated the discussion. Cowan told the Los Angeles Times that, "It speaks very well of China that they have embraced this tour. That is the real story." Lowenberg said, "I knew it would be precarious to bring a story about freedom of the press to China, but I knew the Chinese would get it immediately and I didn't want to bring over something that would be meaningless." Panelists included: Geoffrey Cowan, co-author of Top Secret, is the former dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He's now a University Professor and the first president of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands. He also directs the Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy. Cowan played a role in developing National Public Radio and also served as director of the Voice of America. Trained as a lawyer, Cowan is the author of numerous works, including See No Evil: The Backstage Battle Over Sex and Violence on Television and the best-selling The People v. Clarence Darrow: The Bribery Trial of America's Greatest Lawyer. Susan Albert Loewenberg, executive producer of Top Secret, is the longtime producing director of Los Angeles Theatre Works. She produced Top Secret for radio in 1991. She helped transform the play into a stage play in 2007, which toured more than twenty American cities. Josh Stamberg plays Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee in Top Secret. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Stamberg previously appeared in Drop Dead Diva, Studio 60, Brothers and Sisters, Law and Order, NCIS, NYPD Blue, and numerous other television shows and films. About the Play Co-written by Geoffrey Cowan and late journalism professor Leroy Aarons, Top Secret is an inside look at the New York Times and Washington Post's decision to publish a top-secret study documenting the United States' involvement in Vietnam. The subsequent trial tested the parameters of the First Amendment, pitting the public's right to know against the government's claim of secrecy. The epic legal battle between the government and the press went to the nation's highest court and is perhaps the most important Supreme Court case ever on freedom of the press. The play won the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Gold Medal for Excellence in Best Live Entertainment. ]]> 2012-02-03T01:23:41+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:01:23:41Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/69KLLJ7EEO0/ #When:18:33:14Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Atim Eneida George, U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence for a conversation about the role of an experienced Foreign Service Officer. Atim is a veteran practitioner in the field of public diplomacy as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) with posts in Nigeria, Ethopia, South Africa, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Atim discussed the lessons learned during her 25-year career and how the role of the FSO has changed. In addition, she imparted her thoughts and ideas about the future of role and the implications for public diplomacy in a rapidly changing world. During her time at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, Atim is researching the impact of public diplomacy on echo-boomers/millennials in the markets around the world through their impact in fields such as sports, business, the arts, fashion, public policy and international relations. This spring 2012 semester, Atim is teaching a class in the Master's of Public Diplomacy program, "Listening to the Echo: Examining the Impact of Echo-Boomers in Public Diplomacy" on Thursdays from 9:00am-11:50am. SYNOPSIS Atim Eneida George, the U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy (2011-12), explained her challenging, yet inspiring 25-year role as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) in a dialogue with colleagues, students and guests. George provided a condensed history of her service and highlighted several tasks assigned to her that she hoped would inspire and guide the attendees. In August 1982, George joined the U.S. State Department and has assumed many posts throughout the world prior to coming to the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. She also provided keen insight into her personal life balancing both motherhood and a career. She went on to describe the evolution of her role as an FSO in the ever-changing world noting significant transformations in countries like South Africa that had “pulled away the toxins out of their system” during the apartheid movement. Additionally, she examined the role of information technology in the State Department to operate in two worlds -- both in classic international relations and in a highly networked environment. Public diplomacy is the “bright spot” in building a bilateral relationship, described George. She also highlighted the use of new media tools in public diplomacy as transformative means in shaping long-term relationships amongst nation-states and non-state actors. She closed her presentation with a timeline and an interactive map marking her official State posts during her FSO career. ]]> 2012-02-02T18:33:14+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:18:33:14Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/y_E57uGhwmo/ #When:21:24:09Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to welcome Jian (Jay) Wang, CPD University Fellow and Associate Professor, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism to discuss his research project on China's Confucius Institutes in the United States. His CPD-sponsored project examines the Confucius Institute as a platform for China’s cultural diplomacy within the larger context of U.S.-China relations. It aims to develop a framework for better understanding the opportunities and challenges facing organizations of cultural diplomacy in contemporary times. This presentation focused on the question why the Confucius Institute has grown so fast by identifying the driving forces underlying its rapid expansion. In addition, he raised important issues about its organizational and operational model. Read the event synopsis below. For more information about Professor Wang's research project, please visit this page. To follow the Confucius Institutes Media Monitor, please click here. To view the Confucius Institutes Interactive Map, please follow this link. SYNOPSIS Professor Wang discussed the rapid expansion of Confucius Institutes (CI) in the U.S. and the possible factors underlying its growth. He identified four factors which he believes are the driving force behind the Institute’s unpredicted growth: a receptive political environment, an effective and efficient entry model, a motivated Chinese government and tapping into unmet needs. Wang asserts that the growing value for cultural exchanges within international relations and communication set the stage for this expansion. In addition, Wang noted that more research is needed to analyze the Institute’s expansion and performance to determine whether or not this model is sustainable. Questions he raised include whether this model can serve as a platform for reciprocal exchange; how does it affect U.S./Chinese relations; why is China doing this; and does the reach of the Institute extend beyond the ethnic Chinese community. There are more than 70 CI’s in the U.S., the vast majority of which partner with public universities. ]]> 2012-01-26T21:24:09+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:21:24:09Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/bRPafubrbTQ/ #When:21:00:00Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Professor Massoud (Mike) Pirbazari and the student research team from his project, “Safe Water for All Nations (S.W.A.N.)” to discuss how environmental engineering and public diplomacy intersect at the most basic human need—water. This talk was led by Naomi Leight, CPD’s Assistant Director for Research and Publications. Read the event synopsis below. Water, essential to humankind’s existence, is increasingly unavailable because of pollution, failure to develop conservation programs, and mismanagement of water resources. During the near future, water shortages could lead to conflict in many parts of the world. Water-related problems are global in scope, and although international bodies actively support initiatives to conserve and fairly allocate water, not enough is being done to address this critical topic. With this conversation, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy launches its Water Diplomacy Initiative which will result in a number of academic publications on Water Diplomacy, a major conference on the topic in spring of 2012, a briefing in Washington, D.C., and continuing research activities addressing this critical issue. During the conversation, Dr. Pirbazari and his team presented their research projects and how the S.W.A.N. project has addressed some of the most pressing water issues. S.W.A.N is an initiative that focuses on the improvement of drinking water quality for citizens of developing countries. S.W.A.N.'s goal is to provide comprehensive and visually based information so that people, at the household level, can treat their water, and in turn, improve their health and well-being. For more information on the initiative, please click here. SYNOPSIS Fresh water represents 2.5 percent of the world’s water supply of which less than 1 percent is available for human consumption. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 57 percent of the population has access to safe, drinkable water; a startling fact when you consider this number is 100 percent in industrialized countries. Though water scarcity poses significant challenges to the global community, public diplomacy collaborations involving technology, science and other disciplines can help mitigate, and even provide solutions for this issue. During the USC Center on Public Diplomacy’s November 15 event formally launching its Water Diplomacy Initiative, Naomi Leight, CPD’s Assistant Director for Research and Publications and project manager for the Initiative, explained the important role public diplomacy can and should play in addressing water issues. Joining Leight was Dr. Mike Pirbazari, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Group Leader for USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Safe Water For All Nations (S.W.A.N) research group, who emphasized the need to introduce new technologies to underdeveloped countries and find ways to successfully implement them in rural regions. In addition, four of Professor Pirbazari’s students discussed their work on technologies of potential benefit to communities in Africa and Asia and demonstrated ways that science and public diplomacy can improve access to clean water in underdeveloped countries. To read Inside Annenberg's blog about this event, please click here. ]]> 2011-11-15T21:00:00+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:21:00:00Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/ZtwaCSS9BOw/ #When:01:20:14Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy and the USC Shoah Foundation Institute welcome Alan Rosen to campus. He will be speaking about David Boder's early Holocaust testimony project. In July 1946, Boder set sail for Europe determined to record audio testimonies from Holocaust survivors in Displaced Persons camps. In Rosen's words "His [Boder's] goals were straightforward. First of all, he wanted to preserve an authentic record of wartime suffering. Second, he was professionally interested as a psychologist in the impact of extreme suffering on personality. Third, he wanted to increase the knowledge of a post-war American public who knew little about what happened to the victims in the ghettos and in the concentration camps. And finally, he hoped that the DPs' stories could be effective in advocating on their behalf for immigration to America." About Alan Rosen Rosen has held fellowships at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; the International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem; the Katz Center for Advanced Jewish Studies, University of Pennsylvania, and the Archives for the History of American Psychology, University of Akron. He has taught at universities and colleges in Israel and the United States, and lectures regularly on Holocaust Literature at Yad Vashem’s International School for Holocaust Studies and other Holocaust study centers. Born and raised in Los Angeles, educated in Boston under the direction of Elie Wiesel, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and four children. His current book projects include editing for Cambridge UP a critical introduction to Holocaust literature, collaborating with Elie Wiesel on a volume of key Holocaust documents, and researching and writing a monograph entitled, "Killing Time, Saving Time: Calendars and the Holocaust." Rosen's latest book, The Wonder of Their Voices: The 1946 Holocaust Interviews of David Boder was published by Oxford University Press in fall, 2010. For more event information and to R.S.V.P., please click here. ]]> 2011-11-11T01:20:14+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:01:20:14Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/F7ENyUGTZks/ #When:20:48:21Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Barry A. Sanders for a discussion of his new book, American Avatar: The United States in the Global Imagination. In this new book, Sanders addresses the research and analysis done since September 11, 2001 which has focused on a false impression that foreigners’ views of America are normally negative and impervious to change. In fact their images are complex, emotional, frequently internally contradictory, and often change quickly. This CPD Conversation in Public Diplomacy highlighted the perceptions that other publics have about America and how America understands those perceptions. Read the event synopsis below. About Barry Sanders: Barry Sanders is a member of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy's Advisory Board, an adjunct professor of communication studies at UCLA. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Pacific Council on International Policy. Please click here to read Barry's full bio. SYNOPSIS At this event, Sanders addressed the mis-impression about the roots of people’s views of the United States and what can be done to alter them. He shared his analysis about the factors that influence attitudes a person expresses about the United States. Sanders discussed how examining the biases or predispositions that guide people in selecting among the myriad stored images to express an opinion on a given day. He went on to point out that both anti-American and pro-American biases play a role in explaining which criticisms should be heeded when crafting foreign policy and communicating national objectives to friends and foes alike. More information about American Avatar: The United States in the Global Imagination can be found by clicking here. ]]> 2011-11-08T20:48:21+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:20:48:21Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/6vuXQoXOcR0/ #When:21:02:14Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host, Sarala Fernando, Fulbright Professional Scholar (Fall 2011) from Sri Lanka. Sarala Fernando presented her impressions on the challenges faced by developing countries with small cadres of diplomats and the support of public diplomacy initiatives. While, new directions in training have focussed on enhancing communication and presentation skills, leadership skills, negotiations, strategic analysis and intelligence gathering, they also need to reshape traditional models for promoting trade, investment and tourism. A primary objective of this new training needs to raise Sri Lanka's image abroad after the end of three decades of armed conflict. Read the event synopsis below. Currently she is the Director General at Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute, Colombo since 2008. Previously, she was with the Sri Lanka Foreign Service and retired in 2007 following Ambassadorial postings in Thailand (with concurrent accreditation to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos), in Sweden (with concurrent accreditation to all the Nordic and Baltic countries) and as Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva (with concurrent accreditation to the Holy See). For more information about Sarala, please click here. SYNOPSIS Ambassador Fernando explained that Sri Lanka is a nation caught between two images. One is the external image of Sri Lanka as a country plagued by human rights violations since the end of its 30 year civil war in 2009. The other is that of a rapidly developing nation, which remains unseen in the international community. In order to promote Sri Lanka to the outside world and bridge the gap between these two images, its diplomats must highlight the fact that Sri Lanka, like its neighbor India, is an established democracy, has a diversified and independent press, and is engaged and focused on reconstructing the areas that were most affected by the conflict. Areas of the country previously affected by the conflict are now open. She explained the strategic interest of India, as the fourth largest energy consumer in the world, its access to Central Asia gas and oil, and its growing role in the Indian Ocean. Fernando also expressed optimism concerning South Asia’s real GDP growth rate, showing that the region has great economic potential. She closed her presentation with a slideshow of images from her latest book Sri Pada: Peak Heritage of Lanka, which consists of beautiful photographs of Adams Peak, a sacred mountain top refuge for Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka. ]]> 2011-11-01T21:02:14+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:21:02:14Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/JU3wZ4SHrJw/ #When:20:20:15Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Bernard Duhaime, the incoming Canada-U.S. Visiting Research Chair in Public Diplomacy, to speak about his work on international human rights and public diplomacy. Read the event synopsis below. About Bernhard Duhaime Bernard Duhaime is a Canadian professor of public international law at the University of Québec in Montreal (UQAM). He teaches mainly international human rights law and specializes on the Inter-American System on Human Rights. Before joining the UQAM faculty in 2004, Bernard was staff attorney at the Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States. He has also worked for, or collaborated with, organizations such as the International Labour Organization, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and Rights & Democracy. He is the co-author of the yearly review of the case law of the Inter-American Human Rights System in the Quebec Journal of International Law, and has contributed to books such as Human Rights Regimes in the Americas (United Nations University Press, 2010), L’exceptionnalisme Interaméricain des Droits de L’homme (Pedonne, 2009), and Governing the Americas: Regional Institutions at the Crossroads (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2007). For the 2010-2011 academic year, he will be a Visiting Fellow at the Human Rights Center of Harvard University Law School, and will finalize a coursebook on Human Rights and the Americas with HRP's executive director, James Cavallaro. Bernard will be teaching in the Master's Program in Pubic Diplomacy during the Fall semester on public diplomacy and human rights advocacy. SYNOPSIS Public diplomacy is becoming more complex as NGO’s, international organizations, media and international public opinion play an increasingly significant role. In his presentation, Professor Bernard Duhaime cited the coup d’état and military junta in Argentina from 1976-1983 to illustrate the role of non-state actors in calling attention to the forced disappearances of citizens and other atrocities of the regime. At the prodding of non-state actors, the U.S. government and other international institutions moved to end Argentina’s human rights crisis. Professor Duhaime concluded by stressing the need for public diplomacy initiatives in enforcing human rights laws. Because there is no international human rights police force, NGO’s and the international community need to continue to use public diplomacy to produce social change and punish human rights violators. For more information on this subject, he recommended reading:The Massacre at El Mozote by Mark Danner. For more on this event, click here. ]]> 2011-10-25T20:20:15+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:20:20:15Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/4aHjkzGNEo4/ #When:22:45:14Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy and the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy was pleased to welcome Michael Posner, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor for a dialogue on Internet freedom. A moderated conversation led by Geoffrey Cowan, University Professor, Annenberg Family Chair in Communication Leadership and director of the Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, followed Posner’s remarks. Secretary Posner's remarkes touched upon Internet freedom, a foreign policy priority of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Obama Administration. He also discussed U.S. government efforts to develop technologies that combat Internet censorship, the growing efforts by repressive regimes to curtail digital freedoms, and the responsibility of technology corporations to respect human rights in countries that restrict Internet freedom. ]]> 2011-10-24T22:45:14+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:22:45:14Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/Q5bqQx6Yhm8/ #When:21:52:20Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy and USC Annenberg School of Journalism was pleased to host a discussion with Ramin Asgard, Director of Voice of America's Persian News Network. Ramin addressed the challenges and successes of VOA's Persian News Network programming in the face of government hostility and obstruction. Specific examples included original content such as the news magazine show "Parazit", covering international issues, and the use of social media in messaging. Ramin went on to discuss how PNN handles conflicts between doing journalism and being part of the U.S. government. Read the event synopsis below. About Ramin Asgard Ramin Asgard is currently the highest ranking Iranian American career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. He recently served as a Political Advisor to General David Petraeus and General James Mattis at the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa, Florida. Prior to joining CENTCOM, Mr. Asgard served as Director of the Iran Regional Presence Office in Dubai, the U.S. Government's primary field operation concerning Iran. Prior to joining the Department of State, Mr. Asgard practiced law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He received his J.D. degree from Tulane University, his M.A. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Temple University. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Council on Foreign Relations. The Voice of America (VOA), which first went on the air in 1942, is an international multimedia broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of 123 million people. SYNOPSIS Heavy media censorship by the Iranian government poses great challenges to Voice of America’s Persian News Network’s (VOA) efforts to broadcast accurate, comprehensive, engaging and trustworthy news in Iran. This “Electronic Curtain,” as Ramin Asgard, director of VOA, named it is not a new development. It first appeared in the 1980’s after the Iranian government declared the press a propagator and promoter of Islamic Culture. Since then, censorship efforts have bordered on the extreme, with the government going as far as to try and create a “Halal Internet” by 2012. VOA is faced with the challenge of bypassing government efforts to control the flow of information while maintaining its democratic values by avoiding both restricting access to information and severing communication. There are several options VOA has in breaching the “Electronic Curtain.” They can engage multilaterally and with private broadcasters, publicize the Iranian government’s unjust censorship of media, establish a linkage narrative between access to information and human rights, and raise the negative consequences to Iran of its continued negative conduct. However this proves difficult when Iran jams its satellites, making it difficult for foreign news organizations to broadcast in the country. Asgard stressed the importance of VOA’s preparation to play a key role as the wave of change sweeping the region hits Iran. ]]> 2011-10-18T21:52:20+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:21:52:20Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/onHqAKEoqEc/ #When:21:11:02Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Riffat Masood, the Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles for a conversation about Pakistan, U.S., and public diplomacy. Consul General Masood discussed how the relationship between Pakistan and the United States, could benefit from public diplomacy efforts initiated by each country toward the other. The Consul General resented her thoughts on public diplomacy initiatives that can support the long-term U.S. interests in the region which depend on a stable Pakistan deterred from nuclear proliferation and fomenting regional insurgencies. She spoke about how images and perceptions are the real war in Pakistan, and not the exclusive military action undertaken by the U.S. Now going on a decade since 9/11, most Pakistanis are equally anti-Taliban and anti-US. This has resulted in a failure for US public diplomacy. She suggested that both countries need to revisit ways and reinvigorate efforts in building up each other’s image. Read the event synopsis below. About Consul General Masood Riffat Masood joined the Civil Services of Pakistan in 1984 as part of the Information Group. She served in the ministry of Information, in the External Publicity Wing for two and half years and in 1987, she joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan as a young probationer and has served in various capacities. Riffat Masood’s first foreign assignment was as a Third Secretary in the Pakistan High Commission, London (January 1991-February 1994).She has also served as a First Secretary in the Pakistan Embassy Paris (April 1998-June 2001) and in Ankara, Turkey (June 2001-January 2003). While posted in Paris, she was also Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, hence gaining expertise in both multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. Her fourth foreign assignment was at the Pakistan High Commission New Delhi where she served for three and half years, as the Political Counsellor and later as the Deputy High Commissioner. She is now on her fifth posting as the Consul General of Pakistan to Los Angeles. From 1994-1998, Riffat Masood also had the opportunity of working as the Protocol Officer to the Prime Minister. During this period, she had the honor of serving two Prime Ministers, the late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, thereby witnessing from close quarters the functioning of government. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Riffat Masood has worked in senior positions in the America, Europe, South Asia, and Personnel divisions. Before going to New Delhi, Riffat worked for over a year in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) division as its Director. Riffat Masood is fluent in English, Urdu, Punjabi and Persian and has a working knowledge of French, Arabic, and Turkish. Blame games, rigidity, arrogance and insensitivity to each others interests continue to be counterproductive to improving U.S.-Pakistani relations, so says Riffat Masood, the Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles. In her discussion of American public diplomacy efforts towards Pakistan, she argued that U.S. aid to the country has done little to improve the long-term well-being of Pakistan, deepening the resentment Pakistanis feel towards American presence in the region. She explained that Pakistanis have yet to see U.S. aid disbursed to local populations. Instead, citizens have witnessed instability and mounting economic failures since the U.S. entered the region after 9/11. Despite their current relationship, the Consul General appeared hopeful that diplomatic tensions between the two nations can be resolved. She called on the United States to invest more resources directly to help improve Pakistan’s education system, infrastructure and economy and that the business sector can be instrumental in creating jobs and building a cooperative economic relationship between the nations. Finally she emphasized the importance of passing legislation for the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones, aimed at rebuilding areas most affected by violent extremism. These improvements, she said, will send a strong message of support and commitment from the U.S. to ensure long-term stability in Pakistan. For more information on this subject, the Consul General recommended reading: The Scorpion’s Tale, by Zahid Hussain, and Pakistan: A Hard Country, by Anatol Lieven. To read the Consul General's Remarks, click here. ]]> 2011-09-20T21:11:02+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:21:11:02Z http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pdevents/~3/RbsnfTQ4r-E/ #When:05:36:27Z The USC Center on Public Diplomacy and the USC Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies was pleased to welcome Douglas Kmiec for a talk titled, "Secularism Crucified?" An American legal scholar, diplomat, and author, former Ambassador Douglas W. Kmiec holds the Caruso Family Chair. He has focused the chair toward constitutional and human rights law. His talk, "Secularism Crucified?" was an examination of recent decisions by the European Court of Human Rights as it relates to religious symbols in public places. The event is part of the 2011-2012 Elizabeth and Robert Plumleigh Lecture Series. For more information about the USC Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, please visit their website at www.ifacs.com. For additional event information, please contact Sheila Garrison at . ]]> 2011-09-14T05:36:27+00:00 cpd@usc.eduhttp://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/#When:05:36:27Z USC Center on Public Diplomacynonadultevents at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy