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THE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ASPECT OF THE IRANIAN OSCAR WIN
MAR 6, 2012
 Posted by Javad Rad
All posts by Javad Rad


This year's Oscar for the best foreign film went to Iran, a country which is grappling with a tense international environment because of its nuclear program. Despite its small budget, A Separation has come to generate a considerable amount of discussion both inside Iran and abroad. One debate, always important to Iranians, is about the contribution of such movies to the Iranian image. There is almost a consensus among scholars of culture and politics that cinema is a strong instrument to enhance the image of a nation on the international stage. It is through the instrument of cinema (and visual…... Full Text
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ASHURA: THE SOFT SOURCE OF IRAN’S CONDUCT
DEC 7, 2011
 Posted by Javad Rad
All posts by Javad Rad


Throughout history, many nations have relied on historical phenomena, narratives, and myths to define their identities and their relation to the outside reality. When narratives survive the test of time and space, they become meta-narratives which shape the worldview and the conduct of the societies they encompass. In addition to having profound effects on the socio-cultural process, meta-narratives sometimes influence and explicate the international behavior of a nation. Almost all of us are familiar with the Christian concept of Manifest Destiny and how it is has always been relevant to U.S. foreign policy. For the majority of Iranians, as Muslim…... Full Text
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AN AMERICAN VIRTUAL EMBASSY IN TEHRAN?
OCT 27, 2011
 Posted by Javad Rad
All posts by Javad Rad


In a clear act of public diplomacy, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on BBC Persian this week to engage the network's Iranian audience on a range of issues regarding the state of relations between Iran and America. In an interview-format program, she tried to address some important issues raised by Iranians living either in Iran or outside the country. Throughout her remarks, she brought up one eye-catching idea, an American virtual embassy in Tehran, which could be regarded as the most recent initiative of the Obama administration to communicate with Iranians. Such a concept appears to be noble at…... Full Text
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WORRISOME REVOLUTIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
MAR 2, 2011
 Posted by Javad Rad
All posts by Javad Rad


The Middle East is once again on fire, not because of American warfare, but due to apparently genuine movements aiming to get rid of old rulers and obsolete political systems. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen have all either passed the threshold of revolution or are on the verge. The dominos have fallen and it would not be imprudent to call it a day for rulers in other Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, or Jordan. These political earthquakes are shaking not only the region but also the whole world. These events affect the lives of people in…... Full Text
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OBAMA’S BBC PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
OCT 1, 2010
 Posted by Javad Rad
All posts by Javad Rad


In his exclusive interview with the BBC Persian Television, President Obama responded not only to the Iranian president's remarks at the UN General Assembly, but also to some of the concerns of Iranians and Afghans with regards to his administration's foreign policy. Beyond the harsh rhetoric on who is to blame for 9/11, this appearance on BBC Persian has a few notable implications for U.S. public diplomacy apparatus in general and its policy towards Iran in particular. The fact that Obama went to the BBC to talk to Iranian people signals the weakness in U.S. public diplomacy apparatus, namely its…... Full Text
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