http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/ en USC Center on Public Diplomacy Copyright 2010 2010-07-22T01:15:55+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Charlotte Cole, Vice President for International Education, Research and Outreach for Sesame Workshop. Cole discussed how Sesame Street creates media worldwide. Sesame Street started in the 1960’s and has grown to reach children in over 140 countries– using the magnetic appeal of television to help them improve their lives and live harmoniously with others. Emphasizing local co-production, Sesame Workshop has had notable successes in Kosovo, Palestine, and other places where children must deal with complex political environments. Dr. Charlotte Frances Cole, Vice President for International Education, Research and Outreach at Sesame Workshop in New York, oversees the research and curriculum development on the Company’s international co-productions including adaptations of the well-known pre-school program, Sesame Street. Working with educators and production teams throughout the world, she has most recently been engaged in projects in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Israel, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, West Bank/Gaza. Prior to joining the Workshop, Dr. Cole worked as a Senior Researcher at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston on a longitudinal study of families of children with acute and chronic illness funded by the National Institutes of Health. She has also served as a consultant to the Harvard Institute for International Development on several child-health projects in Thailand. Dr. Cole received her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University. Her teaching experience includes positions as instructor at Boston College (Newton, Massachusetts), Lesley College (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Terre Haute, Indiana). She has worked as a board member for several community-service organizations including the Council on Domestic Abuse in Terre Haute, Indiana (from 1985-1986) and currently serves on the boards of Oxford Academy in Westbrook, Connecticut and NetAid in New York. She also works as the Review and Commentary Editor of the Journal of Children and Media. When she is not looking for lost luggage, she enjoys life with her family in New York City. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/12652/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/12652/ 2010-07-22T00:15:55+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and National Geographic Entertainment held a special preview screening of RESTREPO Directed and Produced by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger Followed by a Q&A with the directors Michael Renov, a professor and associate dean for academic affairs at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, led a Q&A discussion with the directors immediately following the screening. Hetherington and Junger explained that they wanted to tell a story about the war in Afghanistan from the point of view of "grunt" soldiers. Instead of trying to make a film about the broader issues of the war, the directors chose to follow one platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley in hopes of creating a more visceral experience that would inspire others to delve further into the situation abroad. The directors also spoke on the methods used to make the film, which included: being embedded five times over the course of a year with the same platoon to build rapport with the soldiers. coping with feelings of fear in dangerous situations. letting the soldiers, instead of the filmmakers, narrate the story through post-deployment interviews interspersed with footage from the Korengal Valley. When asked by an audience member if they had any advice for the people back home dealing with the return of the soliders, Junger explained the need for more understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder and for people not to be so quick to pathologize a soldier's desire to return to war. He explained that a soldier's longing to return to combat is healthy, and can be attributed to wanting the close-knit brotherhood and meaning to life the military provides. About Restrepo Restrepo is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo", named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley: there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you. Director's Statement The war in Afghanistan has become highly politicized, but soldiers rarely take pare in that discussion. Our intention was to capture the experience of combat, boredom, and fear through the eyes of the soldiers themselves. Their lives were our lives: we did not sit down with their families, we did not interview Afghans, we did not explore geopolitical debates. Soldiers are living and fighting and dying at ramove outposts in Afghanistan in conditions that few Americans back home can imagine. Their experiences are important to understand, regardless of one's political beliefs. Beliefs are a way to avoid looking at reality. This is reality. About the Director/Producer TIM HETHERINGTON - Producer / Director / Camera Tim Hetherington is an acclaimed photographer and filmmaker who has reported on conflict for over ten years. He was the only photographer to live behind rebel lines during the recent Liberian civil war - work that culminated in the film Liberia: an Uncivil War and the book Long Story Bit by Bit: Liberia Untold (Umbrage 2009). For a full bio please click here. SEBASTIAN JUNGER - Producer / Director / Camera New York-based writer and journlist Sebastian Junger is the bestselling author of The Perfect Storm, Fire and A Death in Belmont. He first reported from Afghanistan in 1996 and, four years later, was one of the last Westerners to accompany legendary guerrilla fighter Ahmed Shah Massoud (while reporting for National Geographic) during his war against the Taliban. For a full bio please click here. This screening is free of charge and open to the public. Please bring a photo ID or print-out of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your email account upon successfully making an RSVP through the website noted above. Doors open at 6:30pm. The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90077. Parking passes may be purchased for $8.00 at USC Entrance Gate #5, located at the intersection of W. Jefferson Blvd. and McClintock Ave. We recommend parking in outdoor Lot M or V, or Parking Structure D, at the far end of 34th Street. Please note that Parking Structure D cannot accommodate tall vehicles such as SUVs. Free street parking is also available along Jefferson Blvd. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/12119/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/12119/ 2010-06-23T04:31:07+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy and the USC Annenberg School for Journalism were pleased to host a discussion with journalist Roxana Saberi. Saberi was working as a freelance journalist in Iran when she was arrested in 2009. She was released 100 days later and is now writing and speaking out about prisoners of conscience in Iran. She is the author of Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran. This conversation was moderated by Geneva Overholser, director of the School of Journalism. Read the Daily Trojan's article on Saberi's discussion. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10387/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10387/ 2010-04-27T23:00:39+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host the spring public meeting of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy is a bipartisan panel created by Congress and appointed by the President to appraise U.S. Government activities intended to understand, inform, and influence foreign publics. The Commission was reauthorized in June 2007 pursuant to Public Law P.L. 110-21 (2007). It formulates and recommends to the President, the Secretary of State, and Members of Congress policies and programs to carry out the public diplomacy functions vested in the State Department, Broadcasting Board of Governors, and other government agencies. It also appraises the effectiveness of the public diplomacy policies and programs carried out by government agencies. To read the Center's announcement, please click here. Read CPD University Fellow Jonathan Taplin's review of the meeting. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/11194/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/11194/ 2010-04-23T21:33:22+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy is pleased to host three experts on public diplomacy efforts in South Asia.Joining us will be: Shamila N. Chaudhary joined the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff in February 2009 and is responsible for South and Central Asia. She also advises on Pakistan issues for Richard C. Holbrooke, the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sajit Gandhi currently serves as a South Asia Analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the U.S. Department of State. Immediately prior to this he was the Deputy Director for Strategic Communications in the office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Christopher Steinitz is a Research Analyst in the Center for Strategic Studies at CNA, a Congressionally-established, non-profit think tank in Alexandria, VA. His areas of expertise are the Arab world, the Muslim world, and Terrorism/Counterterrorism. Refreshments will be served. Parking is available on the USC Campus for $8. Please enter campus through USC Gate 3 at Figueroa St. and McCarthy Way and purchase parking for Parking Structure X. If you are having problems submitting your RSVP, please contact http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/11191/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/11191/ 2010-04-12T20:00:52+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Ambassador Hesham Elnakib, Consul General of Egypt. Ambassador Hesham Elnakib spoke on President Obama's Cairo speech one year on; corporate diplomacy opportunities and challenges in the Middle East; regional strategic communications considerations; and public private partnership opportunities.. Ambassador Elnakib graduated from The American University in Cairo with a bachelor’s in political science and a minor in economics, a Master of Arts in international relations from the International Institute of Public Administration in Paris, France, and a Doctor of Philosophy in history, specializing in the history of international relations and foreign policy, from the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Science in Moscow. Elnakib embarked on his diplomatic career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs right after graduation. During the last 10 years, Elnakib has assumed various positions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including director and counselor, North American Department (1997-2000); director of the cabinet of the First Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs (2000-2001); spokesperson and head of press and public diplomacy 2007-2008, and currently as the Consul General at the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco from 2008 to the present. Intermittently, he was assigned his third international post (2001-2007) as director, press counselor and spokesperson of press and information office of the Embassy of Egypt in Washington DC, and minister plenipotentiary with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Information. Elnakib wrote a number of commentaries and letters to the editor of various international journals and magazines, including New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal; he also wrote a number or articles in El Sayasa El Dawleya in Al Ahram newspaper. He is a member of the Academy of Political Science in New York and the National Press Club in Washington DC. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10809/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10809/ 2010-04-09T19:26:05+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host, Dr. Michael Hawes, Canada-U.S.Fulbright Visiting Chair in Public Diplomacy (2010) and CEO of the Fulbright Canada program. His talk was titled, "Cultural Diplomacy: Understanding the Power and Purpose of Exchange Diplomacy". Fulbright Canada is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. Since 1990, Fulbright Canada has provided exchange opportunities for over 1000 students, scholars, and professionals. It has engaged the private sector, supported and encouraged public policy, and contributed to a number of national policy debates in both countries. Dr. Hawes will assess the impact of academic exchange as a vehicle for public diplomacy and it role on international relations. About Michael Hawes Dr. Michael Hawes has been a professor of international political economy and international relations in the Department of Political Studies at Queen's University since 1985. During the 1999/2000 academic year Michael was the J. William Fulbright Distinguished Professor of International and Area Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and the John A. Sproul Senior Research Fellow in the Canadian Studies Program. He has held posts as visiting scholar at the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico in Mexico City, visiting professor of International Relations at Tsukuba University in Japan, and, on several occasions, visiting professor of international political economy at the International University of Japan. He has published widely on foreign policy, political culture, international economic relations, regional integration in North America and East Asia, and related subjects. Event Summary In his discussion, titled “Cultural Diplomacy: Understanding the Power and Purpose of Exchange Diplomacy,” Dr. Hawes discussed the significance and need for cultural diplomacy in effective public diplomacy. Attendees included graduate students in the USC Master of Public Diplomacy program as well as students from across campus and members of the local community. Dr. Hawes discussed the effectiveness of exchanges in boosting cultural diplomacy. Using the Fulbright program as an example, he emphasized direct exchange as a key component for effective public diplomacy, underscoring the value of face-to-face contact. Furthermore, the Fulbright program promotes national interest, acts as a public relations agent and promotes new ideas. However, he said, the United States should understand that countries around the world do not all clearly understand the goals of such exchange programs. The discussion concluded with several recommendations for exchange diplomacy. These included: recognizing the need to be more creative with exchange participants and the value of alumni to serve as resources for future programs; creating room for foreign nationals to participate in decision-making and directing activities to focus more on foreign nationals; and clearly identifying purposes and goals more carefully. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/11051/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/11051/ 2010-04-06T17:59:53+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Dr. Robert Banks, the U.S. State Department Public Diplomat in Residence. Dr. Banks' talk was on the the diplomatic image. Specifically he examined how editorial cartoonists in the U.S. and abroad have portrayed America’s top diplomats (2004-2010) and the implications for public diplomacy. During his time as CPD's 2009-11 Public Diplomat in Residence, Banks will conduct research on the evaluation of public diplomacy. Please read more about Dr. Banks' research project. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10278/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10278/ 2010-04-01T19:54:03+00:00 CPD Director Philip Seib moderated the roundtable discussion, "Why We Write, What We Write". This discussion aimed to give readers insight into the concepts and motives behind the authors' work. 3:00pm-4:00pm: Discussion (ASC 207, Geoff Cowan Forum) 4:00pm-4:30pm: Reception and Book Signing (Annenberg East Lobby) Participating authors included: Rob Asghar, CPD University Fellow Vincent Brook Manuel Castells KC Cole Nicholas Cull, CPD University Fellow Tom Kemper Tim Page Richard Reeves Kenneth Turan Diane Winston, CPD University Fellow http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10780/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10780/ 2010-03-11T02:26:26+00:00 The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to host Mr. Werner Wnendt, the Deputy Director-General for Culture and Communication from the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin. This talk will be moderated by CPD University Fellow, Nicholas J. Cull. Mr. Wendt discussed how cultural and educational programs can create a broad basis for stable international relations. In addition, these programs can build trust around the world and contribute to intercultural dialogue as well as crisis prevention. Mr. Wnendt was named the Deputy Director-General for Culture and Communication in the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin since October 1, 2007. Prior to his present position he was the head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo (April 2005-2007) and he also worked in Bosnia and Hercegovina as the Senior Deputy High Representative of the International Community from August 2003 to March 2005. Between August 2000 and August 2003, Mr. Wnendt was the advisor on foreign policy to the German Federal President. Since 1995, he was the Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in the Czech Republic and worked as the Chief of Cabinet of the Minister of State for European Integration in the German Federal Government. Mr. Wnendt joined the German Foreign service in 1980 and has held positions in missions to the European Union in Brussels, to US, Pakistan and Kenya. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10388/ http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/index.php/events/events_detail/10388/ 2010-03-05T19:58:01+00:00