Corporate Diplomacy Perspectives—Fear vs. Freedom: A Valentine from Egypt

If the events in Egypt taught us anything over the past few weeks it is that notions of freedom and fear run in parallel. I was struck as many of you might have been by the myriad images and poignant stories pouring out of Egypt showing Egyptians by the thousands demanding their freedom and rallying for global support. It reminded me of why I have such an enduring appreciation and admiration for Egyptians as a people. They are deeply proud of their heritage and culture and this is infused in every aspect of daily life. Read More

China, Costa Rica, and the Race For U.N. Secretary General

Let me begin by describing a scenario to you. It’s Wednesday night in Costa Rica, about 8.30pm, and people in Costa Rica, as people do in most countries, are watching prime-time television. On this particular night, Costa Rica takes on their neighbors Venezuela in a soccer match and, due to the mass popularity of soccer in Costa Rica, it is drawing a large audience. Costa Rica scores, and after endless replays and analysis of a truly average goal, the action cuts to a "and here’s the reaction in China" sequence of pictures. Read More

U.S. Public Diplomacy and the New Egypt

First, let’s be clear that this was the Egyptian Revolution, not the “Facebook Revolution” or the “Twitter Revolution.” Events of the past few weeks belong wholly to spirit of the Egyptian people, not technology. And although it was built on democratic aspirations, this was not a revolution that drew any inspiration from the United States. Read More

Egypt: Technology, Jazz and the Common Wealth

WASHINGTON -- From events of the past three weeks a number of lessons can be drawn, some old and some new: First, the phrase "the Arab street" has been redefined by Tahrir Square. We don’t need acute listening agents or polling to see what the Arab world wants. Read More

Identity Crisis: Israel in the Middle East

Over the last century or so, Israelis have worked to make Israel a part of the Middle East. Israeli sabras (native born Israelis) with their argumentative attitudes; take no prisoners mentality; love for hummus, falafel and “Israeli” salad; tan skin; the yalla (let’s go) and no-translation needed ‘tseh (tongue hiss) live up to the Middle Eastern stereotypes and fit in with regional commonalities. If a tourist was dropped off in a nightclub or beach in Beirut or Tel Aviv, the only notable difference between the patrons would be the spoken language. Read More

Indian PD at Davos: Credibility as Public Diplomacy

Hollywood: Cultural Diplomacy at Its Loudest and Angriest

There seems to be a consensus that Hollywood has a huge impact on America’s image around the world. There just doesn’t seem to be any consensus on what to do about that. Read More

Egypt: Social media as a life or death proposition

The Lasting Images of Mubarak’s Regime

The age of the image is upon us and the clock cannot be turned back. And yet the Mubarak regime is in denial. It started with muffling the voice of al-Jazeera. I was fortunate to be in Cairo during the first two days of the current uprising. On January 25 and 26, when the roads around me were starting to be blocked, when sirens and loud speakers could be heard in the areas surrounding Tahrir Square, and when both the police and protesters were mobilizing in larger numbers than ever before, I was struck by the inattention that al-Jazeera was giving the protest. Read More

Arabic Satellite Channels At War In The Middle East

With armies of reporters from Al Jazeera and Alhurra and slews of other news media organizations covering the Middle East, one wonders how the seeds of anti-government sentiment in Egypt were not detected before streets were filled with protesters and now police violence and death. Diplomats in Washington and other world capitals seem to have been similarly blindsided. Read More

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