Public Diplomacy and “Popular Diplomacy”

Philip Seib / The Huffington Post

As public diplomacy becomes more central in the foreign policy of the United States and other nations, the importance of education about international affairs should be recognized. Amidst the flood of information — some reliable, some dangerously false — knowledge is a valuable commodity.

 We don’t really know what the North Koreans are thinking

Matthew Wallin / The Hill’s Congress Blog

As the North Koreans carried out their threat today to scrap the 1953 Armistice agreement that effectively ended combat in the Korean War, words have been flying describing the North Korean regime as crazy and irrational. But are they actually crazy and irrational? We don’t actually know.

Exit Interview: Alec Ross on Internet Freedom, Innovation and Digital Diplomacy

Alexander Howard / The Huffington Post

Given the increasing penetration of technology into the lives of billions of people around the world, context for how we think about intersection of diplomacy and civil society is shifting. No one has been more central to that discussion than Alec J. Ross, the senior advisor for innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who in many ways defined the practice of “digital diplomacy” in the 21st century.

The Discussion of Internet Freedom Takes Center Stage in 2013

Amelie Barratt / Take Five Blog

John Kerry’s first official tweet as the new Secretary of State will be interesting to keep in mind as we watch him navigate the Internet in his new role. Although Hillary Clinton did not tweet while holding the position, she is recognized for drastically enhancing the State Department’s commitment to outreach and public diplomacy in particular.

A US Ambassador  and the art of Twitter Diplomacy

AFP / France 24

American diplomats around the world are embracing social media to better connect with people both at home and abroad. One of them is US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney, a prolific Twitter user who now has more than 38,000 followers.

Digital Jihad: Inside Al-Qaeda’s Social Networks

Deana Kjuka / The Atlantic

Almost a decade after their emergence, Al-Qaeda’s password-protected online forums continue to remain popular. Government officials in the U.S and elsewhere have spoken out against the message boards, which are used by jihadis to converse and distribute information, saying they serve as a recruiting tool for terrorists and have been used to incite violence against the West.

New Creative Australia Revealed

Andrew Taylor / Sydney Morning Herald

More money for young artists and indigenous languages, a new location incentive to increase the competitiveness of the local film industry, plus an overhaul of the Australia Council, sweetened with a funding boost, are among the initiatives in the much-delayed national cultural policy announced on Wednesday.

Denmark’s Green Vision

Kalyani Phansalkar / Take Five Blog

The potential of cultural diplomacy, at least in the US, is hampered by the lack of coordination between private and public entities in creating a coherent strategy. In the age of Web 2.0, the cost of gathering content and coordinating programs has diminished significantly, opening up a space for cultural programming to take a more significant role in diplomatic issues.

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