Public Diplomacy: Books, Articles, Websites (Courtesy of Professor Bruce Gregory) - www.MountainRunner.us

Original post in October 2010.  

Updated 8 JUL 2015.

A pretty thorough list as far as Public Diplomacy goes!

Public Diplomacy: Books, Articles, Websites (Courtesy of Professor Bruce Gregory) - 

Courtesy of Matt Armstrong's excellent www.MountainRunner.us blog.  You can follow him on Twitter here.

Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power book signing Nov. 9th!

This looks like an awesome event for Africa, and Asia-Pacific-anados!  I only wish I wasn't going to be out of town that evening!

Monsoon
The Indian Ocean and the
Future of American Power

With CNAS Senior Fellow Robert Kaplan
Moderated by NPR Correspondent Tom Gjelten

November 9, 2010 from 6:00-7:15 pm
Book signing cocktail reception will follow;
Monsoon will be sold on site.
RSVP here <http://e2ma.net/go/8735853618/3178252/99662091/21342/b64/aHR0cHM6Ly9jbmFzLnd1Zm9vLmNvbS9mb3Jtcy93N3M2czU=> .

America's preoccupation with the Middle East suits China perfectly. We are paying in blood and treasure to stabilize Afghanistan while China is building transport and pipeline networks throughout Central Asia that will ultimately reach Kabul and the trillion dollars' worth of minerals lying underground. Whereas Americans ask how can we escape Afghanistan, the Chinese, who are already prospecting for copper there, ask: 'How can we stay'? Our military mission in Afghanistan diverts us from properly reacting to the Chinese naval challenge in East Asia. - Robert D. Kaplan, The Washington Post, September 26, 2010

Like the monsoon itself, a cyclical weather system that can be both destructive and essential for growth and prosperity, the rise of countries like China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka represent a shift in global balance that cannot be ignored. From Pakistan’s uncertain future, the growth of Chinese military power, African states teetering on the edge of failure, violent Islamic extremism and piracy, this region will be the true nexus of power and conflict in the coming years. In MONSOON, a Random House Hardcover, Kaplan shows how crucial the Indian Ocean area has become to American power in the 21st century. He argues it is in that region – volatile, nuclearized, and plagued by weak infrastructure and young populations tempted by extremism – that the fight for democracy, energy independence, and religious freedom will be lost or won, and where the United States must focus in order to remain relevant in this ever-changing world.
On November 9, 2010, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) will hold the first Washington, D.C. book launch for MONSOON  featuring best-selling author Robert Kaplan and NPR’s award-winning correspondent Tom Gjelten. Please join us for an engaging conversation on one of the most thought-provoking books of 2010.

Books will be sold at the CNAS event by Hooks Book Events.

Date and Time:
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
5:00-6:00pm: Camera pre-set
5:30-6:00pm: Guest check-in and registration
6:00-7:15pm: Event
7:15-8:30pm: Book signing cocktail reception
Location:
Willard Intercontinental Hotel’s Crystal Room
1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

RSVP:
RSVP online here <http://e2ma.net/go/8735853618/3178252/99662094/21342/b64/aHR0cHM6Ly9jbmFzLnd1Zm9vLmNvbS9mb3Jtcy93N3M2czU=> .
Or, call 202.457.9427

MSS Conference "African Maritime Interests: Security and Development" Plenary Session 1 Notes

My apologies for the passive tone in my notes on the plenary sessions.  I sought to remove the authorship/ownership of the speeches and papers read while still sharing my notes on the actual material and this involved an undue amount of passive tone.

  I thought it most important for the 'actual material' to be recorded in order to provoke discussion and debate and ultimately solutions for 'economic prosperity.' 

African Maritime Interests: Security and Development

             The session opened with some interesting comments on the connection between piracy and development.  In Somalia’s case piracy is aiding their development (just not in the way in way we want, nor in a sustainable fashion).  The fact was lamented that for far too long, piracy has been the sole concern regarding Africa’s maritime sector. 

            How well Africa is poised for economic growth was touted, citing Africa's quick rebound from the recent global financial crisis.  Another positive aspect that was highlighted was the fact that a number of countries have applied to EEZ extension licenses (Mauritius, Seychelles, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Namibia, Mozambique and Nigeria).  However, the necessity of stronger security and legal systems in order for Africa to realize success wasn't emphasized enough in my opinion. 

            An AU security council meeting took place back in April 2010 in which maritime domain issues were briefed.  The question was also posed: “If Africa has outsourced its economic and maritime security to date, then who is getting the money and supposedly doing this job?” 

            Noting the chasm between potential and realization, the statistics were offered that 1.2% of all shipping (by number) comes through African ports and .9% by gross tonnage.  Furthermore, Africa handles 6% of all shipping traffic and 3% of all container traffic.  A call was made for a holistic, whole of government approach (with a representation of international stakeholders) in connecting the golden thread from Africa’s oceans to its own livelihood. 

            General Jones’ stated belief that in Africa it is essential that public-private partnerships be emphasized was emphasized.  In the vein of think-tank-speak the 3 T’s and P’s (terrorism, trafficking, theft and piracy, poaching and pollution) were noted.  In particular, the keys for success noted were: the continued flow of oil, cargo and people in a maritime domain that isn’t conducive to terrorism or drug lords, thereby creating the necessary economic stability to hedge state failure, extremism and natural disasters.  However without the political will, none of this is possible.   A call for preemptive and proactive NGO and private sector engagement to create more effective partnerships was called for; and with it a question as to whether the U.S. government would be more effective if it consolidated its effort and dealt with only 1 or 2 countries in Africa that demonstrated political will and a cooperative nature (instead of the current less focused approach). 

            There followed a brief debate on the efficacy of a 1 or 2 nation approach when dealing with such a breadth of transnational issues.  Then in ensuing discussion, the need for a ‘supra-national instrument’ to engage multiple countries in building the infrastructure (roads and railways) was stated as necessary for Africa’s success. 

MSS Conference Keynote Speech by AU Deputy Chairman Dr. Mwencha

MSS Conference Keynote Speech by AU Deputy Chairman Dr. Mwencha

         














  Dr. Mwencha put out a lot of information in his speech.  I wonder if the AU Chairman would have been invited to this event had it still been Qadaffi...
           Again, it's worth noting that while the discussion during this event fell under Chatham House Rule, the speeches were all open source. 

            This was really less a speech and more a lengthy, oral recitation of a report (printed version of this speech spans 35 pages) entitled: The Geostrategic Importance of Africa’s Maritime Domain: Opportunities and Challenges.  To that end I have only included the more pertinent points.

Threats to Africa’s Maritime Domain: Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated, (IUU) Fishing, Environmental Crimes, Arms and Drug Smuggling, Oil Bunkering, Human Trafficking, Sea Piracy, Natural Disasters, Global Warming and Environmental Degradation, African Population Growth. 

            It is important to note that Dr. Mwencha spent the majority of time addressing the ‘environmental crimes’.  More than any other threat, this was the one about which the participants from the African nations were most passionate throughout the conference.

Opportunities:  Wealth creation (from sustainable governance of

Africa’s Maritime Domain in fisheries, minerals etc), Security-socio-economic-development nexus (Concrete growth opportunities for Africa), and Energy (tidal stream turbines, wave, river, hydrokinetic, ocean current)

Challenges:  National (inadequate integration of land based and maritime actors), Regional (deconfliction and synchronization for efficiency), AU (creation of continental Chief of Navies/Coast Guards working group)

AU Initiatives:  Leverage the indispensable political will, Build awareness and sensitization, Promote cross-sector cooperation, Develop Africa’s Integrated Maritime (AIM) strategy, and Mobilize Resources

Way Forward:

- Heighten momentum of AU Commission in International Maritime Safety and Security

- Annual AU Maritime Safety and Security Conference

- Set up maritime-centric working groups

- Develop AIM

- Fine tune our Key Performance Areas (with articulate lines of action)

- Create SWOT teams to conduct gap analysis on lines of action

- Implement our Maritime Transport Charter

And he ended his speech with the following quote from Kofi Annan:

“There is no lack of resources, no deficiency of knowledge and no shortage of plans.

Africa's progress rests above all else on the mobilization of political will, both on the

Continent and internationally.”        

Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink with Ambassador John Campbell this Thursday

Young Professionals in Foreign Policy is a great organization here in DC that organizes events such as the one below.  It's free to join and I'd recommend it for all FAOs in the area (even the ones who are only 'young' at heart).  Incidentally, I try to keep my calendar updated with all of these events.  On this blog's home page there is a 'calendar' tab you can clikc which will show you all of the events I am tracking. 

Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink with Ambassador John Campbell

           Nigeria is of great strategic importance and an important player in the African Union. And, according to John Campbell, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, it is in danger of failing as a state. In Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink, Campbell analyzes the hollowing out of Nigerian governance, the insurrection in the oil patch Delta region, and religious and ethnic conflict in the North. Looking forward to the elections in 2011, he suggests policy options for the United States to help Nigeria escape state failure and possible violence. Please join us for a discussion from 7-8:30 p.m. in Washington on Thursday, October 28.

To attend, please log in to your YPFP member account and register f you have any questions or concerns contact us at events@ypfp.org.

MSS Conference Speech by Ambassador Carson

MSS Conference Speech by Ambassador Carson













Amb. Carson began his remarks with the following excerpt from President Obama’s address to the United Nations (UN) last month: 

“We know this is no ordinary time for our people. Each of us comes here with our own problems and own priorities. But there are also challenges that we share in common as leaders and as nations."

This conference he noted, must address the shared global challenge of maritime safety and security.  He then stated that with 90% of the global trade transported on the sea lanes, maritime safety and security IS a cross-cutting issue that doesn’t fall outside of the purview (or capabilities) of any government (land-locked or not) or institution (maritime or not). 

            Finally he commented that there are six maritime functions essential for careful management, protection, and promotion of sound maritime economic and commercial security practices:

Governance- essential at the national, regional and subregional to support, regulate and protect maritime viability.

Civil and criminal authority- these institutions’ work often most closely resembles customs and border patrol and they must be able to cooperate effectively with other government structures.

Defense- whether navies or coast guiards, these organizations must be capable of effective detection, deterrence and interdiction of aggressive acts against a state.

Safety- one overarching authority must hold clear responsibility for ensuring it.

Response and recovery- encompasses capabilities to mitigate and investigate hazards and emergency incidents.

Economy- the ability to guarantee safe and secure maritime conditions is important to the health of its overall economy as well as that of the region (including the landlocked nations).

            He concluded his remarks by urging a collaborative effort to maximize Africa’s ability to benefit from the tremendous potential of their maritime resources. 

The collaboration needed that he emphasized is important because too often the maritime sector is ignored or written off as 'not affecting my area/land-locked country/far-away continent' etc.

MSS Conference Ambassador Huddleston Speech Summary

MSS Conference Ambassador Huddleston Speech Summary

She placed special emphasis on the importance of the sea to Africa’s economy.  In commenting on piracy she noted that while it may impact .001 percent of all shipping but in Africa’s case it not only garners all the headlines but also deprives East African nations of valuable vital resources (such as food during drought season etc.). 

Finally, she commented on the immense problem presented by the developing piracy problem in West Africa and illicit drug trafficking as it presents a tremendous potential financial windfall for terrorist organizations across the continent. 

West Africa truly should be the focus in Africa.  In West Africa we have a chance to get it right before the siutation deteriorates à l'africa de l'est. 

FAOA Luncheon November 5th with BGEN Carr!

Check out the FAOA website for more information!  I am very excited for this event!  Make sure to sign up soon!

What is one question you have about the current state of the Defense Attache System? 

There is still time to register for the next FAOA lunch

eon which promises to be another great event!  DEADLINE FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION IS EXTENDED TO 28OCT

Guest Speaker: 

Brigadier General Robert A. Carr, USA

Director, Defense Counterintelligence and Human Intelligence Center

Topic: FAOs and the Defense Attache System

Brigadier General Robert A. Carr was commissioned through an ROTC program at Stetson University in 1980. He earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a Master of Science in Strategy from the United States Army War College. His military education includes the Military Intelligence Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College. Before coming to the DCHC, Brigadier General Carr served as the J-2 for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF),USFOR-A, in Afghanistan from January 2009 to September 2009, and held several significant staff and command positions during his career.

His staff assignments include: S-3 of the 704^th Military Intelligence Brigade at Fort Meade, Md., from June 1993 to 1995; Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff of Information Operations (G-3) for the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) at Fort Belvoir, Va., from June 2000 to July 2001; Chief J2 of Stabilization Force (SFOR), Operation Joint Forge, Bosnia-Herzegovina from July 2002 to 2003; Assistant Director for Intelligence (J-2) for The Joint Staff in Washington, D.C., from September 2005 to August 2007, and as the Director for Intelligence (J-2) for U.S. European Command in Germany until January 2009.

His command assignments include: Chief of Staff, J-3 Operations and Deputy Commander of 713^th Military Intelligence Group, INSCOM at Menwith Hill Station, UK, from July 1995 to August 1997, and Commander of the 721^stMilitary Intelligence Battalion, 702^nd Military Intelligence Group, INSCOM, from June 1998 to June 2000. He returned to Fort Gordon in July of 2003 and served as the dual-hatted commander of the Gordon Regional Security Operations Center, transitioned to NSA-Georgia, 116^th Military Intelligence Group until July 2005.

His personal awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Parachutist Badge and Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.

New DC Marketing Campaign: They may be homeless, but at least they're well-informed!

Maritime Safety and Security Toward Economic Prosperity Conference Welcome Message by Gen. Ward

Over the next few days I will be publishing my personal summary on much of the MSS conference.  All information I mention is available open source on AFRICOM's website, but hopefully these summaries will give readers a quick and easy way to digest the information covered in the conference. 

WELCOME MESSAGE by an enthusiastic General Ward

“Our programs in Africa exist where our capabilities and our partners’ desires intersect.”

General Ward highlighted APS and AMLEP as a banner example of our involvement in Africa and stressed the importance of “African solutions for African problems.” The work being done by the African Union (AU) in achieving an Africa-wide Maritime Security Strategy was touted as an ideal approach to the existing maritime challenges.

He ended his speech with a call to work to “preserve resources, protect and develop infrastructure, and set the conditions for economic prosperity.”

Poet of the Week from Ghana: Atukwei Okai

Poet of the Week from Ghana: Atukwei Okai


This week’s poet of the week is Dr. Atukwei Okai and he hails from Ghana (official bio is below).  At the Maritime Safety and Security Conference that I attended last week there were a ton of representatives from Ghana.  In speaking with them, I was disappointed that I hadn’t yet featured a Ghanaian poet. 
I liked this excerpt because it made me want to read the entire poem. The first poem is an excerpt from his: Kperterkple Serenade 

Okai’s diction is clear and the cadence moves the reader quickly through his train of thought.  And that final line…that’s the clincher. 

III

make room in your inn for me –

I know:

when karl marx grabbed his bibliography
and ballpen and pocketed his toothbrush
and his shaving stick

he went and bought a ticket to london

when ghandi girded his loin cloth, it
was london he had in mind.
when lenin fled his beloved motherland
his final haven-crashpad was london.

but america

your address book too has memories that yield

the names

of von braun and charles dickens and
marcus garvey and amerigo vespucci and
christopher columbus who boarded the wrong bus
and maxim gorky and mayakovsky and uncle
einstein and mr. carnegie and rockefeller

even your ports

recalling

report how
the mayflower moved in to deflower at night
the virgin land
of the red indians –

jesus christ it seems and judas did not make it

america

you are a funny girl…
everybody dreams of kissing you

Concierto Oblogo is the second poem and I love his alliteration and the way in which he embraces the nature of the poem with his posture and stance as he reads it in the video below.  If the video doesn't work you can click this blog post's title and it will take you to it.   The video is below this blog post. 

   Dr. Atukwei Okai was born and educated in Ghana before traveling to Moscow where he obtained his M.A. (Litt.) from the Gorky Literary Institute in 1967. After returning to Ghana for a year, he was awarded a post-graduate scholarship from the University of Ghana to pursue his Master of Philosophy degree at the University of London. In 1968 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (U.K.) and from 1971 to 1991 he served as President of the Ghana Association of Writers. In 1989 he was elected the first Secretary-General of the Pan-African Writers' Association (PAWA) a position which he still holds today.

Okai lectured in Russian literature at the University of Ghana from 1971 to 1984 when he joined the Institute of African Studies as a Senior Research Fellow in African Literature. He is presently the Head of Language, Literature and Drama Unit of the Institute. The Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana acknowledged his pioneering role in PAWA by presenting him in 1991 with their highest award, the Flagstar, which marked the first time in the 15-year history of ECRAG that the Flagstar award has gone to a writer.

Okai's poems have been published in numerous anthologies and international journals such as The New African Okyeame, The New American Review, The Atlantic Monthly, Black World, and Literary Cavalcade, and have been translated into several languages. He has also performed his poems for radio, television and to live audiences in Africa, Europe, Canada, Australia, Russia, Japan and Vietnam.

Okai has received 13 national and international awards, among them The President of the Republic of Ghana's Special Prize in 1960, the Iqbal Centenary Commemorative Gold Medal by the Government of Pakistan in 1979, and the International Lotus Prize and Gold Medal awarded in 1980 by the National Council for Research in Italy. The musicality of his poetry is attributed to the Northern ambience of Ghana, where he grew up, which is rich in music and music-dominated idioms. Prof Femi Osofisan of Nigeria declared in the Second Annual African Studies Lecture at Leeds University that "Okai was the first to try to take African poetry back to one of its primal origins, in percussion, by deliberately violating the syntax and lexicon of English, creating his own rhythms through startling phonetic innovations…"


FUUO Past Poets of the Week:
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/05/african-poets-of-week-compilation.html

Some of my favorite poetry books:

Concierto Oblogo (Atukwei Okai, Ghana)

Pentagon Protester of the Week- In Absentia

NOTE:  For those who don't know,  every Monday morning the Pentagon allows only the biggest idiots best and brightest dissenters to post up on the grassy area by the Metro entrance escalators and display their signs. 

Protester of the Week

This entry is for a protester two week ago…there is no winner this week since yesterday the 6 protesters were just standing around in a circle holding hands in what I would assume would be prayer but it could have also been some new age witchcraftish cult circle in which they were calling upon the dead spirits of hippies/protesters past…needless to say, I expect a little more emotion from them in the future if they wish to be ridiculed commented upon by me.

Without further ado:

This morning there was a slight bite to the air as I rose from the warm arms of mother metro to the Pentagon entrance.  I saw that the weather had kept some of the fair-weather protesters away, but 4 ardent lunatics citizens had grabbed their umbrellas and galoshes and showed up to make my morning. 

IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE BY FUUO the winner this week was not physically present (read on for the reveal)!

However, the winner’s father stood with his graying goatee underneath a blue and yellow umbrella (perhaps a sly nod to the Navy blue and gold?…maybe a secretive, desperate plea to the military to free him from the manacles of the vicious protesting cycle in which he has found himself enslaved) with a sign that stated:

No weapons in Space

In and of itself this is not a very maniacal or controversial statement, after all we hardly get our own astronauts into space anymore, let alone weapons…so I am not sure if this is a plea/protest or merely a taunt?

However, it was not the message itself that won me over—what sealed it for me was that despite his anti-american self-hatred communism political convictions he was not above a little child labor.  And who doesn't love that.

Because there was no way a fully functioning adult made this sign. 

Only the imagination and genius of a child could have thought to create the stars that twinkled throughout his sign—clear indications of the ‘space’ spoken in the sign.  And of course, without these stars, I would have been forever haunted with uncertainty as to whether the protester meant ‘outer space’ or was referring to the more general ‘communal space’

I have attempted to recreate this sign for my readers.  Believe me though, it doesn’t even come close to doing justice but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.  

Protesting aside:  there was another sign that stated:  “Weapons make some rich and others dead”…while true, the same could be said about McDonalds, cigarettes, base jumping, skateboarding, boxing, sex, pig farming, magic markers etc…I would encourage this protester to get a little more specific on future signs if he hopes to make an impact.

FUUO is back!

This past week I attended the 1st Maritime Safety and Security Conference Towards Economic Prosperity Conference in Stuttgart, Germany.   It was put together by the State Department and OSD (Office of the Secretary of Defense) and hosted by AFRICOM. 
   I didn't have computer internet access there so I was unable to update this forum.  Rest assured that I will be making up for it this week as I pore through my notes to attempt to form some cogent thoughts on the conference. 
   For those who can't wait, AFRICOM has some good pictures and media blips on their website: http://www.africom.mil/

PGON-ism of the Week- Missionary Work

One might not expect "missionary work" to be an oft-used term in an organization/building dedicated to killing babies, exacting haphazard revenge, usurping global oil resources for the betterment of corporate american, blah blah blah, ensuring freedom with military precision bureaucratic indeccision military force.

 missionary work

        This is a term that seems to be in very in vogue right now.  Every time you gather three or more officers in the presence of their reporting senior this term is sure to be bandied about.  It calls immediately to mind a hardy constitution, a selfless nature and a servant leader.  
        Therefore if you proclaim that you are doing 'missionary work' you immediately frame yourself in a very specific way in the mind of your boss.  He sees you as someone who 'reaches out', who 'socializes' ideas; ideally he sees you as an "early promote".    Beyond that he sees you as someone who works to convert the hearts and minds of other agencies that don't normally work with the Navy or who aren't traditionally fans of the department of defense.  


Examples of use:


"Yes, Admiral I've been doing serious missionary work over at A-I-D, and I think it going to start to paying dividends at our next conference."
-LCDR X at any given weekly 'what have you done for me this week' meeting


"LT, I need you to start doing some missionary work at the Dunkin Donuts, I think they've been shorting me on my donut hole orders."
-Flag officer X
        
Past Pentagonisms:
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/11/pgon-ism-of-week-circle-wagons.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/12/pentagon-ism-of-week-bandwidth.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/10/pgon-ism-of-week-missionary-work.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/09/pgonism-of-week-bluf.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/08/pgon-ism-of-week-across-river.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/pentagon-ism-of-week-reaching-out.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/pentagon-ism-of-week.html
http://famousdc.com/2010/09/03/for-unofficial-use-only/

FUUO defines: Chatham House Rules

Not be confused with "Cider House Rules". 

I go to plethora of meetings in my current job and most of them state somewhere on the email or handout:

"Chatham House Rule apply"

or

"Please honor Chatham House Rule"

or

"Chatham House Rules are Wassup"

They usually kick off the meeting stating that all discussion and comments are 'not for attribution' which pretty much covers the definition.  BUT, in case your intellectual curiousity goes behind the 'pretty much', read on:



The Chatham House Rule reads as follows:

"When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed".

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/about/chathamhouserule/

et en francais:
Quand une réunion, ou l'une de ses parties, se déroule sous la règle de Chatham House, les participants sont libres d'utiliser les informations collectées à cette occasion, mais ils ne doivent révéler ni l'identité, ni l'affiliation des personnes à l'origine de ces informations, de même qu'ils ne doivent pas révéler l'identité des autres participants.

Please check out their website, it has a fairly entertaining FAQ section where they answer the age-old question:

"To Tweet or Not to Tweet"