Ukraine – IPDGC Smart Power

The Cooperative Narratives of the EU, NATO, and the Netherlands

April 18, 2022 Europe Russia 6 Comments

By Yael Velvel, MA Media and Strategic Communication ’23 The Netherlands has historically served as a humanitarian home for political and religious refugees. Following the Second World War, the country recognized the need for a strategic alliance with its neighboring countries in order to preserve this identity, and became a…

Ukraine and the War of Words

April 25, 2014 Europe public diplomacy No Comments

In public diplomacy, words matters. The situation in Ukraine is not only a battle involving troops – it is a battle over language. All sides in the conflict will choose words that reflect their version of events on the ground. Words can have legal meaning, political weight, and public diplomacy…

A Crucial Time for Diplomacy in Ukraine

March 3, 2014 Europe public diplomacy No Comments

Ukraine will need good public diplomacy from the U.S. Secretary Kerry is wise to be heading to Ukraine on Tuesday for both formal and symbolic diplomacy to signal to the ordinary citizen in Ukraine that the U.S. respects its territorial sovereignty and its human dignity. These are the moments when…

Reflections From Kyiv: One Year Later

February 24, 2014 Europe in the field Youth 1 Comment

On April 12, 2013, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv hosted a day-long conference for Ukrainian women entrepreneurs focusing on business owners of small and medium enterprises. The goal of the event was to promote the importance of Ukrainian women in fostering economic growth, build the confidence of women entrepreneurs to…

Partnering with the Smithsonian: Seriously Amazing

October 21, 2012 Cultural Diplomacy Global Communication public diplomacy No Comments

~ While many State Department officers have worked closely with Smithsonian experts over the years, the creation of a detail assignment for a Foreign Service Officer at the Smithsonian Institution has opened new opportunities for both organizations. As the world’s largest museum and research complex, the Smithsonian is increasingly engaging with…

New Wine in Old Bottles: Relationships in Public Diplomacy

October 12, 2012 Cultural Diplomacy in the field public diplomacy 1 Comment

Take Five’s blog post series on Public Diplomacy in the Field — Part Two Background: As a State Department Fellow at GWU’s Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication (IPDGC), I’ve observed that a frequently missing piece of the academic puzzle is concrete discussion and analysis of what public diplomats…