‘The Little Red Dot’ turns 50: Singapore’s five decades of soft power

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Singapore's emergence from a tiny third world island nation to a first world power – with no natural resources and a population smaller than some U.S. cities – was the topic of discussion at a CCLP forum here on Monday. Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Singapore's Ambassador to the United States, noted that decades ago, Singapore was dismissed as "a little red dot." But what may have been intended as an insult became a term of pride, with "Little Red Dot" institutions sprouting through the country. Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Singapore's Ambassador to the United States "In 1965 Singapore was……

Policymakers and industry leaders take steps to improve cell phone capabilities during emergencies

Mobile phones today offer enormous potential in regards to public safety and emergency preparedness, but current infrastructure and systems present substantial challenges as well. The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands and the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy have launched an initiative to research these issues, explore solutions and define minimum capabilities of cell phones for health care, public safety and other public services. On Sunday and Monday, 20 high-level government officials, top mobile technology industry professionals, public advocates and entrepreneurs attended an event hosted by CCLP in Washington, DC. The event, entitled "Mobile Phones for Public……

‘Journalism alone’ not enough to combat ISIS media messages

WASHINGTON – The propaganda spread by ISIS is more powerful and sophisticated than Al Qaeda's media messages of just a few years ago. So now, "journalism alone" is not sufficient for the U.S. to combat the Islamic state's media campaign. That was the message from two U.S. international broadcasting executives, Shameem Rassam, Executive Producer of Alhurra Iraq, and Davin Hutchins, Director of Digital Content for the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, at Monday's CCLP Communication Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. Left to right: Shameem Rassam, Davin Hutchins, and Donald Bishop, President of the Public Diplomacy Council. Where Al Qaeda relied on……

U.S. in Africa: Playing Catchup to China

WASHINGTON – On the eve of the historic US-Africa Summit here, America's number one objective on the African continent is to start closing the gap with China. That was the message from all three speakers at Monday's CCLP Communication Leadership lunch just a few blocks from the State Department. "There is no place in Africa where you do not see China," said Ron Nixon, who has covered several African countries for the New York Times. "They are in every aspect of business. The U.S. is far behind." Left to right: Ron Nixon, NY Times; Joan Mower, BBG; and Mwamoyo Hamza,……

US initiative for 50,000 African leaders detailed at CCLP forum

WASHINGTON – 50,000 young African leaders have responded to a new Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). The YALI program was the focus of Monday's CCLP lunch forum here, featuring the people who will be managing the program. Left: Britta Bjornlund, Branch Chief, Study of the U.S. Branch Bureau of Educational and Cultural Program U.S. Department of State. Right: Joyce Warner, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, IREX. 500 of the leaders will be told next week that have been selected to come to Washington this summer, according to Joyce Warner, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff of IREX,……

Al Jazeera America anchor: We never hear from Qatar

WASHINGTON — We never hear from Doha. That was the assertion by Joie Chen, Washington anchor for Al Jazeera America at Monday's CCLP Washington Communication Leadership forum. "I have never been to Doha," she said, "and I haven't heard from anyone in Doha." Rejecting criticism that Al Jazeera America is an instrument of the government of Qatar, which funds the new network, Chen said Al Jazeera America should be compared to the BBC or NPR, not to the VOA or Russia Today. "We are not in the public diplomacy business," said Chen. "We are in the journalism business."……

Israeli, Turkish diplomats featured at CCLP Washington lunch

Arnold Zeitlin, a visiting professor at Hong Kong University's Journalism and Media Studies Centre, discusses the "small-world" coincidences of life as experienced during one of CCLP's "First Monday" Washington D.C. lunches. A small pleasure of living close to Washington, D.C., is the opportunity to sample the smorgasbord of public affairs conversations staged almost daily by the numerous think tanks and lobby groups in the capital. They provide a continuing education program allowing me to keep fresh the knowledge I've accrued in a career of seeking information. They also provide a social function, since many of these conversations involve friends……

CCLP Researcher Highlights the Importance of Educational Exchange

Meet Lauren Allison: a Fulbright Scholar, International Peace Scholar and graduate researcher assisting Director of Research Mark Latonero at Annenberg's CCLP. It has been 6 years since my Washington Ireland Program (WIP) journey began. I was standing on a hockey pitch in freezing Scotland, clambering into my not-so-flattering goalkeeper gear, when Kate Hardie-Buckley (WIP '07) came running up to me and declared that I had 'W.I.P.' written across my forehead. I had just arrived at St. Andrews to study for an undergraduate M.A. in International Relations and was trying out for the school team. Kate soon took me under……

The New Innovation Battlegrounds Are City Hall And The State House

Colorado is currently considering proposals to outlaw Uber and other services that enable passengers to book a car service from their smartphones. Uber and its competitors face similar challenges from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to Washington, DC. In May, the North Carolina State Senate voted unanimously to prohibit Tesla Motors, the innovative electric car company, from selling cars directly to consumers, including via the Internet. The Texas legislature recently retained similar prohibitions until at least 2015…….