Name: April 7: Conducting Public Diplomacy in Closed Societies
Start: 2025-04-07T12:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-04-07T13:00:00-04:00
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs

Join us on April 7 at noon for a discussion of the challenges of conducting U.S. public diplomacy activities in closed states.
About this Event

Join us on April 7 at noon for a discussion of the challenges of conducting U.S. public diplomacy activities in closed states.The event will take place at GWU's Lindner Family Commons (1957 E Street, NW, Room 602, Washington, D.C. 20052) and will also be available via Zoom. For those who arrive before 11:40 a.m., a light lunch will be provided.

The First Monday Forum is co-sponsored by PDCA and its partners the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy and the GWU Institute for Public Diplomacy & Global Communication.

The event will feature:

Ben Ziff, a second-generation U.S. Information Agency officer, joined in 1988 and served in Australia, Israel, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Italy, and Iraq. He later became Deputy Assistant Secretary for European public diplomacy, leading efforts against Russian disinformation, and served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Colombia and Spain before retiring as Chief of Mission in Cuba in 2024. A California native, he holds degrees from CSU Long Beach, the Fletcher School, and the National War College and speaks Spanish, Hebrew, and Italian.

Michael Hurley joined the Foreign Service in 1985, serving in Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Surabaya, and Budapest, where he secured over $300,000 for the Fulbright program. As PAO in Russia, he led the "American Seasons in Russia" cultural initiative, raising $2 million for events including a Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance. After retiring in 2015, he worked at Meridian International Center and later with the State Department’s Global Engagement Center to counter Russian disinformation.

Don Bishop, a former U.S. Air Force officer, joined the U.S. Information Agency in 1979, with early postings in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. As PAO in Beijing, he played a key role in strengthening U.S.-China cultural and diplomatic relations, managing strategic public diplomacy efforts during a crucial period. Later, he served as PAO in Kabul and at the Pentagon, and has held leadership roles in public diplomacy organizations.