Digital Diplomacy at Italian Embassy in Washington

Digital diplomacy was the topic of discussion at the Italian Embassy in Washington this evening.  This was the third event hosted by Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, who has been bringing experts together to discuss and analyze how global interconnectivity and the real-time information cycle are transforming the  way citizens and government interact.

Among the panelists this evening were: Amb. Bisogniero; PJ Crowley (Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and Professor, The George Washington University); Katie Dowd (Senior Advisor to the Chief Technology Officer, The White House); Zeenat Rahman (Special Advisor to the US Secretary of State for Global Youth Issues); Gianni Riotta (Author, “Has the Web brought us freedom?”). The panel was moderated by Darrell West (Vice President and Director of Governance Studies, Brookings Institution).

The following were some of the tweets that the discussion generated:

@eDipAtState: Pretty soon use of #digitaldiplomacy will be recognized just as #diplomacy according to @katiewdowd #rtdiplomacy@DrTedros

There’s no dark side of #internet: it’s a reflection of the dark side of society, says @riotta at #RTDiplomacy

#rtdiplomacy @PJCrowley: use networks as advantage, know your digital environment…engage and listen.

Gianni Riotta ‏@riotta3h

.@PJCrowley Is confidentiality dead in the age of #rtdiplomacy? Yes!

#rtdiplomacy @PJCrowley– traditional #diplomacy has always occurred behind closed doors, but is now seeping out into the open

@riotta at #rtdiplomacy : Machiavelli’s The Prince is perfect to address contemporary politics,except that it lacks social media #italyinUS

RT @andreas212nyc: The great challenge for #digitaldiplomacy is to learn to LISTEN, says @PJCrowley at #RTDiplomacy #SocialMedia

U.S. Congressman Tom Marino to be Honored by the Order Sons of Italy’s in America

The Order Sons of Italy will honor U.S. Congressman Tom Marino with the Guglielmo Marconi Award on August 17, 2013, during its 53rd Biennial National Convention in Philadelphia. The Guglielmo Marconi Award, the OSIA’s highest honor, is named for the Nobel prize-winning Italian physicist who invented wireless telegraphy. It is presented biennially to an Italian American who has made significant contributions to the United States.

Rep. Tom Marino

Rep. Tom Marino

Rep. Tom Marino (Pa. 10th District) was first elected to U.S. Congress in 2010 and re-elected in 2012. He promptly went to work on behalf of his constituents serving on the Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security and Judiciary committees, along with six subcommittees. The congressman served as a district attorney, a U.S. Attorney and a private-practice attorney prior to being elected to Congress. A second generation Italian-American who grew up in Williamsport, Pa., Mr. Marino celebrates his blue-collar roots; his father was a janitor and fireman, his mother was a homemaker and, before entering law, he worked in manufacturing. Congressman Marino is a three-time cancer survivor. He and his wife Edie have two adopted children and live in Cogan Station, Lycoming County.

For nearly 10 ten years, Mr. Marino has been a member of OSIA’s Celebrando il Nostro Retaggio Lodge 2786 in Williamsport. He has served as lodge Orator and spent two years as State Treasurer for the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

OSIA lodges and the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF), award nearly $1 million every year to Italian American college-bound students. The SIF also funds cultural programs, medical research and disaster relief – more than $125 million to date. Proceeds from the Marconi Gala support these OSIA and SIF programs.