Ido Aharoni to Speak at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo

Contact: Inna Treyger • Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo • Innatreyger@yahoo.com / Hillel Kurlandsky • Caravan for Democracy • 323-964-1400 • hkurlandsky@jnf.org

October 30, 2007 -- San Luis Obispo, CA -- Ido Aharoni will address students and faculty at California Polytechnic State University -- San Luis Obispo on Monday, November 5, 2007 at 8:00 p.m. 

A member of Israel’s Foreign Service, Aharoni was recently appointed as the head of Israel’s brand management team in Jerusalem. 

He will be speaking about the “Brand Israel” project, a marketing campaign to promote a 21st century image of Israel beyond the conflict, highlighting the country’s medical, scientific and technological accomplishments and stressing its relevance as a modern, innovative country.   

Aharoni will visit the school as a speaker for Caravan for Democracy, an initiative of Jewish National Fund and Media Watch International that drives constructive dialogue on college campuses throughout the United States by bringing speakers representing a wide spectrum of political and philosophical thought from Israel to discuss the issues affecting Israel, how it is covered in the media, and its unique role as the only democracy in the Middle East.

The lecture will take place in the Performing Arts Center in Phillips Hall and will be followed by a question and answer session.  Students are encouraged to pre-register for the event at http://www.caravanfordemocracy.org/. 

“We wanted to bring Ido to Cal Poly because were interested in his campaign on branding Israel and hearing an Israeli politician’s perspective on Israel beyond the conflict,” said Inna Treyger, a student at Cal Poly responsible for coordinating Caravan for Democracy programming on campus.

Aharoni has been a member of Israel’s Foreign Service since the summer of 1991. During his time with Israel’s diplomatic service, he held two overseas positions in Los Angeles and New York.  In the spring of 2006 Aharoni was appointed to serve as a senior advisor to Israel's Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister, Tzipi Livni, a position he held until September of 2007.

Until the summer of 2005, he served as Israel’s Consul for Media and Public Affairs at Israel's Consulate General in New York and the tri-state area.  He assumed this position in the summer of 2001, several weeks prior to the terror attacks of 9/11. As the head of the department, Aharoni oversaw the operation of Israel's largest public affairs and media relations apparatus worldwide and supervised the work of its 15 full-time staff members. He handled media relations, community outreach, and a variety of informational services.

In New York, Aharoni became familiar with nation-branding methods, which he later introduced to his superiors in Jerusalem thus bringing about a paradigm shift in the perception of Israel’s public image by Israeli officials in Israel and in the US.

This Caravan for Democracy lecture is co-sponsored by Hillel of San Luis Obispo and Hasbara Fellowships.

For more information, visit http://www.caravanfordemocracy.org/ or contact Inna Treyger at innatreyger@yahoo.com.

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