A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.
Cultural diplomacy activities reviewed
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) held a meeting in Hanoi on January 22 to review the past year of cultural diplomacy and devise tasks for 2010. The biggest success the diplomatic sector achieved in 2009 was to make progress in raising awareness about the importance of its work. Cultural diplomacy is the duty not only of the MOFA and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism but of all agencies, localities and businesses.
Haiti and the Constraints of American Hegemony
There's been a lot of speculation about the mid- to long-term impact on U.S. foreign policy of the Haiti earthquake and America's response to it. I was surprised to see how quickly the assumptions turned sour. My sense is that this is a bit overblown. The unfolding operation in Haiti is a stability operation, not a counterinsurgency. It will certainly be undermined by pockets of local lawlessness, but it will not come under fire by a resistance movement organized around ethnic, national or ideological lines.
Irish foreign affairs minister praises Australian working holiday visa arrangement
January 22 2010 by Liam Clifford
Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin, has spoken about the success of the country’s working holiday visa arrangements with Australia and other nations. He says that the arrangements have given many young people the opportunity to live and work in Australia, the US, Canada and other interesting countries around the world.
Diplomatic Hand Extended: Furor May Erupt if Shaken
Iran angrily denied reports on Thursday that its tourism minister shook hands with his Israeli counterpart at a reception in Spain, which would have violated Iran’s strict anti-Israeli policies. An adviser to Stas Misezhnikov, the Israeli tourism minister, said the two ministers shook hands at a reception on Wednesday hosted by the king and queen of Spain.
From Hope to Audacity
Barack Obama’s foreign policy has generated more expectations than strategic breakthroughs. Three urgent issues -- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the Afghan-Pakistani challenge -- will test his ability to significantly change U.S. policy.
Cyber-war With Chinese Characteristics
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has added a high-tech dimension to its vaunted tradition of "democratic proletarian dictatorship:" Cyber-dictatorship. Through the 2000s, the country's labyrinthine state-security apparatus has smashed thousands of "illegal" websites and locked up hundreds of Net-based dissidents and editors.
Al Qaeda’s Armies of One
When Humam Khalil al-Balawi exploded himself at a CIA base in Khost, Afghanistan, last month, killing seven CIA officers, his suicide attack did not just have repercussions for the NATO effort in Afghanistan -- it also represented a giant leap forward for al Qaeda's global Internet movement.
The Age of Affirmation
A new study suggests that viewers worldwide turn to particular broadcasters to affirm — rather than inform — their opinions. It's a notion familiar to those dismayed by the paths blazed by cable news networks FOX and MSNBC — although the study finds one (perhaps unlikely) network may actually foster greater intellectual openness.
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