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.
Key to Afghan crisis: tea and education
The Central Asia Institute, Mortenson's nonprofit organization, provides 50 percent of the funding, which must be matched by in-kind contributions of materials and local sweat equity. "The community must want the school," he says. "It's not ours to give them. What they're really doing is consciously choosing to create a different future."
A new momentum for Afghanistan
But this is not just President Obama's war. We all face the same threats from what is happening in Afghanistan: threats from terrorism, from drugs, from extremism. This is an alliance effort, and we will finish it together. At this important moment in the evolution of our operation, NATO will demonstrate its unity and its strength once again. There will be a substantial increase, in 2010, in the number of soldiers provided by the non-U.S. members of NATO: at least 5,000, and probably several thousand more. That is on top of the 38,000 or so non-U.S. troops already in Afghanistan.
NATO official underlines partnership with UAE within ICI
A senior official at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) underlined the current partnership with the UAE in the framework of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), hailing Abu Dhabi's hosting of the alliance's International Conference on "NATO-UAE Relations and the Way Forward in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative", last October.
Making the world know China better
A series of advertisements for "Made in China" products were broadcast on some major international media outlets recently to promote Chinese products and brand names. But we should promote China's soft power, too, says an article in Huashang Newspaper. While promoting "Made in China" products we should not restrict ourselves to commercial bombardment. Instead, we should also promote China's soft power by showcasing its culture, art and enterprises.
Hillary Clinton: All nations must play a part in Afghanistan mission
Secretary Clinton: The violent extremism that threatens the people and governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan also undermines the stability of the wider region and threatens the security of our friends, allies and interests around the world. All of us whose shared future is at stake must take responsibility for securing it.
A plan in need of clarity
I have great regard for the careful process the Obama administration employed in its efforts to define a new approach for the long-standing military commitment in Afghanistan and to put an operational framework in place for our responsible withdrawal. I intend, nevertheless, to continue to call on the administration to clarify to the American public and Congress how it defines success and how we reach an end point.
Ministry to launch public diplomacy drive
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has launched a comprehensive restructuring to make the public more aware of the country’s foreign policy developments, keeping pace with technological developments, Turkey’s growing clout in international politics and the reality that decisions made in foreign policy affect domestic affairs. In this vein, final preparations to implement a new structure at the Foreign Ministry to oversee public diplomacy, with the goal of acquainting the public with the latest decisions and developments in Turkey’s foreign policy, are almost complete.
Turkey and the EU: hurtful uncertainty
The reversal of the EU's commitment has not played well in Turkey's domestic politics. After the breakthroughs of the earlier years, the AKP government has made limited progress in political reforms during the last five years. Complicating things further, domestic opposition to Turkey's membership has grown even among the secular middle classes.
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