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.
Auschwitz launches Facebook site
The Polish authorities in charge of Auschwitz have launched an official site for the former Nazi death camp on the social networking website Facebook. A spokesman said the move was aimed at reaching the younger generation and educating them about the Holocaust.
Was Obama’s Nobel for “awesomeness” and positive thinking?
Over the years, the Committee has been increasingly flexible to the point of eccentricity in interpreting Nobel’s edict. Consider that Henry Kissinger and Yasser Arafat have both received the prize while Gandhi never made the cut. And there have been fewer winners like Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian scientist and explorer who originated the Nansen passports for refugees, and more international personalities working to effect broader social change such as Mother Teresa and Al Gore. If Bono received it, no one would blink.
How to handle negative Chinese vibes
Negative vibes between India and China are growing. It would be calamitous if this leads to greater military spending which will inevitably take away resources from fighting poverty. For their part, both the governments have sought to underplay rising temperatures, with the Indian government asserting that the border has been the “most peaceful” and there is machinery to sort out incursions.
Whisper it…Iran may have passed the peak of its power
Beyond the funding and support for Hizbollah, Hamas and Syria, Iranian foreign policy has relied considerably on soft power: championing causes that Iran blames the Arab states for neglecting, such as the fate of Palestine and social justice; mastering nuclear technology; defying western imperialism and Israeli power while accusing Arab states of placing their destiny in US hands.
‘Islam Needs a Sexual Revolution’
In the run-up to the Frankfurt Book Fair, German-Turkish writer Seyran Ates discusses her new book, which describes the necessity of a sexual revolution in the Islamic world, the recent integration debate in Germany and the arrogance of German women's rights activists.
The U.S. Department of State tells Muslims that they only have a future if they learn English
Westerners rationalize their promotion by arguing that learning English is beneficial for all Afghans. However, it is only beneficial because Western officials are too lazy to learn Dari and Pashto. They therefore dangle aid, lucrative translator jobs, education scholarships and other benefits, with the condition that host country personnel learning English.
The Taliban’s YouTube Channel
[YouTube is] not the Taliban's only foray into Web 2.0. The "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" Website allows readers to share posts via Twitter, Facebook, Digg, and other social networking services. The YouTube channel isn't much right now. Just a few non-narrated montages of car bombings and gun battles set to music (Judging from the soundtrack, the Taliban has also embraced auto-tuning.) But it will be interesting to see if YouTube moves to shut it down.
The road to stability in Afghanistan runs through Pakistan and India
Here's what Washington needs to understand: The road to stability in Afghanistan runs through Islamabad and New Delhi. To diminish the mistrust and hostility that destabilizes Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan, the US needs to take a holistic regional approach.
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