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.
America Defends Itself on the Internet
A briefing was held in Washington on Tuesday on “U.S. Public Diplomacy and the War of Ideas.” Under Secretary of State James Glassman spoke about the work of “digital outreach teams” that will work to improve the image of the United States and fight extremist propaganda on the Internet. Those teams may begin activity on the Russian-language segment of the Internet.
Ripken to make second trip as U.S. envoy
Ripken will make his second trip for the U.S. State Department as an American Public Diplomacy Envoy next month when he and former Orioles teammate Dennis Martinez tour Nicaragua on a goodwill mission that will use baseball as an international handshake.
India’s Flawed Regional Diplomacy at work in Sri Lanka
India's bilateral relations with Sri Lanka have come to define India's wider approach towards South Asia...As a matter of fact India's Sri Lanka policy is a microcosm of the ills that characterize India's regional diplomacy. India's diplomacy continues to be reactive rather than pro-active and is dictated by immediate events rather than long-term holistic policy.
United States Experiments with African Command
AFRICOM is intended to model changes within the U.S. military called for by Thomas Barnett and others, incorporating lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan and embracing the notion of a "whole-of-government" approach. The new emphasis is on "Phase Zero"—operations that are designed to prevent violent conflicts through the coordination of humanitarian, public diplomacy, and capacity-building efforts.
The State Department, Not The Pentagon, Should Lead America’s Public Diplomacy Efforts
Today's public diplomats wear boots, not wingtips. Increasingly, the Defense Department is at the forefront of US efforts to engage public opinion overseas. While the State Department formally leads the effort, the Pentagon has more money and personnel to carry out the public diplomacy mission...Putting our military, not civilians, at the forefront of US global communications undercuts the likelihood of success, distorts priorities, and undermines the effectiveness of US civilian agencies.
Cash-Strapped Pakistan Turns To World For Bailout
David Rothkopf of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace says the rise of new "donor nations" means the IMF is no longer the only place a cash-strapped country can turn...Rothkopf describes what's happening as "a rebalancing of soft power," as opposed to military power. "The power that doesn't come at the point of a gun comes at the point of a check writer's pen," Rothkopf says, "and the community of check writers is getting bigger and bigger."
Northcom, Africom and Other Threats
The real purpose and function of Africom remain unclear but what is no mystery is that whatever Africom is up to, the mission has begun and the governmental and civilian voices of dissent in Africa and the US have been unable to stop it.
What The World Will Want From A New American Leader
Around the world, America's presidential election campaign has attracted as much attention as domestic political controversies in each of our own countries. The interest the world has taken in America's vote is the best example of America's soft power, and a lesson in democracy from the world's only superpower...What does the world want — and, perhaps more importantly, what does it need — from a new American president?
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