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.
American Interests, Policies, and Results in the Middle East
Saudi-US Relations Information Service
Our public diplomacy, such as it is, has concentrated on explaining away or defending Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and "extraordinary rendition" rather than on seeking common ground with the world's Muslims, the vast majority of whom share our horror at Al-Qa'ida's amoral tactics and reject its deviant vision of Islam.
Pakistan lifts the ban on YouTube
The attempt to block the site, reportedly because of a "blasphemous" video clip, caused a near global blackout of the site on Sunday.
Pakistan set to lift its ban on Bollywood
Movies are great binders. They build bridges among races, peoples and countries, helping one to understand and sympathize with another's point of view. Cinema creates a sense of identity and affinity, and this cannot be truer than in the case of India and Pakistan, two Asian neighbors who have been at war over Kashmir for decades.
Chávez’s medical diplomacy wins plaudits
International Herald Tribune
The evolution of the program into a symbol of Chávez's political movement across the region illustrates how Venezuela's leader is intensifying efforts to lift his government's profile abroad even he faces growing criticism at home over social problems like decaying hospitals and shortages of basic foods.
China speaks out on Darfur crisis
The Christian Science Monitor
China's change of tactics, from quiet behind-the-scenes diplomacy to more public speechmaking, could be motivated by many factors, from a desire to maintain its paramount influence in Sudan to a need to protect its upcoming Summer Olympics. Whatever the motivations, China's diplomatic initiative carries risks and raises questions of how much influence China really has with its African allies.
AFRICOM: DOA or in Need of Better Marketing? No and Yes.
Concerns that AFRICOM hasn't been thought out or is unnecessary aren't supported by the actions and statements of those charged with building this entity. However, based on the poor marketing of AFRICOM, these concerns are not surprising.
N.Y. Philharmonic to play N. Korea
USA Today
The New York Philharmonic was embarking Monday on a historic trip to North Korea as the most prominent American cultural institution to visit the nuclear-armed country, run by a regime that keeps its impoverished people among the world's most isolated.
Myanmar opposition calls for boycott of Beijing Olympics
International Herald Tribune
Pro-democracy activists in Myanmar called Monday for the world to boycott this year's Beijing Olympics over what they said was China's continuing support of Myanmar's military dictatorship.
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