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.

For African Countries, Innovation Must Trump our Focus on Trade

Considering Africa’s lackluster performance, it is no coincidence that many African countries and global development institutions are now prioritizing a strategy of trade over aid. But what if focusing on trade—such as partnerships with Chinese and American governments and companies—is the wrong way to look at the problem? What if instead, African countries focused on innovation? The opportunities for growth and prosperity would be much brighter.

Tags: global aid & development, economic diplomacy, africa, china, united states, trade, innovation, economic development

The Irony of Louvre’s Soft-Power Lesson for China

Now, an exhibition featuring more than 100 artworks and models of the museum has turned the spotlight on the institution itself. It illuminates the story of the Louvre and its transformation from a medieval fortress 800 years ago, to a grandiose palace and then a home to academies and studios before it became the world’s most visited museum and a cultural titan.

Tags: smart & soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, history & theory, france, louvre, china, hong kong, museum diplomacy, art, international image

Strategy for New Approach to Moroccan Diplomacy in Latin America

A closer look at this situation, which still stands today, shows a lack of Moroccan public relations campaigns in the region, a meager performance by the Moroccan embassy in Mexico City and a poor understanding of the foreign affairs “machineries” in Latin America. It did not take me long to realize, with the help of a Mexican PRI Senator [...] that the Polisario has indeed a diplomatic “machinery” in Central and South America.

Tags: government pd, african union, morocco, latin america, mexico, bilateral relations, diplomatic relations, public relations, international image

Key to Social Media is Authenticity, Dubai Forum Hears

The UAE has more open communication with its citizens than people abroad realise, acording to a senior adviser at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy. Tom Fletcher, former British ambassador to Lebanon, said there was a perception in the West that the region was a more "closed world". [...] He said social media had proven efficient in terms of crisis management because "you can move the dial more quickly".

Tags: digital diplomacy & new tech, government pd, united arab emirates, tom fletcher, social media, dubai forum, crisis management

Gov’t Reinstitutes National Poverty Reduction Programme

The intermediate outcomes of the policy are the strengthening of the institutional and legislative environment, and providing a framework of cooperation among State and non-State actors for sustainability of the poverty reduction efforts. The policy and programme aim to eradicate extreme poverty by 2022 and reduce the national prevalence of poverty to less than 10 per cent by 2030.

Tags: non-state actors, poverty eradication, national poverty, jamaica, government pd

Saudi Arabia, Japan Pledge to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Sakakibara stressed the importance of the Kingdom’s economic role for Japan and the keenness of the Japanese business sector toward the achievement of the strategic economic and developmental objectives of the Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030 that aims to bolster bilateral cooperation.

Tags: saudi arabia, japan, bilateral ties, government pd, economic diplomacy, mou

How Teachers Use Mobile Phones as Education Tools in Refugee Camps

The ubiquity of access to personal technology among contemporary refugees is an opportunity for innovation in refugee education. Phones can provide access to resources, information, languages, curriculum, and more. Tech companies have flooded this space with possibility—new apps, online learning portals, libraries. But, often lost in this rush to help, the best ideas may start very simply and originate within refugee communities.

Tags: mobile phones, digital advocacy, new technology, refugee camps, kenya, educations, help refugees, global development

How Companies Can Champion Sustainable Development

I have previously made the case that the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have the potential to provide, for the first time, a framework for mobilizing companies to invest in sustainable development in an ongoing and scalable way, while also pursuing their own business interests. And some companies have taken the lead. 

Tags: sustainable development, corporate diplomacy, social enterprise, social responsibility, economic development

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