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.

Student-led Club Assists English-Chinese Learners

Every week, native English and Chinese speakers gather at Kaprielian Hall to practice their language skills with each other. This program, known as the Chinese English Language Exchange allows students not just to improve their speech but to also get a feel for the American and Chinese cultures and customs.

Tags: language, Cultural Diplomacy, cross-cultural exchange, cultural exchange, china, united states, student program

Brazilians Hope to Nurture Football Among Refugees, Underprivileged in Jordan

Harnessing young people's enthusiasm for football and sports in general is a useful and interesting way to offer opportunities for personal and professional growth, said Rubem Cesar Fernandes, executive director of Viva Rio, a Brazilian NGO focusing on development through innovative projects. [...] Viva Rio has established the Black Pearls Academy, a high-performance football training centre for young athletes from refugee and underprivileged communities in Brazil and Haiti.

Tags: brazil, football, sports diplomacy, refugees, ngo, jordan, refugee crisis, soccer diplomacy, soft power, global aid & development

Eight U.S. Exchange Program Alumni Making a Difference in the World

This month, Forbes published its annual 30 Under 30 recognizing bright young entrepreneurs, breakout talent, and change agents in 20 different professional sectors. Seven of these leaders studied abroad on State Department exchange programs early in their careers. These experiences shaped their identities and in many cases motivated them to become leaders and thinkers in the United States and around the world.

Tags: mexico, botswana, united nations, youth exchange, european union, entrepreneurship, cultural exchange, international exchange, exchange program

I Was a Stranger & You Welcomed Me: The Church & Immigration

Immigration [...] has recently become the focal point of President Trump’s first weeks in office. In response to his travel ban, which suspends the refugee program and prevents immigration to the United States from seven predominately Muslim countries, a variety of groups and organizations have spoken out about what it means to be American, how we should move forward with immigration, and what intrinsic values are essential to the success of the United States. 

Tags: faith diplomacy, immigration, christianity, travel ban, Donald Trump, united states, refugee crisis

Australian Aid Program Looking for Innovative Water Solution

Climate change and population growth are creating increasing pressure on food and water — and to solve the need, innovative solutions will be required. The issue of water scarcity in the near future is an issue Australia’s aid program is attempting to solve today. [...] Scientists, engineers, academics, entrepreneurs and other creative minds are encouraged to compete as a team or individual.

Tags: global aid & development, australia, climate change, water scarcity, food, non state pd, innovationxchange

What Foreign Students Can Teach Host Families About America

Our interest in hosting international visitors comes from our own experiences abroad. My husband, daughter and I returned to the U.S. in 2012 following my two decades as an Associated Press correspondent on three continents. People welcomed us in their hometowns around the world. Even now when we vacation, we meet strangers who offer menu recommendations in Brazil or Slovenia, or who help us navigate subways in Moscow or Tokyo. 

Tags: international exchange, non state pd, united states, culture, student exchange, education, china, people to people diplomacy

Hallyu, the Korean Wave

What happened to me in the first two weeks of 2017? I became a novice K-pop fan. But seriously, what’s so unusual about that? Are there not millions of K-pop fans too? Yes, that would be true, until I tell you my age. K-pop bands target teenagers, not grown-ups and certainly not people who are almost senior citizens like me. But wait, I also became a novice fan of Korean drama shows. 

Tags: smart & soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, south korea, popular culture, southeast asia, kpop, hallyu

Russia Resurrects Cold War-Era Foreign Policy Tradition for Digital Age

The Kremlin is trying to split the West by spreading “altered facts,” conducting blackmail and setting up front organizations, the U.S. State Department said, in 1981. So-called active measures were common during the Cold War, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union sought to unify and divide Europe with equal urgency. Now those tactics appear to be back, retooled for the digital age 

Tags: government pd, digital diplomacy & new tech, international broadcasting, cold war, russia, vladimir putin, united states, digital age

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