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.

China's Soft Power: A Comparative Failure or Secret Success

At a time when Europe appears ever more self-absorbed and the U.S. questions many of the foundations of post-war prosperity which it created, China appears ever more self-assured in offering an alternative narrative. [...] Despite this massive investment, China’s soft power still languishes far behind that of its Western rivals in most comparative studies: 28th out of 30 in Portland’s 2016 report on soft power or 20th out of 25 according to Monocle.

Tags: soft power, asia pacific, government pd, pd evaluation, Cultural Diplomacy, xi jinping, china

Norwegian Artist to Hold Art Symposium in N. Korea

Norwegian artist Morten Traavik, who drew global attention in 2015 by bringing Slovenian avant-garde band Laibach to perform in Pyongyang, will hold the first-ever art symposium in North Korea, Aug. 26 to Sept. 4. His latest initiative named "DMZ Academy" seeks collaborative works between artists from North Korea's state-run institutions and those from the outside world, amid heightened tensions on the peninsula.

Tags: cultural relations, Cultural Diplomacy, north korea, norway, art symposium, DMZ, collaboration

Passion Made Possible Brand for Singapore

Over the last five decades, Singapore has built a strong reputation as a global business and tourism hub, recognized for its quality infrastructure, safety, stability, connectedness and accessibility. However, global competition to attract tourists and investments has intensified, and the media landscape has become more crowded and complex.

Tags: nation branding, singapore, passion made possible, soft power, tourism hub, infrastructure, safety and security

Iran to Host Int’l Conference on Diplomacy of Unity

The event will bring together scholars from Iran and other countries. High on the agenda of the day-long conference will be issues such as a united Islamic community, Islamic civilization, resistance and the social assets of the Muslim world.

Tags: faciliation, iran, international conference, diplomacy of unity, scholars, islamic civilization

For 10 Years, the Twitter Hashtag Fueled Social Activism and Dad Jokes

Ten years ago today, the Twitter hashtag was born with a very simple tweet. [...] And while Twitter is celebrating today by promoting the rise of popular, non-political hashtags like #FollowFriday, #NowPlaying and #ThrowbackThursday, the hashtag’s most meaningful contribution in the U.S. and abroad has been its ability to rally the internet around more serious ideas and issues.

Tags: digital diplomacy, social media, twitter, hashtags, internet, global issues, global conversation

UK Considers Internet Ombudsman to Deal with Abuse Complaints

Ministers in the UK are considering creating an internet ombudsman to deal with complaints about hate crimes and are pressing ahead with proposals for a levy on social media companies to help pay for the policing of online offenses. [...] The idea of an internet ombudsman is already being developed in France and Australia. Each country is creating an agency to act as an independent body that will mediate between members of the public and social media firms.

Tags: digital diplomacy & new tech, uk, internet, internet ombudsman, social media, internet abuse, social media diplomacy

ICCR to Host Mime Festival, Workshop

Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs in association with the Department of Students Welfare University of Jammu is going to organize first ever Mime Festival and Workshop in Jammu.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, mime festival, india, jammu kashmir, cultural relations, youth diplomacy

Mayor Honored for Promoting City and Encouraging Citizen Diplomacy

Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry on Tuesday received two honors — both of them for promoting Albuquerque on the world stage and for advancing citizen diplomacy. The first award was from Global Ties ABQ on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The award recognizes Berry’s “extraordinary commitment to encourage citizen diplomacy and to foster commercial, educational, and cultural exchange between Albuquerque and nations from all over the world.”

Tags: citizen diplomacy, international exchange, city diplomacy, city branding, global ties, bureau of educational and cultural affairs, u.s. department of state, albuquerque, new mexico

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