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.

Russia’s Soft Power Play in Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin described “soft power” in 2012 as “a matrix of tools and methods to reach foreign policy goals without the use of arms but by exerting information and other levers of influence.” His government has used state-owned media outlets like RT, formerly known as Russia Today, and other pro-Kremlin organizations to bend public opinion in other countries toward Russia.

Tags: russia, soft power, europe, US, vladimir putin, ngos, european union, think tanks, foreign policy, government pd, international broadcasting, russia today

Taiwanese Picked to Join U.S. Music Diplomacy Program

A Taiwanese is among 25 musicians from 17 countries and territories selected to participate in an international exchange program organized by the U.S. State Department to promote musical collaboration and people-to-people exchanges, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said Thursday.

Tags: taiwan, US, music diplomacy, Cultural Diplomacy, american institute, people-to-people exchanges, immigration issue, refugee crisis

Empower2Play Launches Sports Diplomacy Event Using Live Virtual Reality Technology

On the heels of the largest sports diplomacy event, the 2016 Rio Olympics, Empower2Play will launch its very own ten-day sports diplomacy event with the US Embassy in Cite Soleil, Haiti, incorporating American Football, which begins on September 10th. [...] This event will bring together over 300 local youth and 100 volunteers from around the world.

Tags: Empower2Play, sports diplomacy, united states, haiti, global youth, digital diplomacy & new tech, virtual reality, non state pd

Summer in the City: Scholarships for Refugees at King’s College London

This summer one of the UK’s most prestigious universities provided refugees in the UK the opportunity to recharge their academic batteries by attending summer courses on a free bursary. For the third year running, King’s College London has been working in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to offer summer school places to people who have fled persecution and conflict in their home countries. 

Tags: refugees, king's college, london, united kingdom, global aid & development, education, unhcr, cuba, republic of congo

China and Latin America in 2016

In July 2014, Xi Jinping, the President of China, toured Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and Cuba, all of which had leftist governments at the time. [...] Xi declared that Chinese-Argentine relations would reach “unprecedented new horizons.” [...] As of two years ago, it seemed that China and many countries in Latin America were moving unequivocally toward a future of closer cooperation and economic affinity.

Tags: china, latin america, xi jinping, brazil, argentina, venezuela, cuba, government pd, cooperation, economic development, cultural exchange

Cultural Exchange Brings Cuban Fashion, Food, Music to Harlem

This week Harlem will be infused with Cuban culture in the form of concerts, Cuban food tastings and fashion shows. The inaugural Harlem/Havana Cultural Exchange kicked off Sunday with a two-hour performance at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, but the exchange will hit up various neighborhood institutions throughout the next week.

Tags: cuba, united states, harlem, new york, international exchange, Cultural Diplomacy, fashion, gastrodiplomacy, music

Culture Can Become VN’s Soft Power

The culture industry is not only a money-spinner for a country, but is possibly a major sector that boosts the economy. Bùi Hoài Sơn, deputy head of the Việt Nam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), said this, while speaking about the development of the culture industry in Việt Nam in recent years.

Tags: vietnam, smart & soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, culture, cinema, arts, economic development, international image

Syria: Empowering Vulnerable Communities

Balad project manager Majd Shehabi explained how this Free Bread project had become one of the organisation’s most succesful initiatives. “We support local farmers by buying wheat directly from them. We then supervise the milling process, and handle all logistics related to distributing free bread to poverty-stricken and displaced families in liberated areas in Aleppo, Al-Atarib and Darat Izza,” he continued. 

Tags: syria, free bread project, global aid & development, non state pd, advocacy, farming, economic development, aleppo, food aid

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