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.
The Changing Climate for Cultural Relations
What’s changed about the climate for cultural relations between the peoples of the world? Pretty obvious, the global economic crisis. On the eve of the G20 summit, cultural relations might seem marginal, irrelevant or a luxury we can’t afford.
Korean Museum Displays Vietnam’s Ancient Ceramics
This is the first time the museum has organized an exhibition on ancient ceramics of a country in the South East Asian region...The director of the museum emphasized that cultural exchange between the RoK and Vietnam should be further promoted to be on par with the strong development of bilateral relations.
Art Exhibition Fuels US-Cuba thaw
Hundreds of Cubans packed into Havana's Museo De Bellas Artes for the launch of the first major US contemporary art exhibition to be shown here for almost a quarter of a century. It's part of the island's Bianual art festival, which every two years features hundreds of artists from Cuba and around the world. Until now it has been difficult for Americans to attend...The curator of contemporary art at Havana's Fine Arts Museum, which is hosting the exhibition, Aberlado Mana, describes the show as "a surprise and a miracle".
We Must Start Sending our Great Art around the World Again
The council appears to have abandoned its long-standing and internationally recognised commitment to "the arts", replacing it with an umbrella concept of "culture"; a concept fashionable some years ago in academia, and beloved of politicians, bureaucrats, and those who neither understand nor value the arts....I can only think that the council's board has not appreciated the importance of the work it does in this area, nor the level of its own outstanding success.
British Council Accused of Betraying Young Artists
But the council announced a radical overhaul two years ago, closing half its offices in Europe to focus on building cultural relations in the Middle East and central Asia, billed as an attempt to win over young Muslims. A plan to disband the departments of film, drama, dance, literature, design and the visual arts provoked such outcry it was dropped...Gormley, the creator of the Angel of the North, said: "We're looking at the politicisation of an organisation that dealt with the exporting of creative values and processes to a wider world.
10 Terms Not to Use with Muslims
As President Obama considers his first speech in a Muslim majority country (he visits Turkey April 6-7), and as the US national security establishment reviews its foreign policy and public diplomacy, I want to share the advice given to me from dear Muslim friends worldwide regarding words and concepts that are not useful in building relationships with them. … 1. 'The Clash of Civilizations.' … 2. 'Secular.' ... 3. 'Assimilation.' ... 4. 'Reformation.' ... 5. 'Jihadi.' ... 6. 'Moderate.' ... 7. 'Interfaith.' ... 8. 'Freedom.' ... 9. 'Religious Freedom.' 10. 'Tolerance.'
G20 Protest: Thousands March for ‘Jobs, Justice and Climate’
The Put People First march was organised by a "rainbow alliance" of 150 trade unions, church groups and charities including ActionAid, Save the Children and Friends of the Earth. The theme was "jobs, justice and climate" and the message was aimed at the world leaders who will be gathering for the G20 summit here next week...Claire Melamed of ActionAid said the organisers were delighted with the turnout. "We're really pleased. As a development organisation, we are hearing every day about people losing jobs and not being able to feed their children as this economic crisis depends.
Can SA’s Brand Image Recover in Time for Confed Cup?
Commenting on South Africa's decision to ban the Dalai Lama from attending the now-postponed 2010 Peace Conference, CNN correspondent Nkepile Mabuse concluded that “organisers wanted to use this conference to showcase the nation as a champion of human rights” and that “this decision by the South African government has tainted the country's image”. This begs the question: how severe a tainting has Brand South Africa suffered from this incident?
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