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.
British Monitor Complicates Georgian Blame Game
Since Russia invaded Georgia in August, Moscow has turned the tide of international opinion that initially put Russia squarely at fault in the conflict. For that, the Kremlin largely has to thank Ryan Grist, a 47-year-old former British army captain in charge of international monitors when war broke out. But his objectivity is now being questioned by Georgia and some Western diplomats in Tbilisi.
A Whole New World
It is estimated that 80% of active internet users will live a virtual life within the next three years...If you have ever dreamed of working with a NASA scientist, flying through a hurricane, or getting a front row seat to a State Department event - now, you "virtually" can thanks to the creation of virtual worlds. "I think it's important for government agencies to be appropriately engaged in this technology," said Bill May with the US Department of State, Public Diplomacy IT Office.
Can Obama Restore the US Image in the Middle East?
There is particular interest in the question of whether a new Obama administration might elicit a more positive response from publics in this part of the world...Pre-election polling found tepid enthusiasm for Obama...So if “not being Bush” is not enough to turn around US relations with the Middle East, what will it take? A further analysis of polls, as well as focus groups I have conducted in five Middle Eastern countries, suggest that there are numerous questions about US policy in the Middle East that people there will be looking to the Obama administration to answer.
In Cancelling Cricket Tour, a Mix of Objectives
The Government decision to advise the BCCI to cancel next January’s Indian cricket tour of Pakistan was prompted as much by concerns about the security of the team as by a wider set of political concerns following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month. Coming in the wake of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statement about the peace process being in “pause” mode and Islamabad’s continuing denials about the Pakistani origin of the Mumbai attackers, the freeze in cricketing contact was in some sense inevitable.
SAARC painting exhibition to promote cultural relations
The first Painting Exhibition that showcases works by artists of eight countries of the South Asian region, including India, got underway on Thursday at the SAARC Secretariat here. Nepal Vice President Parmananda Jha inaugurated the exhibition jointly organised by the Indian embassy here and SAARC Secretariat. It featured 25 paintings, including the works by 12 prominent Indian artists.
Craigslist Founder Craig Newmark Supports Microfinance in the Palestinian Territories
Newmark saw the need to help Palestinians develop alternative sources of income when he recently gave $20,000 from his own pocket to CHF, to help that organization post its clients onto Kiva, thereby introducing them to the internet world. "As an individual, I was encouraged to do this kind of thing by the U.S. State Department, the Palestinian Authority, and the Israeli government, and I was inspired by Madeleine Albright, when she explained to me that I was doing a little public diplomacy," says Newmark, who has long sought peace in the region.
ARMSTRONG: Persuasive politics
The result of over a year of public debates, hearings, and amendments, the Act was and is the foundation of America's arsenal of persuasion. The Act's principles are timeless and are echoed in modern recommendations on reforming America's public diplomacy: tell the truth; explain the motives of the United States; bolster morale and extend hope; give a true and convincing picture of American life, methods and ideals; combat misrepresentation and distortion; and aggressively interpret and support American foreign policy.
Size 10 - US Public Diplomacy Disaster
At considerable expense to the American taxpayer, the Bush Administration established and continues to fund alHurra television broadcasts to the Middle East. By all accounts, this station has never been able to seize the moment and change the paradigm of anti-US public opinion in the Arab and Muslim world. The act of hurling shoes at the President of the United States captures the cumulative anger and hatred felt toward not only the man but also US policies in the Middle East.
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