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.
Government Using BI Software To Measure Public Diplomacy
A State Department pilot project using Business Objects' planning and budgeting software aims to prove that overseas anti-Americanism reduction programs are working...the public diplomacy division's goal is to demonstrate, for example, why youth summer camps in the Middle East require more funding than some in other countries because of higher transportation, staffing, and translation resources costs.
British Council
As more and more Ukrainians turn to learning English, the demand for top quality language schools is growing dramatically. The British Council, however, seems to satisfy even the highest expectations of Kyiv Post readers, who named it as the best language school for the second year in a row.
Ins and Outs of a China Courtship
This "taming China's rise" strategy, however, overlooks the People's Republic of China's (PRC) "agency" of influencing world politics... New policy initiatives such as "smile diplomacy" (weisiao waijiaou), "public diplomacy" (gonggong waijiaou), and "good neighbor diplomacy" (mulin waijiaou) have been instrumental in Beijing's pursuit of a benign hegemony. These initiatives have one thing in common: a sophisticated use of soft power resources.
Matter of Rebuilding U.S. Reputation
The need for one particular change is clear. The Bush administration never understood that public diplomacy and public relations are not the same thing. Of course selling foreign policy to the public - both at home and abroad - is a vital task for any government. But building support for, and an understanding of, American culture and values is not the same thing as building support for whoever happens to be the American president at any particular moment.
People in Muslim Nations Conflicted About UN
A poll of seven majority Muslim nations finds people conflicted about the United Nations. On one hand there is widespread support for a more active UN with much broader powers than it has today. On the other hand, there is a perception that the UN is dominated by the US and there is dissatisfaction with UN performance on several fronts, particularly in dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Boost for Ties with China
A hectic fortnight in trade and cultural diplomacy between Calcutta and China last month could open a new chapter in bilateral ties, city fathers hope...Zhang Zulin, the mayor of Kunming, signed an MoU that sought to foster ties between Calcutta and Kunming as sister cities. “They have great interest to re-establish cultural and commercial ties with Calcutta and sought active help from the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC). I am optimistic about a thaw in Sino-Indian ties,” said Calcutta mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya.
UK-Syria Cultural Exchange Helps Build Bridges
Dozens of world-class ceramics are on display in the cavernous Khan Assad Basha, an atmospheric stone caravanserai in Damascus's old souq...All are part of a touring exhibition from London's acclaimed Victoria and Albert Museum, which has just opened in the Syrian capital..."This is a cultural exchange between the east and west but it's not about politics, it's about building bridges," says May Mamarbachi, the exhibition organizer.
Use Diplomacy to Serve the Economy
Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh has called for closer coordination of political, economic and cultural diplomacy; as well as tighter integration of State diplomacy with the Party and National Assembly’s diplomatic activities. He also stressed the importance of people-to-people diplomacy. He suggested that the diplomatic sector should focus its efforts on encouraging overseas Vietnamese to look towards their mother country and make material and spiritual contributions to Vietnam.
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