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.
In Afghanistan, hit ‘em where they aren’t
Public diplomacy must accomplish on an intellectual level what protection and good governance achieve at the elemental level. Soldiers and advisers do not need to engage in a "war of ideas." Rather, they must expose the insurgents' ideology of fear, violence, and repression – an ideology that offers Afghans no hope for the future.
EU Plans Backup Copy of European Civilization
Not just a page with some facts and figures; the EU has plenty of those. What an EU commissioner has in mind is a rich digital encyclopedia of Europe's cultural heritage. "Europeana" is an ambitious project to digitize large portions of the continent's national libraries and put as much of European civilization as possible -- books, maps, paintings, photos, films -- online for free...Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, has promised to have two million digitized "objects" available for full public browsing -- in English, German and French -- by November 20.
Georgia Fully Unblocks Russian Websites
Restrictions, which were imposed during the August war, were partially removed last month, but some Russian news websites and the websites of Russian state agencies had remained blocked till now.
‘Happy’ French ambassador presides over launch of three new projects in South Lebanon
Under the auspices of French Ambassador Andre Parant, three projects were launched in South Lebanon on Monday, as part of what was billed as France's permanent support for the Lebanese people. A modern olive mill was inaugurated in Bourj Qalawieh in the southern port city of Tyre, as part of the Daman project aiming to develop the olive sector in the South. The project is financed by the French contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the French Agency for Development and the European Cooperation Institution.
National Pride
Monocle with a SPECIAL REPORT on how diplomatic territory is being redefined and redesigned: Post September 11 every embassy was built as a bunker ready to repel all comers, but now, from Washington to Harare, architects are reinventing the mission as national calling card.
Dead Sea Scrolling
Dead Sea Scrolling, the new report of the 2008 Arab-U.S. Media Forum from the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program, explores the impact of new media in spanning the cultural and informational divides between the Arab and American worlds. Leading Arab and American journalists and media entrepreneurs discuss the budding transparency and openness enabled by new media and confront the harmful stereotyping in which both worlds so readily engage.
Young Arab Leaders (YAL), in Partnership with Business for Diplomatic Action
Young Arab Leaders (YAL), the region's foremost development platform for business, public sector and civil society leaders, has partnered with Business for Diplomatic Action, America's leading private-sector led public diplomacy initiative to organise the second Arab American Business Fellowship (AABF) program. The initiative is sponsored by Dow Chemical India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA) GmbH through its charitable arm, The Dow Chemical Company Foundation.
Cuba and Italy Sign Agreement on Cinema
The General Director for Cinema of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Assets, Gaetano Blandini, and the president of the Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC), Omar Gonzalez, signed the agreement, which establishes mutual commitments in the production, exhibition, distribution, restoration and preservation of films, and also in the training of personnel.
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