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.
Development Through Sport: The EU and The Olympics
Sport has become an essential tool in the European Union’s soft power approach. Over the past few years, the political vision promoting economic development through sport has become a standard practice in Europe’s policies of solidarity and sustainable development. Yet, how can the European experience help improve the Olympic ideal of using sport to promote peace and prosperity?
Russia Increasing 'Soft Power' in Germany
The new Russian, or more precisely, the pro-Russian think tank entitled 'Dialogue of Civilizations', associated with the global public forum of the same name with the headquarters in Vienna, was launched in Berlin. The structure will be led by the former head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin, [...] The head of the Program for Eastern Europe at the German Council on Foreign Relations, Stefan Meister, suggested that in many ways the success of the new Institute will be identified by the fact whether it will be able to attract the influential German scientists and political experts.
Promoting Peace Through the “Third Place”
In 2016 YFU announced the creation of a Virtual Exchange Initiative to expand on its mission to advance intercultural understanding, mutual respect, and social responsibility through educational exchanges for youth, families, and communities.The pilot program encourages online open dialogue among teenagers in the US and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Russia’s Richest Man Is Building a Venice Art Institution to Combat Nationalism
Moscow’s V-A-C Foundation—owned by Leonid Mikhelson, recently named Russia’s wealthiest man—will open a four-story exhibition space and artist residency at the Palazzo delle Zattere in Dorsoduro during the Venice Biennale vernissage. This will not, however, be an outpost devoted to the display of Russian art. [...] the V-A-C space will be defined by the opportunities it offers for collaborative production of new exhibitions and new work—by artists, curators, and visitors from across the geopolitical divides of the world.
Little League Trip About More Than Just Baseball
In a few weeks, 14 members of the Felix Mantilla Little League will board a plane that will cross an ocean and land in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Most of the kids, ages 9 and 10, have never been out of Milwaukee. In Puerto Rico, they will play baseball games against age-group peers. [...] But baseball is not the most important part of the trip. The kids, mostly from low-income families, will visit historic Old San Juan, the Arecibo Observatory and the El Yunque rainforest and will tour the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame.
A Moment of Opportunity: Zika, Diasporas, and Public-Private Partnership
In an earlier post, I speculated that preventing a Zika virus epidemic would rally transnational diaspora organizations. Since then, concern has grown among U.S.- and Canadian-based diasporans, especially those with roots in Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other Latin American countries. Caribbean American and global media are featuring stories and public service announcements on the outbreak, but so far, I have observed no major non-governmental diasporan response.
International Association of Students Arrive in Shanghai for Cultural Exchange
The 2016 East Global Citizenship Development Seminar (GCDS) organized by the International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC) was recently held in Shanghai. With the purpose of helping 131 international volunteers from 32 different countries along with 54 Chinese students from mainland universities prepare for six weeks of cultural exchange in China, the seminar allowed the volunteers an opportunity to learn about and respect different cultures and lifestyles.
'Wannabe' Video Draws Attention to UN Sustainable Development Goals
The organization Project Everyone wants you to tell them what you really, really want. Project Everyone, which aims to get the word out about the Sustainable Development Goals created by the UN last year, has created a video based on the 1996 Spice Girls hit “Wannabe.” [...] The group presents goals such as “end violence against girls,” “quality education for all girls,” and “end child marriage.”
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