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.

Public Diplomacy in the Twenty-First Century

Two and a half weeks ago, on my first day of work at the State Department, I told my staff that at this moment in history there is no more important work in government than the work that they are doing -- public diplomacy. Now, if this sounds like bureaucratic chauvinism, it is not. The threats that America faces today and the goals that we want to achieve are profoundly dependent on influencing foreign publics -- not with arms, not even with arm-twisting, but with the softer power of ideas.

Tags:

Qingdao vows to clean algae invading Olympic venues

Qingdao, which will host the Olympic sailing competitions in August, will spend at most half a month to clean the algae invading, local government announced at a news conference on Sunday.

Tags:

Flap over China, Darfur clouds marketing effort

Companies sponsoring this summer’s Beijing Olympics seek the thrill of advertising victory - but risk the agony of public-relations defeat. The games are more than six weeks away, but Boston activists have already hit Volkswagen and Framingham-based Staples with protests over sponsorship of the event. Critics picketed a Boston Volkswagen dealership this month and held an anti-Staples protest on Boston Common in April.

Tags:

China announces Olympics stability drive after riot

China has launched a nationwide campaign to defuse protest ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games, state media reported on Monday, days after a riot in the country's southwest highlighted volatile social strains.

Tags:

China scurries to quell social tensions before Olympics

Senior leaders exhorted local officials to deal more quickly with festering social tensions that might tarnish the upcoming Olympics as censors tried to snuff out all news about a weekend riot in southern China.

Tags:

Kenya urges AU to suspend Mugabe

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has urged the African Union to suspend Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe until he allows free and fair elections...The move followed a call by Italy's foreign minister last week for European Union nations to begin withdrawing their ambassadors to Harare.

Tags:

Iran, UNESCO to expand tourism co-op

The Iranian ambassador to UNESCO has met with the organization's tourism specialist to discuss cultural and tourism cooperation...Majidi said he believed that a 'cultural bridge' between Iran and the Near East could strengthen the cultural, historical and tourism ties between the countries in the region and asked for UNESCO's cooperation in such an endeavor.

Tags:

Nike plans Olympic advert blitz in China

Nike,the world’s largest sports shoe and clothing company, on Monday said an advertising blitz around this summer's Beijing Olympics will not be affected by efforts to curtail "ambush marketing" by non-Olympic sponsors.

Tags:

Pages

Stay in the Know

Public Diplomacy is a dynamic field, and CPD is committed to keeping you connected and informed about the critical developments that are shaping PD around the world. 

Depending on your specific interests, you can subscribe to one or more of CPD's newsletters >.

Visit CPD's Online Library

Explore CPD's vast online database featuring the latest books, articles, speeches and information on international organizations dedicated to public diplomacy.