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.
'Campaign on Terror' Needs Rebooting
The soft power roadmap for what is needed is relatively clear. Seizing the moment requires the United States and international partners to give much higher priority to activities such as public diplomacy, sustainable development assistance, and exchange programmes.
Seoul Gets Busy with Thousands of Chinese Tourists on Reward Trip
South Korea’s capital Seoul is bustling with a huge group of Chinese tourists, reaching almost 10,000 people, on their company-sponsored incentive trip as a reward for great performance. On Friday evening, about 4,000 Chinese visitors enjoyed Korea’s signature herbal chicken soup, party after sightseeing and shopping in and out of Seoul.
Obama's 'Commercial Diplomacy' in Africa
This renewed “commercial diplomacy” between the United States and Africa in the Obama administration has coincided with a rise in U.S. investment into Africa. Between 2009 and 2013, U.S. goods and service exports to Africa grew 40 percent and totaled $50.2 billion.
Lakou Mizik, a Nine-Member Haitian Band, Brings Vodou and Horns to Brooklyn
Valcourt and Attis are touring the United States as part of Lakou Mizik, an accomplished roots-revival collective that traces its origins in part to that moment. The nine-member band [...] released its debut album, Wa Di Yo, on the U.S. global-music label Cumbancha — and on May 6 the band plays Brooklyn's BRIC House as a highlight of Selebrasyon, a two-month arts biennial in New York that kicked off its second edition last weekend.
The Next Libyan Revolution Will Be Led by Women Wielding Words—Not Guns
[T]he Voice of Libyan Women (VLW), a women’s rights organization focused on peace and security, the tools I use to drive change and create peace are rooted in diplomacy, cooperation, culture, and history. In other words, what some people call “soft power.”
Is Soccer the Key to China's Soft Power Push?
Soccer could provide a vehicle to improve China’s soft power and succeed where previous attempts have struggled. [...] There are two standout advantages soccer has over other mediums of soft power for China. One is football’s global resonance and accessibility. [...] Another plus is that relative to the arts or education, there is less opportunity for the product to be diminished due to interference from the state as soccer does not actively communicate a message beyond the realm of sport.
Cuban Festival Musicabana Scaled Down Significantly After Approval Delays
When organizers announced Havana’s Musicabana festival at the beginning of this year, they called it an event that would “usher in a new era of cultural diplomacy” between Cuba and the United States, “offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience with an extraordinary multi-genre bill boasting over 25 artists, bands and global DJs.” [...] So what happened? Festival organizer Fabien Pisani blames bureaucracy.
A Credible and Independent Media Is The Best Way to Counter Russia’s Information Strategy in the EU
There is a growing anxiety among some observers in the EU that a disinformation strategy pursued by the Russian government since the Ukraine crisis might fragment and disintegrate the Union. It is claimed that Russia’s use of targeted disinformation is seeking to influence public opinion within the member states with the aim of paralysing decision-making processes at the EU level.
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