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.
Japan Aims to Prove its Diplomatic Mettle on Int'l Stage this Year
After efforts to remold security policy and gain traction in diplomacy toward Asia and dealing with wartime history disputes in 2015, Japanese policymakers face even greater challenges on the international stage in the coming year.
Keeping Up Appearances, Queen Elizabeth, 89, Had 300-plus Engagements in ’15
Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 90 in April, carried out 306 engagements in Britain last year, a tally in The Times newspaper showed Friday. The queen, who became Britain’s longest serving monarch in September after more than 63 years, also conducted 35 engagements abroad, having paid state visits to Germany and Malta.
Somalia's al-Shabaab Militants Use Donald Trump in Recruiting Film
Somalia’s Islamist militant group al-Shabaab has used a clip of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in its latest recruitment film. The group released a recruitment film in the form of a documentary about racial injustice in the United States featuring Trump’s recent call to ban all Muslims from the country.
Refugees' Life Jackets are Transformed Into Message of Peace on Greek Island
A bright orange peace sign appeared on a hillside on the Greek island of Lesbos on New Year's Day, transforming a growing pile of life jackets discarded by refugees arriving on the island into a message to the world.
A Brief Stopover May Lead to Lasting Peace
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's drop-by diplomacy in Lahore has set a new paradigm in summitry: doing away with sherpas. It is designed to catalyse the peace process, grounded over ego and who sets the agenda.
2015 Chinese Diplomacy: Reaching Farther and Wider
2015 has been a productive year not only for China, but for its partners all over the world. The world's second largest economy reached out farther and wider, through initiatives such as the "Belt and Road" and the "AIIB". And President Xi Jinping led the way.
Violence and Visibility: Transgender Women On TV in 2015
The New York Times recently reported on a similar trend in Nigeria, where the West’s push against anti-gay laws has actually contributed to a significant increase in violence against gay people. America’s money and public diplomacy have opened conversations and opportunities in societies where the subject was taboo just a few years ago. But they have also made gay men and lesbians more visible — and more vulnerable to harassment and violence … by groups of men, some of whom call themselves “cleansers.”
The Refugee Crisis was the Story of the Year in 2015. And That Story Is Far From Over.
“It's the dramatic multiplication of conflicts in the world. It's the fact that the international community has lost much of its capacity to avoid conflicts, to prevent conflicts, and then to timely solve them. And this is what needs in my opinion to have a surge in diplomacy for peace.”
Pages
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.