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.
Live Indie Music Event To Kick Off In Taipei
Another eye-catching performer is Mixer. Formed in 2013, the rock group won Best Band at the Golden Melody Awards last year and has participated in ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs-backed cultural diplomacy tours of Japan and South Korea, with their energetic shows proving popular with both local and overseas audiences.
Nepal, Between the Dragon and the Elephant
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, who wooed Nepalis on his two visits last year, during which he promoted his “neighborhood first” diplomacy, is now an object of scorn. Some people have burned effigies of him, and a #BackoffIndia hashtag was recently trending on Twitter. While Nepal’s allies, including China, welcomed the new Constitution, India merely “noted” it.
Public Diplomacy: A Way Forward for South Asia
South Asian countries have been pushed many times by external powers to set aside their political grudges and strive for peace and prosperity in the region. [...] But rarely have external powers been motivated to try initiating people-to-people contact as an alternative path to regional unity and connectivity. People-to-people contact or “public diplomacy” remains the unfulfilled agenda of SAARC.
US Embassy Commits To Education Development in Botswana
Botho University engaged in an international research conference [...] ‘The future dynamics of higher education in a global society’ […] The U.S. ambassador to Botswana, Earl Miller, articulated that the US Embassy is committed to the development of the education system of Botswana citing that since last year there has been a 6 % increase of Botswana students studying [...] in the U.S.
Handel in Kinshasa
When Armand Diangienda picks up an instrument that he has never played, he looks for its hidden rule. That skill [...] was crucial twenty years ago, when he started the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra, in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2014, they travelled to the U.K. to perform with several ensembles, including the BBC Concert Orchestra, in a tour of English cities.
How This Underwear Could Keep Young African Women in School
Young women [in Uganda] there confided in [Diana Sierra]: It was difficult, they said, to go to school while on their periods […] Today, Sierra’s company Be Girl is working to ensure that all girls who want to go to school can—even when they’re menstruating. Be Girl’s underwear and reusable sanitary pads include waterproof pouches that can be stuffed with any absorbent material, like cloth, cotton or toilet paper.
Foreign Minister Dion Tasked with Resetting Canada’s International Image
The Liberals ran on a promise to reset Canada’s image on the world scene, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has selected the party’s former leader Stéphane Dion to do it. Dion is Canada’s new foreign minister, one of the highest-profile jobs in Trudeau’s new cabinet. The Montreal MP takes over the top diplomatic job as the Liberals attempt to bring a new tone not only in Ottawa, but to Canada’s international voice.
Mexico Tries to Fashion a Better International Image
Mario Gonzalez is from Pro Mexico, the Mexican government's trade and investment agency that organized [a Mexican Design pop-up showroom in central London]. "Tonight is our first ever showroom with Mexican designers," he says. "The idea is to position Mexican designers in the UK. They're very well known in the States or other areas, but not in Europe.
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