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.
Here’s What Some Hotels Do with Those Barely Used Bars of Soap
Several years ago, Erin Zaikis was working in rural Thailand. She was surprised to see how many children in the village didn’t wash their hands with soap, much less know what soap was. In 2013 Zaikis founded Sundara, a nonprofit working to improve hygiene and prevent disease in poor communities in India, Uganda and Myanmar by recycling used bars of hotel soap.
Myanmar's Punk Rockers Challenge Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
Ahead of crucial election, musicians rail against government-sanctioned repression of persecuted Rohingya minority. The band Side Effect is one of Myanmar's most popular punk rock bands and among a growing number of musicians rallying to combat hate speech. The performance came as religious tensions escalate in the former military dictatorship leading up to a landmark general election on Sunday.
North Korean Defector Trained in Propaganda Art Now Uses it to Mock Rulers
Sun Mu trained as an artist in North Korea, where he painted propaganda posters that glorified the country's ruling dynasty. He fled in 1998 to escape famine and since then has used the same artistic style he learned in his homeland to lampoon those leaders. "I Am Sun Mu," by LA-based filmmaker Adam Sjoberg, is the story of his life and work, told around the lead-up to his first exhibition in China in summer 2014.
Sinai Plane Crash: IS Claims 'Propaganda', says Egypt President
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has described claims that militants linked to Islamic State brought down a Russian airliner as "propaganda" […] "When there is propaganda that it crashed because of Isis (IS), this is one way to damage the stability and security of Egypt and the image of Egypt. Believe me, the situation in Sinai - especially in this limited area - is under our full control."
Tehran’s Modern Art Could Travel to the US
Iran is starting to use its soft power, agreeing last month to lend works from the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art’s (TMoCA) collection of international and Iranian art for an exhibition in Berlin next year. The show, a symbol of Iran’s rapprochement with the West, could travel beyond Berlin, a spokeswoman for the Tehran museum tells us. The exhibition will include works by international and Iranian artists.
Indology Meet to Project ‘Soft Power’
The Ministry of External Affairs is getting ready to promote the global discipline of Indology as a soft diplomatic platform.[...] Indology, which includes the study of the Vedas, Vedanta, Upanishads and the Sanskrit classics, has a global pool of scholars who can project India’s core civilizational values effectively on the global stage, said Karan Singh, former president of the ICCR and one of the prominent speakers at the event.
Advancing Democratization Process Vital For Economic, Social Prosperity
Public diplomacy expert Çevik said Turkey is gradually getting better at using various public tools, but there is still a distance that needs to be covered, considering the power of public diplomacy will facilitate the country having well-established ties in the international arena.
The VOA Charter is a Good Mission Statement. So Why Has It So Often Been Ignored?
Like most government-funded broadcasters, VOA is facing an uncertain future because of factors that are outside its control, such as budget constraints and censorship by anti-democratic leaders in countries like Russia and China. But VOA’s future is also uncertain because of its own shortcomings.
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