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.
Flash and a Bang as Mozambique Is Declared Free of Landmines
[The Halo Trust] began operations in Mozambique in 1993, funded by the US, UK and others to the tune of nearly $57m (£37m). Calvin Ruysen, regional director of Halo in southern Africa, said: “This is the first heavily mine-affected country to reach an end state. That’s a massive story because it demonstrates that, with the right approach and resources, you can bring a problem to conclusion. It’s an example to other heavily affected states: the fact we’re here now is very important.”
Diplomacy is Child's Play for China's Underage Welcome Party
She is only 10, but Dai Jingya has already come face to face with more heads of state than most people will in their lifetimes. She has rubbed shoulders with Chinese President Xi Jinping four times, and greeted the leaders of Singapore, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Denmark. Dai is one of a group of children culled from Beijing schools to welcome the constant stream of foreign dignitaries coming to the capital to pay their respects, alongside People's Liberation Army soldiers and a host of top Chinese officials.
Global Diplomacy Was in Theodore Roosevelt's Hands, But His Daughter Stole the Show
Alice Roosevelt's 1905 journey to Japan, Korea and China is documented in rare photographs held by the Freer and Sackler Galleries....The timing of this voyage made certain that amid an 83-member diplomatic delegation including seven senators and 23 congressmen, headed by Secretary of War, future president and chief justice William Howard Taft, Alice would be a brighter star than ever.
Norway Again Embraces the Vikings, Minus the Violence
In a country that awards the Nobel Peace Prize each year and delights in its reputation for tolerance, the rebranding of Vikings from violent thugs to peaceable craftsmen is part of a broader resurgence of interest in a historical period previously embraced mostly by far-right nationalists.
China-EU Relations and the Future of European Soft Power: A Strategy for a European Cultural Diplomacy
China’s overall economic and strategic interests now seem to go hand in hand with a willingness to engage with Europe culturally.This move beyond economics and normal diplomacy towards ‘a meeting of minds and souls’ is taking place at a time when China itself has entered a new phase of internal growth, one which has made the question of culture and soft power a core strategic priority for the country’s future growth and prosperity.
Bulgaria Hosted Conference on Syria Cultural Heritage Plundering
A conference themed “Fight against the plundering of Syria’s cultural heritage” organised by the Norwegian Embassy to Bulgaria, was officially opened in the Bulgarian capital city Sofia on Wednesday. "Nowadays, more than ever, we need united and decisive measures to suspend what we call purposeful destruction of history, which we are currently witnessing,” the minister remarked.
China’s Role in Myanmar: Hungry Dragon or Cuddly Panda?
Most of the focus on China’s soft power has emphasised infrastructure projects spearheaded by Beijing as a way to forge good relations with countries it deemed to be of strategic importance. But China has come to recognise the intangible benefits of a well-burnished public image abroad – goodwill and influence roads and railways alone cannot buy.
'Sports Diplomacy' to Cost Taxpayers $50k
The Foreign Affairs Ministry is rolling out a new kind of diplomacy, which includes a netball team, the Cook Islands and $50,000 of taxpayer money. The cash will come from the Public Diplomacy Fund, allowing New Zealand's national development squad to play a series of tests in Rarotonga to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cook Islands' independence.
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