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.
Israel's Tahini Diplomacy
Tahini is used to market Israeli culture as a native culture of the Middle East. Tahini is a paste made from ground hulled sesame seeds and is used in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine. To make tahini sesame seeds are soaked in water and then crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are soaked in salt water, causing the bran to sink. The floating kernels are skimmed off the surface, toasted, and ground to produce an oily paste.
You can’t defeat ISIS with Facebook
Rarely has amateurism in American foreign policy in the Middle East been as glaring and shocking as it has been in the past year with regard to Washington’s policy toward ISIS. In the United States during the past two weeks I have had the opportunity to follow more closely than usual news, analysis and political discussions about how Washington should respond to the threat of ISIS, and the experience has been frightening.
Yoga day: In Indonesia, a Comic Book to Commemorate Cultural Links
To commemorate the International Yoga Day, the Indian embassy in Indonesia has released a special publication, a comic book focusing on the historic India-Indonesia relationship. "Travels through Time", is a part of the ongoing "Sahabat India: Festival of India in Indonesia" which has revived and revitalised India's cultural links with Indonesia at large. The comic book begins with when Indonesia and India came into contact and goes through different periods of historic, social and cultural interaction.
Medical Diplomacy
Pakistan and Iran share a common border and some of the same challenges as well. In recent years, there have been a number of impediments to the relationship between the two states, most of them engendered by America’s antipathy to Iran and the regime of sanctions against it deployed by the US. Those sanctions have a spillover effect on Pakistan as it may find itself the subject of American sanctions if it is seen to breach those imposed by the US — a potent threat. It has already blighted the proposed gas pipeline between the two countries.
Govt. Proposes to Tighten Noose Around Foreign Funding for NGOs
These are part of the proposed changes in the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules suggested by the Home Ministry seeking to tighten the noose around erring NGOs. The Ministry has also suggested that banks will have to inform it within 48 hours of receipt of foreign funds by any NGO. Earlier, NGOs were mandated to put in public domain details if receipt of foreign donations by them were in excess of Rs one crore and the same was also done only at the end of the financial year.
How to Brand Luxembourg When the Country is Changing?
“Luxembourg is famous for two things: its steel industry and its rose cultivation industry.”
This was how an Italian tourist guide from the 1930s summarised the Luxembourg economy.
Pierre Gramegna, the Minister of Finance highlighted this quaint observation in a recent speech to illustrate the difficulties the country faces in its on-going nation-branding exercise.
Not only does little Luxembourg face difficulties getting its voice heard, but the message it wants to communicate keeps changing.
Israel: Students Going Abroad to be Trained in Public Diplomacy
Israeli students going abroad are to undergo public diplomacy training in order to defend Israeli policies on foreign soil.
The public diplomacy training, known as Hasbara, will be made mandatory for the students to counter Israel's perceived negative image abroad.
The first set of students who are to travel to Germany, China and France to pursue their higher education have already begun training as part of the course, according to the Israeli daily Ynet news.
Twist and Chant: India Gears up for Modi's Yoga Day
New Delhi: The heart of India's capital will transform into a sea of colourful mats on Sunday as thousands perform the camel, cobra and other postures for the first International Yoga Day championed by Narendra Modi.
Shortly after dawn on a New Delhi boulevard, some 35,000 bureaucrats, students, soldiers and others are to take part in the 35-minute mass outdoor yoga session, hopeful of qualifying for theGuinness Book of Records.
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.