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.
India Uses Yoga, Films, Gandhism to Win Chinese Hearts
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken on the role of a yoga guru for Chinese Internet users. He is providing his followers on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, a daily lesson of yoga exercise complete with sketches about different poses, and a list of benefits. Modi’s yoga posts are but the latest in a series of sweeping efforts by India to connect directly with the public in China, and try to capitalize on the two neighbors' shared links to Buddhism and other traditions in a bid to build sentimental bridges.
Korea Bloggers take in Tour of Hwaseong Fortress
Seoul’s Senior Public Diplomacy Group led 40 Korea-based bloggers, photographers and foreign correspondents on a tour of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. The Senior Public Diplomacy Group, a Foreign Ministry-affiliated nonprofit organization, to promote the UNESCO World Heritage Site and find out how people from overseas saw it. Participants in the tour also got another chance to take pictures for a photo and essay contest run by the SPDG.
Humanitarian Diplomacy
Nearly a decade before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that U.S. laws which criminalize “homosexual conduct” are unconstitutional in the 2003 case Lawrence v. Texas, a gay Cuban man won protection in the United States from the persecution he faced in his native land because of his sexual orientation. It was the first time that persecution based on sexual orientation was established as valid grounds for asylum in the United States.
Dessert, Dancing, And Diplomacy: The 2015 Washington National Opera Ball
Saturday, June 6, proved a musical, tasteful, and culturally astounding evening at the Washington Residence of the German Ambassador to the United States, where the Washington National Opera welcomed guests to its annual Opera Ball. Supporters of the Opera, including three Supreme Court justices, U.S. senators, and an array of ambassadors, filled the residence. The ball featured an immaculately decorated arena, delicious food, and jovial entertainment.
Stephen Harper's Foreign Policy Missing 'Soft Power' Opportunities, Academics Say
Of all the Canadiana on display near his desk, few stir in Prof. Tomasz Soroka the same kind of animated pride that the Governor General's medallion does.
Last year, Gov. Gen. David Johnston, on an official visit to Krakow, presented the medallion himself to the Polish Association of Canadian Studies (in which Soroka is secretary and a very active member), for its "outstanding contribution to the Canada-Poland bilateral relationship."
Chef Christian Garcia of Monaco: ‘I Love My Job and My Life’
Ensconced in the royal kitchens in the Genoese palace, Garcia has the job of devising daily menus and cooking for the royal couple. In order to experience the cuisine of chef Christian Garcia you have to be royalty, a high profile palace guest, a dignitary, or just plain fortunate to receive an invitation to the imposing Prince's Palace in Monte Carlo, Monaco.The rare exceptions are privileged invitees to the Prince's Palace for private events such as Prince Albert's wedding festivities in 2011, state banquets, fundraisers for Prince Albert’s many charity projects, or even chef Paul Bocuse'
Issues of ‘Dual Loyalty’ and Public Diplomacy
VOI’s Josh Hasten deals with two timely topics: Senator Bernie Sanders and a conference on Israeli public diplomacy. First, he is joined in-studio by HonestReporting’s Yarden Frankl, who discusses a recent NPR interview, in which Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was asked if he held joint US-Israel citizenship. Sanders didn’t take the bait, recognizing that the reporter was insinuating he had dual loyalties.
Science Diplomacy: COMSATS, World Academy of Sciences sign MoU
The Comsats Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) here on Tuesday signed an agreement to formalise cooperation between the two bodies in science diplomacy. The ceremony took place at Pakistan Academy of Sciences (Pas) where Comsats Executive Director Dr Imtinan Qureshi asserted the need for pragmatic and informed decision-making regarding issues of global climate change and international commitments and policies, leading to consensus on binding international agreements.
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