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.

The world seventeen years from now

What will the world look like about two decades from now? In December, the United States National Intelligence Council published its guess: Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds...US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has referred to the Obama administration's foreign policy as being based on "smart power", and argued that we should not talk about "multipolarity", but about "multi-partnerships". Likewise, the NIC report suggests that Americans must learn better how to exercise power with as well as over other states.

Tags: united states, soft power, public diplomacy, smart power, leadership, multipolarity

China and India use Buddha for regional Karma

As part of their growing competition for influence in Asia, China and India are using the Buddha as weapon: sponsoring conferences, financing religious sites, and displaying relics in countries where the religion is widely adhered to.

Tags: china, soft power, public diplomacy, india, faith diplomacy, buddhism

Ambassador Charles Rivkin and American Diplomacy in Paris Suburbs

Charles Rivkin will be remembered for his attention to neighborhoods traditionally ignored by high-level public officials...The 21st century has seen a shift, with stepped up outreach into minority — especially Muslim — communities. In France, where the policy is carried out by the cinematic Ambassador Rivkin, it has been very well-received in the immigrant suburbs.

Tags: united states, government pd, public diplomacy, france, minority

Leveraging Culture and Diplomacy in the Age of Information

I’ll be meeting 12 Burmese basketball players in their teens – six girls, six boys. They’re here because we invited them to visit Washington to see a Washington Wizards game. After that, they’ll go down to Charlotte where they’ll meet with Bobcats General Manager Richard Cho, who happens to be a Burmese American. He’ll invite them to his home and take them to a Bobcats game.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, sports diplomacy, burma

Roundtable analyzes China’s public diplomacy efforts

Although China's public diplomacy efforts have run into obstacles over the years, great progress has still been made, international students and Chinese experts said at a recent roundtable in Beijing. Nine University of Southern California (USC) students majoring in public diplomacy also participated in this meeting.

Tags: china, nation branding, public diplomacy, confucius institutes, confucius institutes project

A Domestic Victory for Public Diplomacy

The passage of the Smith-Mundt Modernization act as part of the NDAA removes the restriction on the State Department and Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) banning the broadcast or distribution of materials produced for overseas consumption inside the US.

Tags: united states, government pd, public diplomacy, us department of state, foreign policy, bbg

Al Jazeera Must do better

Numerous pan-Arab rivals sprouted to grab a viewing share with a copycat mix of flashy graphics, daring reportage and sizzling debate. And global media firms such as Bloomberg, News Corporation and CNN have pushed into the Arab market.

Tags: united states, media, international broadcasting, government pd, public diplomacy, al jazeera, qatar

No hegemonic power in world by 2030

The NIC foresees a transformed world, in which “no country — whether the US, China, or any other large country — will be a hegemonic power.” This reflects four “megatrends”: individual empowerment and the growth of a global middle class; diffusion of power from states to informal networks and coalitions; demographic changes, owing to urbanisation, migration, and aging; and increased demand for food, water and energy.

Tags: china, united states, soft power, government pd, non-state actors, non-state pd, foreign policy, joseph nye

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