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 “missing battle” of 9/11
Almost 10 years after 9/11, the United States has a new window of opportunity to regain the initiative in the “missing battle” of the campaign against terrorism. That is, a sustained soft power effort to win the battle for hearts and minds in predominantly Muslim countries.
Government seeks to correct awkward social media skills
There are government agencies such as the police forces in Delhi, Indore and Meerut which use Facebook creatively to track crimes and keep citizens informed . The ministry of external affairs has come in for praise for using Twitter as a tool for public diplomacy. But such examples are few and far between.
Outreach yields little improvement in Muslim view of US
Evidence of detainee abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay... furthered the perception that the United States was at war with Islam - despite extensive public diplomacy campaigns by the State Department to portray America as a country where Muslims were not only free to worship, but were part of the American social fabric.
Soft power of public diplomacy is missing
There is general agreement the core role of public diplomacy is to further foreign policy and to promote our national interests. The need to sustain a vibrant international education sector is clearly in our national interest.
Soft power of public diplomacy is missing
Australia operates in a vacuum in international education and public diplomacy. But in their recent paper, Bond University researchers argue for more active public diplomacy leadership, improved evaluation and expanded dialogue within the sector and broader community. Such strategies would maximise the soft-power potential of Australia's international education and contribute to our future international positioning.
Obama’s “smart power” plan risks death of 1,000 cuts
Food aid to hungry countries, training for political parties in young democracies, improved medical services for expectant mothers and the U.S. response to natural disasters such as earthquakes and droughts could be hit in a major scale-back of U.S. assistance.
FACTBOX-U.S. leaders on “Smart Power” and foreign aid
I believe that American leadership has been wanting, but is still wanted. We must use what has been called "smart power": the full range of tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural -- picking the right tool, or combination of tools, for each situation.
The Little Emirate That Could
As one of the first countries to recognize the National Transitional Council...Qatar provided invaluable moral support with its exhaustive coverage of the rebels on the Al Jazeera TV network, the emir’s powerful public diplomacy wing. While the Arab Spring has overturned the Middle East status quo...money, diplomacy, and cunning have already helped establish Qatar as a rising regional power.
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