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 See No Evil graffiti project in Bristol, Britain’s largest street art project

The See No Evil project on Nelson Street in Bristol will see several multi-storey buildings in the street covered with art over the coming days. Organisers hope that the project, which has involved top graffiti artists from all over the world, will become a major tourist attraction for the city, often said to the spiritual home of Banksy.

Tags: soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, art diplomacy, britain, graffiti

U.S.-China Basketball Brawl Becomes an Inappropriate Metaphor

It must be a testament to the dearth of interesting diplomatic discussions that a brawl between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Bayi Rockets became the headline news out of the U.S.-China summitry between Vice Presidents Biden and Xi. For many, the event became a metaphor for the animosity presumed to underpin the U.S.-China relationship and, possibly, a lack of respect to Biden.

Tags: china, united states, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, sports diplomacy, joe biden

Israel to Egypt: Sorry, We’re Really, Really Sorry

In the wake of any terrorist attack, Israeli governments struggle to maintain their footing, but after the Arab Spring, everything got more dramatic. The crisis began Aug. 18, with a multilayered, sustained terrorist attack along Israel's border with Egypt. Alarmed, the Israeli Defense Ministry took the unusual step of breaking the Jewish Sabbath to issue a statement of regret for the Egyptian deaths.

Tags: government pd, arab spring, public diplomacy, egypt, israel, crisis coverage, palestine, terrorism

Biden’s China Visit: Supplicant to Beijing?

What was the point of Vice-President Joseph Biden’s just ended visit to China? It is surely not enough to point vaguely to the supposed goodwill generated by formulaic visits between leaders. But the Biden visit appears to have had only the vaguest of agendas and if anything put US weakness on display at a time when China is boasting its global importance.

Tags: china, united states, government pd, public diplomacy, foreign policy, joe biden

Libya inspires the Arabs

The scenes of the joyous reception for Libyan "Freedom Fighters" entering Tripoli with little resistance yesterday sent an electric shock through the Arab public...I don't see how anybody watching al-Jazeera, following Arab social media networks, or talking to people in the region could fail to appreciate the interconnected nature of Arab struggles

Tags: middle east, media, arab spring, public diplomacy, public opinion, social media, new technology, crisis coverage, libya

Libya can now reimagine itself

As the pro-democracy rebels expand their control over Tripoli, they will need to forge a new Libyan identity – one not based on the empty nationalism of Pan-Arabism, common geography, shared history, or even Islam. No, to avoid this North African nation splintering along tribal lines or to prevent another dictator, Libyans must reimagine themselves as citizens.

Tags: nation branding, arab spring, public diplomacy, non-state pd, crisis coverage, libya

From Crime to Cuisine: Dining in the New Colombia

While stereotypes of Colombia remain stuck in the 1990s, that country has moved on. The northern coastal city of Cartagena, long a vacation spot for Colombians, has blossomed over the last five years into a major culinary and cultural destination. Many of its best restaurants have opened in just the past two years, some by chefs fleeing economic collapse in the so-called First World.

Tags: soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, nation branding, public diplomacy, gastrodiplomacy, colombia

Libya starts to reconnect to internet

Libya's internet connections appear to be slowly coming back online after a six-month blackout...it appeared that Libyans were making use of their newly restored connectivity - when available - to chronicle fast-moving events inside the country. Groups such as the Libya Youth Movement posted Twitter messages giving regular updates on attempts to capture Colonel Gaddafi's compound.

Tags: arab spring, public diplomacy, social media, new technology, non-state pd, crisis coverage, twitter, libya, internet diplomacy, north africa

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