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.

Israeli students launch hasbara mission to S. Africa

In an attempt to promote the fight against the delegitimization of Israel – especially on college campuses – Alon Kimhi, founder of an independent hasbara organization, started a Facebook page close to half a year ago. The mission was organized in coordination with the World Union of Jewish Students and the South African Union of Jewish Students.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, israel, south africa, students, hasbara, apartheid

Clinton: Don’t slash foreign affairs budget

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is making the case against deep cuts in the international affairs budget, arguing that diplomats provide critical support to American businesses overseas. She said diplomats helped American businesses by promoting U.S. exports, negotiating trade agreements and fighting regulations and practices that discriminated against U.S. firms.

Tags: united states, government pd, us department of state, trade diplomacy, foreign diplomacy

Arab world’s views of U.S., President Obama increasingly negative, new poll finds

Two and a half years after Obama came to office, raising expectations for change among many in the Arab world, favorable ratings of the United States have plummeted in the Middle East, according to a new poll conducted by Zogby International for the Arab American Institute Foundation.

Tags: united states, soft power, middle east, public opinion, barack obama

China’s push to woo South Sudan

Just days after South Sudan achieved independence, the Chinese government has already established a vocational training program for welders in Juba. The establishment of a program to train welders suggests that China would like to reduce South Sudan's dependency on Sudanese infrastructure.

Tags: china, government pd, trade diplomacy, sudan, oil diplomacy, south sudan

Philippine students get free Mandarin lessons

From Chinese phonetics to Chinese calligraphy, they will be teaching Mandarin and Chinese culture to public high school students as part of the education department's foreign language programme.

Tags: china, language, confucius institutes, philippines, students, confucius institutes project, mandarin

Finally, Israel Has a Global Foreign Policy

Part of Israel's strategy is an attempt to decouple our relations with other countries from our conflict with the Palestinians. Israel is signing agreements for academic exchanges and joint research with many nations, and has been accepted as a new member of CERN, the OECD of the scientific world.

Tags: middle east, nation branding, government pd, science diplomacy, israel, foreign policy, palestine, trade diplomacy, exchanges

Foreigners to drive Kenya’s new trade-centred diplomacy

Part of the plan is to hire nationals of the target markets with right skills and networks to head the charm offensive instead of sending Kenyans with little or no connections...he move not only marks a major shift in the country’s diplomatic positioning but also makes a significant departure from the way Kenya has traditionally staffed its embassies and high commissions abroad.

Tags: public diplomacy, europe, trade diplomacy, economic diplomacy, kenya, engagement, foreign affairs

Indonesia’s New Scientists Focus on Local Solutions

This week Indonesian scientists met with American counterparts in Jakarta to trade ideas and seek support for projects such as plastic made from local plants, new fuel cells and heartier varieties of rice. The researchers were participants at the KAVLI Frontiers of Science Symposium - one of a series of conferences partly sponsored by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

Tags: united states, science diplomacy, non-state pd, indonesia, exchanges

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