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 flight attendants turn diplomats

A new joint initiative between the Foreign Ministry and El Al will place flight attendants at the forefront of Israeli diplomacy. They flight attendants will undertake PR assignments which will, among other places, include university campuses around the world.

Tags: middle east, israel, image building, aviation diplomacy, airlines

Saving Lake Victoria from drowning

Kenya's Lake Victoria is in deep trouble, and Israel is partnering with Germany to come to its rescue. How Israel and Germany came to be involved in an African ecological project is a story based on a history of goodwill.

Tags: government pd, israel, water diplomacy, germany, kenya, north africa

Canadians help launch Israel art web portal

Three young Canadian Jewish women have helped to launch a new web portal – Omanoot.com – an English-language site showcasing Israeli arts. Quite possibly the first site of its kind, it encompasses all the arts of an entire country, including film, music, literature and visual art.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, non-state actors, israel, new technology, non-state pd, canada, art diplomacy, film diplomacy, internet diplomacy, literature

Reel China: Hollywood tries to stay on China’s good side

China has become such an important market for U.S. entertainment companies that one studio has taken the extraordinary step of digitally altering a film to excise bad guys from the Communist nation lest the leadership in Beijing be offended.

Tags: china, united states, Cultural Diplomacy, non-state actors, film diplomacy, hollywood

Foreign ministry embraces social media

With Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao leading the bureaucratic pack in using Twitter to reach out to the public, social media websites have now been removed from the list of blocked sites for officials at India's foreign ministry.

Tags: india, social media, new technology, twitter, facebook

Pakistan’s image problem

The recently published 2011 BBC World Service Country Rating Poll, which surveys global perceptions about “16 major countries, plus the European Union”, has confirmed for many Pakistanis that they are getting the short end of the stick around the world.

Tags: pakistan, public opinion, image building, polling

Arabs Love the Pax Americana

But the 22-member league's decision also tells us a lot about Arab views of U.S. power. Throughout the Libyan crisis, we've heard from pundits and politicians that the Iraq war tarnished brand America beyond repair, and made U.S. leadership non grata in the Mideast.

Tags: middle east, public opinion, crisis coverage, saudi arabia, arab world, bahrain, pax americana

The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad

Rhythm Road artists represent the new generation of musical ambassadors, reaching beyond concert halls to interact with other musicians and the general public.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, non-state actors, us department of state, jazz diplomacy, jazz ambassadors

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