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.

Is development aid in Afghanistan helping or hurting the war effort? (Audio)

The philosophy is that the military can secure an area, while civilians implement quick impact development projects meant to win the support of Afghans. Hillary Clinton calls the strategy “smart power” and praises the inter-agency coordination it has brought to U.S. involvement there.

Tags: united states, soft power, public opinion, afghanistan, hillary clinton, aid diplomacy, us department of state, smart power

Water Shortages Could Trigger Mideast Unrest

Water is a scarce resource in the desert regions of the Middle East. Though disputes over water have come close to triggering wars between nations of the region in the past, diplomats intervened to keep tensions to a minimum. Now a new study suggests that, over the next 20 years, water shortages could trigger unrest within national borders instead of between the nations of the Middle East.

Tags: middle east, water

State Department review promises transparency, civilian ‘face’

In a bid to streamline diplomacy and foreign aid, the State Department will "fundamentally change our management approach by turning to the expertise of other federal agencies where appropriate -- before engaging private contractors," according to the department's inaugural quadrennial review.

Tags: united states, aid diplomacy, us department of state, quadrennial diplomacy and development review

Techno-skeptic MEPs trained to use Twitter, Facebook

A young French Member of the European Parliament is leading the charge. Advocates hope that the increased use of social networking will get younger Europeans interested in what happens in Brussels.

Tags: social media, new technology, europe, twitter, european union, facebook

Diplomacy and development, working together in the US

The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), was led by the state department and USAid to look at how diplomacy and development can work together more effectively. It was leaked ahead of schedule last month.

Tags: united states, public opinion, aid diplomacy, us department of state, development, usaid, quadrennial diplomacy and development review

Watching WikiLeaks’ ‘Cablegate’ From Tbilisi

There hasn't turned out to be any striking difference between what politicians and diplomats say publicly and what they are saying among themselves. Imagine: All the secrets of the U.S. State Department were exposed and not a single person had to resign!

Tags: united states, public opinion, us department of state, wikileaks

A Missed Opportunity at the State Department

Last week’s unveiling of the State Department’s first-ever comprehensive strategic review – titled the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) – has been a long time coming. After a full year of delay, the department has finally admitted what government officials, academics, civilian workers and others have been saying for decades: the U.S. foreign policy apparatus is failing.

Tags: united states, us department of state, quadrennial diplomacy and development review

India-Lanka to commemorate Lord Buddha’s festival jointly

India has commissioned a 16-feet high icon of Lord Buddha, as part of joint activities with Sri Lanka to commemorate 2,600th year or the Sambudda Jayanthi of the Buddhahood, the Indian High commission here said.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, india, sri lanka, buddhism

Pages

Stay in the Know

Public Diplomacy is a dynamic field, and CPD is committed to keeping you connected and informed about the critical developments that are shaping PD around the world. 

Depending on your specific interests, you can subscribe to one or more of CPD's newsletters >.

Visit CPD's Online Library

Explore CPD's vast online database featuring the latest books, articles, speeches and information on international organizations dedicated to public diplomacy.