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.

Kennedy Center honoring Albright as a jazz ambassador

Since the 1950s, when Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck embarked on State Department-sponsored tours around the globe, jazz has been a quasi-official part of U.S. diplomatic efforts. Jazz musicians were sometimes welcome in parts of the world where other Americans were not, and Armstrong was commemorated in a musical play as “the real ambassador."

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, non-state pd, jazz ambassadors, madeleine albright

Confucius Peace Prize fails to gain traction

Recently, the Confucius Peace Prize released the nominators for this year's prize, the awarding ceremony of which will be held on December 9. This prize has been sponsored by a Chinese non-governmental organization, the "China International Peace Research Center" since 2011.

Tags: china, soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, non-state pd, confucius peace prize

Aspiring U.S. Diplomats Stiffen Their Resolve After Ambassador’s Death

The recent killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, along with three other Americans at the mission in Benghazi, now appears to have been a premeditated assault, not merely collateral damage from yet another anti-American protest.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, us department of state, chris stevens

In U.S., Ahmadinejad bid to win hearts and minds

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has left for the U.S. to pursue a crowded agenda that focuses on connecting with mainstream Americans including those who are part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. For a seventh successive year, the Iranian President will address the General Assembly session, which commences on September 25. Mr. Ahmadinejad will also represent the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) as its rotating President.

Tags: united states, soft power, nation branding, government pd, public diplomacy, iran

U.S. Department of State Welcomes Indonesian Performers Nan Jombang to the United States

The U.S. Department of State announced that Indonesian performance artists Nan Jombang will travel to communities across America as part of a groundbreaking cultural diplomacy initiative, Center StageSM, from September 21-October 14, 2012.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, us department of state, indonesia, art diplomacy

U.S. Squandering the PR Opportunity of the Arab Spring

The anti-American protests raging across the Middle East and beyond are testing much more than the security at America's diplomatic missions, or even the ability of Arab leaders—many of them in nascent democracies—to address extremism.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, middle east, government pd, arab spring, public diplomacy, arab world

Work of leading Pakistani artists to be showcased tomorrow

Curated by Quddus Mirza, artist, art critic and professor of art, the exhibition features more than 160 pieces of art created by 65 Pakistani artists, in a tribute to Rohtas Gallery and its contribution to the development of contemporary art and artists in Pakistan.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, pakistan, art diplomacy

Tibor Nagy: What U.S. diplomats really do and why

The tragic deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens along with three other U.S. diplomats last week in Benghazi, Libya, highlight a major disconnect between the perception of most Americans and reality — a U.S. diplomat’s life and work overseas is dramatically different from popular fiction.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, africa, us department of state, ethiopia

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