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.

33 European countries have built Confucius Classrooms

The "2012 Confucius Institutes Joint Conference In Parts of Europe" was held on September 7 in the University of Vienna...132 Confucius Institutes and over 500 Confucius Classrooms have been built in 33 European countries, with a 970,000 total enrollment, said Xu Lin, director of the Office of Chinese Language Council International and the Confucius Institutes Headquarters.

Tags: china, public diplomacy, europe, cultural exchange, confucius institutes, confucius institutes project

U.N. ambassador Angelina Jolie visits Syrian refugees in Jordan

Hoping her celebrity will bring attention to the widening Syrian refugee crisis, actress and U.N. envoy Angelina Jolie spoke of the horrors that children, many of them orphans, have witnessed in Syria..."The priority needs relate to health care, food aid, shelter, water and sanitation, and education..."

Tags: public diplomacy, non-state actors, non-state pd, syria, celebrity diplomacy, jordan, refugees, angelina jolie

The State Department has the right idea: Use chefs to further diplomacy

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, “Showcasing favorite cuisines, ceremonies and values is an often overlooked and powerful tool of diplomacy. The meals that I share with my counterparts at home and abroad cultivate a stronger cultural understanding between countries and offer a unique setting to enhance the formal diplomacy we conduct every day.”

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, us department of state, gastrodiplomacy

NY Conference highlights investing in Israel

The one-day conference, organized by the Israeli Finance Ministry, together with The Wall Street Journal, Barrons and the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry, hosted dozens of business leaders and economists from across the U.S. and Israel.

Tags: united states, government pd, public diplomacy, israel, trade diplomacy

Mural draws fire from China

Citing “strong resentment from the local Chinese community,” the Chinese government has asked the city of Corvallis to force a Taiwanese-American businessman to remove a mural advocating independence for Taiwan and Tibet from his downtown building.

Tags: china, public diplomacy, taiwan, propaganda, tibet

The West’s ‘hard power’ deficit

When it comes to "hard power," the West is in steep decline..."Europe has become so enamored with soft power that it has stopped investing in hard power. In terms of hard security, it makes Europe a free rider." Strong words from someone who has been deeply committed to keeping transatlantic ties strong.

Tags: united states, soft power, public diplomacy, european union, hard power, nato

Kenya’s water wars kill scores

“Since last year, we have partnered with NGOs like World Vision to sink boreholes in the affected areas so that residents can have enough water for their livestock and domestic use. We also encourage them to use the water to grow vegetables and maize to complement livestock keeping.”

Tags: public diplomacy, africa, non-state actors, water diplomacy, kenya, ngo diplomacy

Chinese Culture Festival 2012

The Confucius Institute at the University of Arizona is proud to present the first Annual Chinese Culture Festival September 22-30, 2012 in Tucson. From Chinese medicine, martial arts, and tai chi to poetry, movies and music, Tucsonans are guaranteed a rich cultural experience.

Tags: china, united states, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, confucius institutes, confucius institutes project

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