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.
Goldstone Report Unfair to Israel
The Goldstone mission -- named for lead investigator Richard Goldstone -- was, from the outset, skewed against Israel. Its mandate prejudged the outcome of the "fact-finding" mission before any facts had been found, stating that "violations of international human rights law ... by the occupying power, Israel," would be looked into.
India-Nepal-China, High Speed Competition Begins
A fortnight after the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu and the representatives of Ministry of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on scholarship scheme, the Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood also declared September 18, 2009, that India too will gradually increase the number of students studying in India under the Indian government scholarship grant program. The competition has thus begun. Not bad for Nepal.
Tapping into Irish diaspora could make big impact at home
More and more national governments are introducing diaspora strategies and recognising the role that key members of the diaspora can play in developing their home economies without having to return home permanently. Brain drain can become brain gain and brain exchange. Israel, India, China and Taiwan have led the way with innovative programmes all based on reaching out, identifying and engaging with their global populations.
Rebooting American Foreign Policy
“I would argue — as we’ve seen how history has played out — that public diplomacy played the decisive role in putting the most important straws on the Soviet camel’s back, when it came to the collapse of the Soviet empire, which the materialistic foreign-policy culture cannot and does not to date understand.” But public diplomacy was just one of many things America’s international-affairs community did not understand.
Entrepreneurship Key to Boosting Hard Power
[Korea's] total national power (TNP) ― the combination of "hard power" and "soft power" ― stands at 13th among the G20 nations. However, a close look into categories determining its national power reveals that it lags far behind other developed nations in many segments. Hansun Foundation (Chairman Park Se-il)'s report showed that Korea is stronger in hard power relative to soft power.
Branding is no match for the real thing
Simon Crean and Austrade now want to spend $20 million branding Australia. Australia's been branded more times than a bull in Bonanza. The difference this time is that Austrade is looking for a catch-all brand that will cover everything from exporting cochlear implants to importing Indian students; from Akubras to Akira Isogawa; from LPG to AC/DC.
Saying all the right things
Barack Obama faces squalls at home, but his reputation in most of the rest of the world continues to shine. Mr Obama excels at public diplomacy. His speech in Cairo in June received rave reviews in much of the Muslim world. But there is more to diplomacy than speeches.
Lessons for Science Envoys
Nina Fedoroff, science adviser to Secretary Hillary Clinton, will have a big hand in defining the missions of America’s new science envoys. Fedoroff herself has a clear vision of what’s needed. She told Seed last February that US scientists, engineers, and experts should become global citizens, “to wander the world, to coach and help and teach” others until, borrowing a metaphor from New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, the world of knowledge and educational opportunity becomes truly flat.
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