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.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter Says Brazil May Have Been Wrong Choice to Host 2014 World Cup

Blatter was speaking at the start of a two-day conference on sports, media and economy set up by German great Franz Beckenbauer in Austria. FIFA later verified the comments were accurate. The Confederations Cup, which was won by Brazil, angered citizens who are upset with the billions of dollars spent on the tournaments while they endure underfunded schools and hospitals. Protesters aired a wide spectrum of grievances, including the high cost of hosting the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Tags: government pd, sports diplomacy, brazil, latin america, south america, protests, fifa, sepp blatter, fifa world cup 2014

The Muslim Grammy Awards? New Event to Spotlight Islamic Stars

We’ve heard of the Grammys, the BRITs, the VMAs and the MOBOs, but now there’s an awards show to spotlight a different kind of talent. A groundbreaking new awards ceremony, The Music of Muslim Origin & Media Awards 2013 (the MOMOs), will celebrate the achievements of Muslim artists, entertainers and media professionals later this year. With categories such as “Best Nasheed” (Islamic vocal music), “Best Muslim TV Show” and “Best Muslim Presenter” the awards will put a spotlight on global Islamic talents.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, middle east, islam, art diplomacy, grammy awards

The Spirit is Weak with These Ones

The XXXII Olympic Summer Games in 2020 will be hosted by one of three candidate cities: Madrid, Istanbul, or Tokyo, following the 2016 games in Rio De Janeiro. The three candidates were selected by the International Olympic Committee out of a group that also included non-selected applicant cities Baku, Doha, and Rome (which withdrew its bid shortly before the applicant files were due). The International Olympic Committee will elect the host city on 7 September 2013. Here is a look at the logos of each of the hopefuls (and not so hopefuls).

Tags: nation branding, olympics, city branding, international olympic committee, tokyo, rome, istanbul

Colombia Signs Agreement with Singapore to Promote Investment

Colombia’s Minister of Commerce Sergio Diaz-Granados welcomed a Singaporean mission of entrepreneurs to explore potential in innovation, sustainable development, IT, agribusiness and the hydrocarbon sectors. Yet most of Singapore’s business interest, according to the Ministry, falls within the services sector, like tech and BPOs.

Tags: government pd, singapore, development, innovation, colombia, investment, entrepreneurs

OAS and Mexico to Offer 600 Postgraduate Scholarships to Students from the Americas

The Organization of American States (OAS), the Mexican National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT) and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) signed today at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, an agreement to provide scholarship opportunities to 600 citizens of the Americas for master's or doctoral studies in science and engineering in Mexico, of which 100 will be earmarked for students from Central America and the Caribbean.

Tags: government pd, americas, academic exchange, organization of american states, scholarships

School Tragedy Puts Focus On Poor Health Of India’s Children

This is a stark contrast to the stories of India's economic rise that have dominated headlines for the past decade. Many in India have been lifted from poverty, and the middle class has greatly expanded, as have the ranks of millionaires and billionaires. Yet extreme poverty is still a problem, and India has not been as successful as some other developing countries when it comes to reducing childhood illnesses and mortality.

Tags: government pd, india, development, public health

“Be Brave Not Violent” Campaign Calls Young People to be Become Part of the Solution

MTV Latin America and the United Nations Secretary General´s UNITE to end Violence against Women presented the initiative “Be Brave not Violent”. The initiative is aimed at young people in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the objective inspiring young people in the region to become part of the solution to end violence against women.

Tags: media, government pd, public diplomacy, united nations, unicef, violence, paho, mtv latin america, who

Youth Empowerment is Key to President Obama’s Vision for Africa’s Future

In partnership with the International Youth Foundation (IYF), the Youth:Work project is working in eight countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to assess the needs and aspirations of young people, the hurdles they face in seeking employment, and the opportunities that can help them improve their lives and prospects. This holistic mapping exercise, called Youth:Map, is developed through interviews with business, community, government, and youth leaders.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, africa, barack obama, youth, usaid, uganda, tanzania

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