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.

Pyramid Scheme

The problem with all these complaints and proposals is that the United States has little leverage for influencing the internal politics of another country, especially one as large and distant as Egypt. This has nothing to do with President Obama. It is a central fact of international politics today, and it applies not just to the United States but to any single nation, however powerful it may be by traditional measures.

Tags: united states, middle east, government pd, egypt, aid diplomacy

Foreign Aid: Victim or Culprit of Corruption?

Donors have been ramping up aid to fragile states, raising fears about funds falling into corrupt hands. A global corruption survey released this week by Transparency International measures how the public perceive corruption in their own countries. The nongovernmental organization asked 114,000 people in 107 countries which institutions do they think are most corrupt. In Afghanistan, where corruption is a huge concern among donors, 60 percent of respondents think the judiciary is the most corrupt.

Tags: soft power, government pd, afghanistan, aid diplomacy, development, sudan, oecd, transparency international

Is Snowden Worth the Risk? Latin America Weighs Pros and Cons

Sure, we've heard fiery speeches offering asylum from leftist leaders who are eager to criticize the United States. But supporting Snowden's cause and wanting to make Uncle Sam look bad aren't the only parts of the equation, with so many trade and diplomatic relations hanging in the balance, said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington.

Tags: united states, government pd, foreign policy, americas, latin america, venezuela, bolivia, ecuador, edward snowden, nicaragua

The Secret to Finland’s Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything

It's a good debate to have, and in some ways, it seems like there's no reason why the U.S. shouldn't borrow from Finland or any other Nordic country -- we're richer and just as committed to improving education and health, after all. Here's the difference: Finland's welfare system was hardwired into its economic development strategy, and it hasn't been seriously challenged by any major political group since.

Tags: united states, soft power, europe, finland, maternity leave, social welfare

BRAND USA Targets Young Visitors

BRAND USA has embarked on its first ever dedicated youth marketing campaign, signing at $4 million two-year deal with STA Travel. The youth tour operator is aiming to increase its global sales to the US by 30% over the period. The mainly online campaign has launched in the UK, northern and central Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa with a competition to win a road trip to the States.

Tags: united states, nation branding, tourism, brand usa

No One Knows Exactly Why The Canadian Military Is In Haiti

Besides keeping the department of national defense from falling asleep at their desks, there's the chance that Canadian forces might be being used to advance diplomatic relations with Brazil, enhancing the two countries' trading relationship by lessening Brazil's load in Haiti...It’s also indicative of the post-Afghanistan landscape, where Western militaries are having their budgets tightened as they withdraw from the final frontier of the original war on terror.

Tags: government pd, public diplomacy, united nations, foreign policy, canada, haiti, peacekeeping operations, canadian military

Malala Day: Promoting Education for All

This Friday, 500 young leaders from nearly 90 countries will convene at the United Nations headquarters for a UN Youth Assembly on global education with a very special guest speaker -- Malala Yousufzai. Their mission is simple and profound: to accelerate the goal of getting all children, especially girls, in school and learning by 2015.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, pakistan, united nations, us department of state, education diplomacy, malala day, un youth assembly

Medical Tourism: Latin America is a Prime Destination

In fact, Patients Beyond Borders reports Mexico now attracts more than a million patients a year, many of whom are Hispanics from California, Arizona and Texas. It’s this proximity to North America that makes Latin America’s medical tourism so attractive. Other factors include favorable exchange rates, bilingual healthcare officials, friendly cultures, tropical climates and exotic locations allowing for relaxing and scenic recovery time.

Tags: non-state pd, tourism, mexico, latin america, costa rica, medical tourism, medical diplomacy, healthcare

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