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.

A Town Called George: Why Now is the Best Time to Hit Penang

To mark the five-year anniversary of that designation, organizers of the annual George Town Festival have amped up the island's cultural offerings, stuffing a huge amount of art, film, music, dance and food into a single month. Despite the heritage connection, the festival isn’t just an ode to the city’s history.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, nation branding, tourism, malaysia, unesco, penang

Light Up the West Bank

The only parts of the Palestinian territories with reliable mobile coverage are in major cities or Israeli settlements; high-speed mobile Internet is all but nonexistent. So here's an idea: Light up the West Bank with long-denied 3G wireless Internet connectivity and create an exception in the Arab League boycott of Israeli products for those that have Palestinian-controlled companies in their supply chains.

Tags: middle east, israel, new technology, non-state pd, palestine, internet diplomacy, alec ross

China: From Hard to Soft Power

Mysterious China has been an important power both in ancient period and today’s world with global reach. Genesis of its mystery belongs to its great civilization and culture which was a model to copy by neighboring East Asian states in past times, added by its inventions of paper, gun powder and compass.

Tags: china, soft power, government pd, public diplomacy, pakistan, cultural exchange

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program

The U.S. Department of State is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program. The YES program was started in the in the wake of 9/11 to bring youth from Muslim communities around the world to the U.S. for a year-long secondary school exchange.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, islam, us department of state, education diplomacy, academic exchange

The Role of International Exchange in the Trilateral Partnership of Japan, Korea, and the United Sta

Japan and South Korea hold top 10 spots for the number of students they have studying in the United States. However, when it comes to the number of U.S. students studying in Japan and South Korea, they take 14th and 23rd place respectively. As the United States increasingly turns its focus toward East Asia, how does international exchange affect the developing relationships?

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, japan, south korea, us department of state, academic exchange

President Obama Speaks to the People of Northern Ireland

It’s been 15 years since the people of Ireland approved the Good Friday Agreement, and President Obama called the achievement -- and the progress that followed it -- extraordinary. “For years, few conflicts in the world seemed more intractable than the one here in Northern Ireland. And when peace was achieved here, it gave the entire world hope.”

Tags: united states, government pd, public diplomacy, public opinion, europe, united kingdom, barack obama, northern ireland

Beijing’s 31 Ways to Win Over Taiwan Hearts and Minds

Beijing has unveiled a basket of initiatives to deepen economic, cultural and social exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, following a high-profile meeting last week between President Xi Jinping and Wu Poh-hsiung, the honorary chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang.

Tags: china, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, public opinion, taiwan, cultural exchange, economic diplomacy

Cash Crunch Hits Cultural Diplomacy

India’s primary cultural diplomacy agency is suffering from a funds crunch and faces the ignominy of scaling down events at a prestigious European fete, which focuses on India, even as it puts on hold expansion plans for Indian cultural centres abroad.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, india, europalia

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