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.

Within Confucius Institutes, China Spreads Soft Power

In a 2008 report titled Repack­aging Confucius: PRC Public Policy and the Rise of Soft Power, by the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stock­holm the C.I. was described as “an image management project, the purpose of which is to promote the greatness of Chinese culture while at the same time counterattacking public opinion which maintains the presence of a ‘China threat’ in the international community.”

Tags: china, soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, confucius institutes, confucius institutes project

Spreading the Good Word

Before one can attempt an exercise in branding, one has to understand what it is, how it originated and what core principles are at work to ensure success. Once this has been established, we will see how these principles can transform the Bangladeshi economy.

Tags: united states, nation branding, public diplomacy, united kingdom, branding, bangladesh, marketing

Netanyahu Meets with Israeli Youth Soccer Team

Israel Soccer Association Chairman Luzon said, "I thank Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for the understanding that this tournament is of national importance and will greatly help the State of Israel's public diplomacy overseas by showing a beautiful Israel that loves sports.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, israel, soccer,

Unrest in Turkey Shows Cracks in AKP’s vision

First, the shortcomings in "public diplomacy" and lack of transparency in the five-month-old Kurdish peace process have led to confusion and anger, especially among Turks. This sentiment has triggered street violence by small groups, but what is more important is that the "silent majority" feels deprived of adequate information about the process. Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan grasped that.

Tags: public diplomacy, turkey, public diplomacy evaluation, violence, akp

Democratic Negotiations Next in Solution Process: PM Advisor

Despite its wealth, Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, is “inward looking.” Gerges also described Iran as a failed model and a dysfunctional system both ideologically and politically.
According to Gerges, for the countries in the Arab world, the only two models are the governance of the AK Party and Europe. Turkey can do “a great deal” with its soft power, he believes.

Tags: soft power, public diplomacy, saudi arabia, arab world

The War on Terror Must End—But Not Yet

The same mismatch may arise when it comes to soft power. "Force alone cannot make us safe," the president said. "We cannot use force everywhere that a radical ideology takes root." If so, this administration should seek to invest more in soft-power tools. The State Department's new Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations remains underfunded, for example, and the Civilian Response Corps has not yet lived up to its initial promise.

Tags: soft power, government pd, terrorism, obama, war on terror

Why Co-operation with Neighboring Countries is Vital for India’s Northeast

The idea was that China's south-west region, Myanmar, Bangladesh and India's Northeast and eastern region, might explore prospects for working together, using emerging new transport linkages as a platform for stronger trade, socio-cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Academics and scholars were invited to discuss this concept, and sensitise their governments, business entities and social organisations to the possibilities.

Tags: china, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, india, exchanges, regional co-operation

China in Africa Education – A Force for good?

The 2006 Beijing action plan provided the first attempt to create institutional-level collaboration through the establishment of Confucius Institutes, although these are also largely organised at the intergovernmental level as part of China’s global ‘soft power’.

Tags: china, soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, confucius institutes, confucius institutes project

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