Turkey is enjoying a wave of cultural soft power in the Arab world thanks to its popular soap operas, American University in Cairo President Lisa Anderson says, She notes that Arabs are attracted to the shows because they show that a Muslim country can produce modern stories...

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, middle east, media, public diplomacy, turkey, television diplomacy

As well as a huge exercise in soft power — Eurovision is by far the biggest nonsporting live television event in the world — the competition also gives countries a chance to touch on issues of global importance in their songs, while carefully sticking to the rules, which ban specific political messages.

Tags: soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, europe, non-state pd, music diplomacy, eurovision

There is no doubt that the Chinese government tries to present to the world a cultural landscape that accords with its own political narrative...But there is equally little doubt that Chinese publishing today is a vast and varied field in which it is not hard to find writers who both satirise and criticise the Communist party and its record.

Tags: china, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, non-state pd, united kingdom, censorship, books

If a high-profile event focusing on Chinese literature risks further undermining freedom of expression in China, then why is the British Council teaming up with the body responsible for censorship to bring a bevy of Chinese authors to London?

Tags: china, soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, united kingdom, censorship, books

Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas (WEAmericas) leverages public-private partnerships to increase women’s economic participation and address three key barriers women confront when starting and growing SMEs: access to training and networks, access to markets, and access to finance.

Tags: united states, government pd, corporate diplomacy, public-private partnership

Groups, agencies such as Amnesty International have the capacity to perform the role of soft power. Soft power functions well in democratic and transparent political systems. I am afraid to say that in systems such as Bahrain or others, soft power does not play a role in deciding policy.

Tags: soft power, middle east, public diplomacy, non-state actors, saudi arabia, bahrain

President Barack Obama in his Nowruz address to the Iranian people coined the term “electronic curtain” to describe the lack of access to online information in Iran.Now, the United States government has launched a campaign based upon the phrase.

Tags: united states, government pd, public diplomacy, iran, new technology, internet diplomacy

Through a cultural diplomacy program sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, she helped some of Northern Africa’s most talented vocalists take a brave and historic step: singing in public. In some parts of the region, women are not only discouraged from singing...

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, egypt, us department of state, women, celebrity diplomacy, womens rights