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.
French war museum in vanguard of push for more foreign tourists
From US soldiers introducing chewing gum to France in 1917 to a toothbrush from a trench and newfangled machine guns and shells, the first world war has been given a revolutionary treatment in a new French war museum near Disneyland Paris. It was the first move in France's new campaign to develop itself as the world capital of war tourism.
Dream over for free flights to Japan
Back in October, Japan’s national tourism agency floated a plan that seemed an ideal remedy to boost flagging visitor numbers in the wake of the March 11 disasters. Free flights to Japan in 2012. A full 10,000 of them. However, whatever tourism authorities thought a good idea, Japan simply can’t afford it, the government’s budget planners have concluded.
Devesh Kapur: Tangoing with Tokyo
Even though India is the only large country in Asia where Japan does not have any historical baggage, and Japan has been broadly viewed favourably in Indian public opinion, the reverse is less true. Clearly, this is an area for the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs to focus on.
Facilitating internal foreign policy dialogue in India
For the first time, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has initiated “The MEA Distinguished Lecture Series on India’s foreign policy.” Though Indian diplomats consistently speak at foreign university campuses and to think tanks around the world, this is the first time that MEA has undertaken such an exercise internally.
Cultural exchange: Mexico’s UNAM aims to put it all online
UNAM hopes to upload everything it has — from 18th century newspapers and vintage films to hundreds of thousands of student theses and a still-to-be-gauged sea of classroom teaching items — and let the world have it free of charge. The project, called Toda la UNAM en Línea (All of UNAM Online), made its debut last month.
What China Loves About Christmas, and Doesn’t
The liberal spirit of the reform and opening era in the 1980s reinvigorated western culture in China, and the quickly marketized economy in the 1990s seized onto the holiday's profitable potential. Now, Christmas is both a commercial and fashion statement...
Arab poll results and the way forward
These would mainly entail concrete and transparent democratic improvements, as well as economic measures aimed at improving quality of life and opportunities for the general public. The United States could complement assistance by augmenting its public diplomacy, cultural outreach and educational exchanges.
Turkey and France: Hitting true and false notes
Therefore, Turkey should not underestimate France's capacity of generating soft power. Instead of unrealistic agendas like “making known French atrocities everywhere,” Turkey should devise more sophisticated long-term strategies that increase its soft power in many countries.
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