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.
Cold War films reflected shifting US attitudes
From their inception, motion pictures have been offering audience escape, entertainment, uplift or instruction with the intent and skills of filmmakers. Still, during the Cold War, American films reflected the changing mood of the United States towards the USSR.
Better development through education
The Global Partnership for Education has launched a three-year effort to put 25 million children in the classroom for the first time and train 600 thousand teachers in developing countries. It calls education one of the most important investments a country can make in its people and its future.
China’s soft power growing
Since 2007, Cambodia has seen a rapid increase in cultural investments from China. China’s projection of soft power is generally limited to language training and the marketing of cultural products such as books and movies, and the long-term effect on the foreign policy of recipient countries has yet to be determined.
‘Barbecue Diplomacy,’ North Korea and the United States
The ripple effects of Kim’s death extended from Russia to China to Washington and, most improbably, to this restaurant, whose regular clientele is working-class locals – not Koreans. Mr. Egan says that through “barbecue diplomacy,” he became “Kim Jong-il’s guy in New Jersey.”
The European invasion of mighty K-pop
The spread of Korean pop culture - a phenomenon nicknamed hallyu, or Korean wave - was driven by television and has become one of South Korea's most notable exports in recent years. Having already conquered the East, Korean pop music is beginning to make serious inroads in the West for total world domination.
Israeli government rolling out red carpet for Christian tourists
Christians are a tiny minority in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. However, in Israel, there's a concerted effort to get more Christian tourists to visit the Holy Land and visit the churches, and shrines that dot Israel and the West Bank. They're hoping to make each tourist a sort of ambassador of Israel.
Two funerals, and Weibo
In the interval between when BBC aired reports of Kim Jong Il's death and when CCTV and other Chinese state media got around to making their own reports on Monday, the Chinese Internet was already abuzz with news and commentary on the North Korean leader's passing, from famous and unknown Weibo users alike.
Stratfor challenges narratives on Syria
False narratives, even heartfelt ones, will only keep conflict buzzing. Stratfor's findings may be the first time a mainstream US-based intelligence-gathering firm openly questions the existing narrative on Syria. It begs the question: what are we basing our policy initiatives on if our underlying assumptions are inaccurate?
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