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.
Global protests: is 2011 a year that will change the world?
Once you're networked via social media...you're open to profound changes in "who you are and what your personal space is". The idea of any seemingly arbitrary authority standing in the way of all that can easily become an affront – and at the same time, your means of communication offers you a method of opposition and resistance: online, in the real world, or both.
Cal Ripken Jr. visits Japanese youth
Cal Ripken Jr. took a message of hope and perseverance to Japanese children affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The Hall of Fame infielder...put on a baseball clinic in Ofunato, Japan, as part of a nine-day mission as a sports diplomat on behalf of the U.S. State Department.
Qatar Wields an Outsize Influence in Arab Politics
This thumb-shaped spit of sand on the Persian Gulf has emerged as the most dynamic Arab country... Its clout is a lesson in what can be gained with some of the world’s largest gas reserves, the region’s most influential news network in Al Jazeera, an array of contacts, and policy-making in an absolute monarchy vested in the hands of one man, its emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
Culture Posts: Exploring the Cultural Underbelly of Public Diplomacy
Culture, as an underlying force that shapes global public diplomacy, remains curiously unexplored. Most focus on the positive, visible side of culture. As a soft power resource, culture is often viewed as a product for export that can help improve a country’s image. In cultural diplomacy, culture is a vehicle for bringing people together.
Mr Obama, don’t deny Apec their Hawaiian shirts
It being Hawaii, the assembled heads of state were understandably looking forward to some boxy aloha shirt action. But Obama...declared the 20-year tradition over. As disappointed locals have been keen to stress, the colourful shirts are a symbol of Hawaii's multicultural history and it would have been great for tourism on a group of islands that rely heavily on it.
Is China’s Africa Safari Faltering?
China’s insistence on treating investment strictly as a government-to-government affair, ignoring the sentiments of inhabitants on the ground, could undermine this. Its refusal to acknowledge public opinion on a continent where mass political consciousness is awakening could cost it dearly in the long run.
U.S. Department of State Expedites Student Visa Processing
During International Education Week, the U.S. Department of State highlights existing efforts to attract future leaders from abroad...All U.S. embassies and consulates expedite visa processing for foreign students to ensure qualified students are able to begin their academic program on time.
U.S. tries “hip hop” diplomacy in Pakistan
As part of its cultural diplomacy program, the U.S. embassy brought the FEW Collective, a hip-hop troupe from Chicago, to Islamabad, where they danced, rapped and recited poetry to a Westernized, educated elite audience of young Pakistanis.
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