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.
The U.S. Public Diplomacy Deficit: Look at What We Do
I join my GWU and IPDGC colleague Tara Sonenshine in saluting Donald M. Bishop for a thoughtful speech on the state of U.S. public diplomacy and the challenges it faces. Let me add my two cents to the discussion. I agree with the bottom line: public diplomacy is not a sufficiently vital dimension of diplomacy, foreign policy and national security. In an increasingly interconnected world of the Internet, global media, personal media and billions of smartphones, it should be, but isn’t.
US Congress To Discuss Colombia’s Human Rights Situation
A human rights commission in the House of the Representatives will hear testimony this Thursday from the United States government, NGOs, think tanks, and members of civil society on the state of human rights in Colombia. The bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission will discuss the ongoing peace talks in Havana, Cuba, between Colombia’s largest rebel group FARC and the government, the development of land restitution programs, and labor rights issues, according to the hearing brief.
China Is Getting Better At Influencing Media Outside China
China doesn’t just exert heavy control over state media; its influence over media outlets outside China is expanding, according to a new report by Freedom House. For the past three years, the government has been investing millions of dollars in a global soft-power push. State newspaper China Daily publishes inserts of its English edition in major Western papers from the Washington Post to the New York Times. China’s Central Television, or CCTV, has hired dozens of experienced reporters from the US for its Washington bureau and rivals other foreign operations like Al-Jazeera America.
An Incomplete Democracy
Pakistan’s military continues to cast a long and often dominant shadow over the state. So when President Obama meets with Pakistan’s new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, on Wednesday, he should use the occasion to bolster the civilian government’s role relative to the military. Pakistan, ruled by the military for half of its 66-year life, has taken steps toward democracy, but the process is far from complete.
EU Set to Renew Negotiations For Turkish Membership
The European Union has said it will resume talks with Turkey to join the 28-member organization. Discussions between the EU and Turkey have been stalled for the last three years and were postponed in June after a crackdown on anti-government protests. European officials said that the talks will begin on November 5.
All Rihanna Sees ‘Is Palestine,’ But Israelis Don’t Seem To Care
It was girls’ night out at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv for Rihanna’s one-night-only show in Israel as part of her “Diamond World Tour.” Teenage girls linked arms, mothers accompanied ten year old daughters, 20-something young women took selfies, and small percentage of men - reluctant boyfriends, benevolent fathers and gay couples - all waited on the grass for RiRi to alight upon the stage.
Tara Sonenshine Responds to the ‘Three Challenges’ of U.S. Public Diplomacy
Recently, I read a fascinating speech by Donald M. Bishop, President of the Public Diplomacy Council. He led U.S. public diplomacy in Bangladesh, Nigeria, China, and Afghanistan. He is a trainer, speaker, and mentor in public diplomacy and communication. He also speaks on history and leadership. His remarks are bold and insightful. I found myself agreeing with many of his individual points – but I take issue with the overall, rather dire view and negative view, that America’s public diplomacy is weak, lacks direction, and increasingly focuses on feel good issues.
New Report of N.S.A. Spying Angers France
The National Security Agency has carried out extensive electronic surveillance in France, a French newspaper reported Monday, drawing an angry condemnation from an important American ally. The report, based on secret documents leaked by Edward J. Snowden, was published in Le Monde, the authoritative French newspaper, the day Secretary of State John Kerry arrived here for an official visit.
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