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.

Asian Mafias in Baja California

Walk down calle Coahuila, and in the distance, you can see the landmark avenida Revolucion clock under a monumental arch. But really, perhaps Tijuana is even more famous for hedonism signaled by the posters and signs lining Coahuila. It seems every other door leads to a "hotel" with a smattering of bars and gentleman's clubs, and even, for the romantic at heart, a flower shop. Inside, many of the women, teens and girls who work in the sex trade are slaves to international criminal organizations.

Tags: china, non-state pd, mexico, human trafficking, organized crime, mafia, baja california

Egypt: Are Foreign Journalists Lying?

Foreign journalists are under attack in Egypt - they are accused of bias and of ignoring facts, and many of them have been detained, attacked and some even killed. Egypt's State Information Service released a statement to journalists on Saturday, detailing what it sees as media bias. "Media coverage has steered away from objectivity and neutrality" which has led to "a distorted image that is very far from the facts," the statement said.

Tags: middle east, media, international broadcasting, egypt, al jazeera, foreign journalists

Critic’s Notebook: Al Jazeera goes all American

You have to give Al Jazeera America major points for chutzpah. In the face of fears that its parent company is essentially anti-America, it launched its new network with a tear-down of the American television news media. Its Tuesday premiere on the network formally known as Current TV opened with an hour dedicated to Al Jazeera America's mission statement: Offer an intelligent, unbiased, wide-reaching alternative to the broken and pitted mess that is currently in place.

Tags: united states, media, international broadcasting, journalism, qatar, news, al jazeera america

Kosher Tacos Debut On The Border

The Southwest border is a place where people and cultures collide and inevitably blend into one another. For El Paso artist Peter Svarzbein it was the perfect setting to introduce a food experiment that compliments his latest project. He combined his experience as a Jew growing up on Mexico's doorstep to create a new twist on an iconic dish. On a July afternoon, the kitchen at Chabad Lubavitch in El Paso was hotter than a desert full of burning bushes. No surprise, considering the amount of cooking that went on that day.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, gastrodiplomacy, mexico, southwest border, mexican, kosher, el paso

How USAID Is Helping Frontline Medical Workers Save Lives in Rwanda

With her labor pains intensifying, Epiphanie Nyirankurikiyimana knew the time had come to leave for the health facility.
Rather than give birth at home without skilled care, the 25-year-old mother, pregnant with her second child, telephoned Immaculée Bampoyineza, the village community health worker who had educated her on the importance of prenatal care and developing a birth plan. Immaculée agreed to accompany Epiphanie to the health facility. Instead of waiting for local transport—four men carrying a sling—the women began the three-mile walk to the health center.

Tags: united states, government pd, africa, aid diplomacy, usaid, rwanda, medical diplomacy

The Rise Of Social Commerce: How Tweets, Pins And Likes Can Turn Into Sales

Overall usage on social media platforms is exploding. Retailers and brands are therefore increasingly focusing their attention on social commerce. Retailers and brands are therefore increasingly focusing their attention on social commerce. But, many struggle with the question: how do you convert a "like," a "tweet," or "pin" into a sale?

Tags: social media, new technology, non-state pd, twitter, corporate diplomacy

My Summer At An Indian Call Center

Every day thousands of Indians leave their small towns and look for big cities to work in business outsourcing. Andrew Marantz spent a summer at call center in India and wrote about it for Mother Jones magazine. He details the reaction he got when he showed up, the accent that is encouraged - a neutral one, he says - and the classes offered to work at there.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, india, language, outsourcing, telecommunications, mother jones

Iraq’s Refugees: Reborn in the USA

Once, Adil Ibrahim worked as a translator with American soldiers, introducing them to Iraqi culture and the streets of Baghdad and trying to bridge gaps of understanding. Now, he’s one of them. Ibrahim, an Iraqi who came to the United States on a media scholarship in 2008 and then sought asylum, is now a U.S. citizen and member of the U.S. military. He’s even been deployed to Afghanistan.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, middle east, iraq, immigration, diaspora, us department of defense, refugees

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