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.
Living in Indonesia but Indian at Heart
“You can take Indians out of India, but not India out of Indians.” I didn’t give much credit to this often repeated statement until I moved out of India. However, even after many years of stay in wonderful Indonesia, rightly a “second home” for me, I continue to long for anything remotely connected with my homeland. Whether it’s music, cricket, cinema, food, the rich cultural heritage or even politics, I’m attracted to all things India.
How Much Influence Will Iran Have in Post-US Afghanistan?
Those who speculate that Iran will somehow absorb western Afghanistan into its sphere of influence when US and NATO forces drawdown in 2014 have not been through the doors of the threadbare “Public Library and Cultural Center” in Herat. Iran built the domed structure and stocked its library and classrooms seven years ago, a $190,000 project that it presented as a gift to the Afghan government. Today the center fulfils a critical need for its 700 mostly poor Afghan student members: English, math, art, Quran, and computer classes, and a study hall to prepare for university entrance exams.
Ramadan With the Rebels of Mindanao
But as the month of Ramadan draws to a close, the main rebel group, MILF, and their followers, said they are praying that the talks, already reportedly at an advanced stage, would result in a final agreement by 2014. That deal could give the area a homeland and a separate government, and would end a conflict that has killed 120,000 people over the past four decades. Negotiations will resume in mid-August in Malaysia after Eid al-Fitr, the celebration of the end of Ramadan.
North Korea’s Summer Holiday Camp for Children
When it comes to choosing a summer camp to send your children to, North Korea may not be top of the list. But for decades the Songdowon International Children's Camp has entertained young people from around the world with its swimming pools, waterslides and boating lakes. When it opened in the 1960s, Songdowon International Children's Camp was a centre for the kind of cultural exchanges common amongst Communist countries at the time. Set on a beach front, amongst a sweep of pine trees, it was a place where young people from friendly nations could meet.
How Should the US Deliver Food Aid?
Food shipped from America has saved the lives of millions of people since the Food for Peace programme was set up in 1954, but the strict rules demanding almost all of the food has to be sourced in the US and sent on American ships are coming under increasing attack. The Director of USAID, Rajiv Shah, says four million more people could be fed every year if he had more flexibility about where he bought food.
Protests Increase Over Russia’s Anti-Gay Propaganda Law
The controversy over the anti-gay law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin is gaining a lot of steam since its implementation nearly two months ago. The law bans the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations around minors.” In other words, prohibited are gay pride rallies, displaying a rainbow flag and gays displaying any public affection toward each other. Gay rights groups have denounced it as a violation of human rights.
NAFTA and the Pacific Alliance
The Pacific Alliance is a new initiative among four Latin American nations with the potential to reinvigorate the regional trade agenda in an exciting way. Having grown weary of waiting for meaningful hemispheric trade expansion in the wake of the collapse of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) a decade ago, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru agreed to link their economies more closely through trade, finance, and labor market integration. Others, including Costa Rica, are on deck to join.
U.S. Embassies in 4 African Countries Also Closed
The U.S. State Department closed its embassies in four sub-Saharan African nations as part of a heightened security alert, days before the 15th anniversary of al-Qaida's bombings of American diplomatic missions in Kenya and Tanzania. Those two embassies targeted in the Aug. 7, 1998, attacks were rebuilt as more heavily fortified structures away from populated areas where they would be less vulnerable to attack.
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