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.

Graffiti changes the game on campus

Early in the fall semester, the University of Pittsburgh's Panthers for Israel group kicked off the year with free giveaways, music and a creative twist. Three renowned graffiti artists from New York attracted hundreds of Pitt students as they painted an homage to Pittsburgh and Israel on campus walls.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, israel, art diplomacy, universities, graffiti

Myanmar Invites India to Invest in Infrastructure, Power

Myanmar offers great opportunities for Indian business community to invest in infrastructure and power projects, visiting Myanmar President U. Thein Sein said here Friday. In a closed-door session, organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) late Friday, President Sein invited Indian businesses to also explore options in agriculture.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, india, corporate diplomacy, myanmar

A time of abundant opportunity

John Cha Poong started giving children in Zambia disposable cameras three years ago to record their daily lives. The results they sent back were unexpected: their extreme poverty should have been depressing but the pictures that came back were so happy. The next year, the Korean Catholic priest did the same thing in Mongolia and Burundi. Then it was Laos in 2011 and Sri Lanka this year. It was the same story, the pictures were not the sort charities might use to raise money.

Tags: soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, india, faith diplomacy, south korea

Ancient Buddhas, Modern Peril

When the Taliban blasted the famous Bamiyan Buddhas with artillery and dynamite in March 2001, leaders of many faiths and countries denounced the destruction as an act of cultural terrorism. But today, with the encouragement of the American government, Chinese engineers are preparing a similar act of desecration in Afghanistan: the demolition of a vast complex of richly decorated ancient Buddhist monasteries.

Tags: china, Cultural Diplomacy, nation branding, public diplomacy, india, afghanistan, taliban, buddhism

European disunion done right

Summits were more fun in those days. When Ferdinand III, the Habsburg monarch of the Holy Roman Empire, arrived in Regensburg, the Brussels of its time, in late 1652, he brought 60 musicians and three dwarves. There were sleigh rides, fireworks and the first Italian opera ever performed in Germanic lands. Aside from that, the Reichstag (imperial diet) was much like today’s European Council, the gathering for leaders of the member states.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, europe, european union, historical public diplomacy, eu identity

Arts in Embassies program was great diplomatic tool, former Ambassador Tom Schieffer says Read more

When Tom Schieffer was U.S. ambassador in Australia and then Japan, he found that a little-noticed program that placed American art in embassies was one of the best diplomatic investments he made.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, government pd, public diplomacy, us department of state, art diplomacy, embassies

U.S.-Canada: Two countries, increasingly intertwined

A lot of goodwill flows between America and Canada, the Minnesota International Center's 2013 focus country. A lot of goods do, too, with most of them measurable in tons or barrels or other familiar metrics. It's harder, however, to gauge the exchange of culture."How do you describe the structure of quicksand? Culture is always moving and not easily described or captured in one glimpse."

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, canada

John Kerry: From good soldier to secretary of state

Mr Kerry will have big shoes to fill. Mrs Clinton's tireless public diplomacy has helped repair the damage to America's standing on the global stage and world leaders have been begging her to stay in the job. At the state department, Clinton laid the foundations for a "smart power" approach to the exercise of American leadership. Although Mr Kerry's view of American power is similar, his style will be very different. It's unclear whether he will be keen on public diplomacy.

Tags: united states, public diplomacy, us department of state, smart power

Pages

Stay in the Know

Public Diplomacy is a dynamic field, and CPD is committed to keeping you connected and informed about the critical developments that are shaping PD around the world. 

Depending on your specific interests, you can subscribe to one or more of CPD's newsletters >.

Visit CPD's Online Library

Explore CPD's vast online database featuring the latest books, articles, speeches and information on international organizations dedicated to public diplomacy.