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.
Macron Announces Green Diplomacy Efforts
Increasing development aid, rebooting European climate policy, partnering with green technologies in emerging economies: the French president has made his diplomatic priorities clear. [...] In front of a distinguished audience, he listed France’s new ambitions “in the current state of affairs”: security, independence, and influence. This motto, he stressed, does not mean to “make France a small and reluctant country, jealously guarding its security”.
The Gentle Art of Diplomacy
Award-winning political thriller Oslo opens in London next week, charting the machinations of Norwegian diplomats striving for Middle East peace. [...] Oslo – for which Rogers is now writing a screenplay, as it is to become a feature film – tells the almost-forgotten story of the early 1990s back channel discussions between Israelis and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which took place inside a castle tucked away in a forest, located outside the Norwegian capital.
Without Public Diplomacy, U.S.-North Korean Policy Will Fail
The tragic condition of U.S. foreign policy ever since the Reagan administration is that public diplomacy has consistently occupied a tertiary status in the scale of national priorities. [...] It is OK to send messages like the Tillerson-Mattis one only if we reassure the North Korean people that we haven’t abandoned them. The Tillerson-Mattis message can thus serve a psychological disarmament purpose, at least to a limited degree. But we must have a parallel track of diplomacy — with the North Korean people. We must give them hope.
George Balanchine: The Public Diplomat Beyond the Ballet Master
Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union shaped the historical reality of the modern world. Given the current tensions between the United States and Russia, it is worth keeping in mind the past successes of U.S. cultural diplomacy. During the Cold War, one such success involved choreographer George Balanchine.
US High Schools Named After Confederate Generals Consider Rebranding
With a new school year dawning, education officials are grappling with whether to remove the names, images and statues of Confederate figures from public schools — especially since some are now filled with students of color. [...] “Racism, bigotry, and a blatant lack of patriotism,” she wrote in her petition. “These are not values of South Carolinians and should not continue to be enshrined in a place of learning.”
Does World Heritage Status Do Cities More Harm Than Good?
Chew Jetty in Malaylsia’s George Town attracts tourists by the boatload. Historic homes are now commercial stalls branded with neon signs; one-time fishermen peddle T-shirts, magnets and postcards. The daily intrusion has clearly taken a toll: windows are boarded, “no photo” signs are pervasive, and tenants quickly vanish at the sight of a foreign face.
U.S. Drone Company Eyes Tanzania for Medical Deliveries
U.S. robotics company Zipline, which launched the world's first commercial drone delivery service, in Rwanda, says it is close to expanding to Tanzania. It has been delivering emergency blood supplies within Rwanda since 2016.
Regional NGO Helps Arab Artists Gain Wider Exposure
Mobility of Arab artists within Jordan and internationally is a major challenge due to lack of financial resources, visa issues and lack of exposure to potential partner organizations, according to regional NGO Culture Resource. Founded in 2004, Culture Resource seeks to tackle the mobility issue by supporting artistic creativity in the region through various initiatives. One of their main projects, provides artists financial support to increase the visibility and representation of culture and the arts from the Arab region in other parts of the world.
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