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.
Why the KGB Wants You to Join Facebook
Evgeny Morozov, a noted specialist on the use of new communications technologies to promote democratic values, has a new book titled "The Net Delusion: The Dark Side Of Internet Freedom." In it, he argues that hype about "Twitter revolutions" and the enormous potential of the Internet to promote open societies and roll back authoritarianism is naive and overblown.
Soap & Water Diplomacy
The wife of Israel's ambassador to Kenya has pioneered health promotion In Nairobi's slum schools.
‘China-friendly’ Chicago fetes Hu
Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago Thursday, under the auspices of furthering cultural exchanges between the two countries. Hu is scheduled to visit a local Confucius institute today before attending a ceremony of business-contract signings.
China-U.S. humanistic exchanges bear global significance
Chinese President Hu Jintao had a busy schedule from Tuesday to Thursday, meeting with U.S. leaders on major bilateral and world issues in Washington. His diplomacy in the United States, however, turned somewhat light-hearted as he walked into a Chicago high school on Friday morning.
From Starbucks to TGI Friday’s, India has its way with American food
A group of hungry college students crowded around the newest food stall in an upscale market here: the American Hotdog Factory. Its sign proudly announced, "real American hotdogs for the first time in India."
‘Captain America’ title will be changed to ‘The First Avenger’ in Russia…
How do you sell a movie called “Captain America” to an overseas market? In South Korea, Russia and the Ukraine, apparently, the answer is you don’t even try... Those involved in the decision are being careful to frame the move as a matter of brand management and consumer awareness and not as a decision tilted by cultural or political winds.
Shark-Fin Public Diplomacy
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s recent documentary about trade in shark-fins focused on Costa Rica and the pariah state of Taiwan.... While this undoubtedly made for compelling television viewing on the UK’s Channel 4 TV station on Sunday January 16 (soon to be aired in the USA), for analysts of public diplomacy and soft power, the incident demonstrates a number of underlying truths.
State Councilor urges more efforts to popularize Chinese language
Addressing a symposium to mark the 10th anniversary of the Law on Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, Liu said popularizing the standard Chinese language is vital for "carrying out the Chinese culture, enhancing the country's soft power, national unification and unity among all ethnic groups."
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