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.

S. Korea, Japan Improve Military Ties in Face of North Korean Threat

South Korea and Japan have held their first talks on creating unprecedented agreements to share military intelligence and equipment. It is something the United States has encouraged because of recent attacks blamed on North Korea and Pyongyang’s continuing nuclear threat.

Tags: government pd, japan, south korea, military

Taking Flight in Africa: Air Travel, Soft Power, and Development

Airports are great, but on a continent where people fly, as some of my seat-mates on this itinerary have, from Washington to Addis Ababa in order to get to Lagos, what is needed most are flights -- many more flights -- both between the U.S. and Africa (there are currently precious few), and between African countries themselves.

Tags: united states, africa, non-state pd, airports

Do We Have Ahmadinejad All Wrong?

Is it possible that Iran's blustering president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, long thought to be a leading force behind some of Iran's most hard-line and repressive policies, is actually a reformer whose attempts to liberalize, secularize, and even "Persianize" Iran have been repeatedly stymied by the country's more conservative factions?

Tags: government pd, iran, wikileaks

Nation Branding: Shaking Off the Korea Discount

What does France have that South Korea doesn't? The Eiffel Tower, for one thing. It's the type of national icon that public relations and marketing experts in the East Asian country dream of having. But this is a nation more known for angry street demonstrations and the nerve-rattling conflicts with North Korea than any countrywide icon.

Tags: nation branding, public opinion, korea

China has potential as space partner

The one thing that the world learned early on from the ISS experience is that space is a great forum for diplomacy. One time arch-rivals now work side by side on a daily basis.

Tags: china, public opinion, science diplomacy, space, international space station

Faith-based groups pitch in for Haiti

More than $300 million dollars and thousands of volunteers — all powered by religious faith — have poured in to earthquake-shattered Haiti to help rebuild the country and restore its spirit. Although international governmental aid is the mainstay of Haiti relief, faith-based groups offer significant muscle in funds and volunteers.

Tags: faith diplomacy, aid diplomacy, religion, haiti, food aid, haiti earthquake recovery

Clinton: Middle East Peace Helped By Women

Women can be a major power in convincing Mideast leaders to agree to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace deal, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday as she urged regional leaders to embrace the rising expectations of their skyrocketing youth populations.

Tags: middle east, public opinion, non-state actors, israel, non-state pd, hillary clinton, palestine, women, peace

Qatar’s Well-Funded Public Diplomacy

Money is a wonderful thing. Qatar has plenty of it and is putting it to use in its expanded public diplomacy. With wealth rather than weaponry, Qatar is becoming a new kind of superpower. The tiny state’s latest triumph is being named the site of the 2022 World Cup.

Tags: middle east, media, public opinion, al jazeera, qatar, fifa world cup

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.