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.

Guitars, Google, and guns: a new view of Western power

What the West needs most is a fresh look at the full range of its capabilities and interests. Only then can its power fulfill its purpose. Seen as a wonder tool, smart power has been embraced as a fresh and benign aspect of power; a definably formulaic mix of soft (cultural) power and hard (military) power.

Tags: united states, soft power, public opinion, hard power, smart power

U.S. Expands Internet Access to Seven Universities in Afghanistan

U.S. Embassy Kabul has awarded USD 3.1 million to support NATO's "SILK-Afghanistan" program, which provides high-speed Internet access to more than 9,000 students and teachers at Afghan universities in seven provinces (Baghlan, Faryab, Ghazni, Helmand, Kunduz, Paktia and Parvan).

Tags: united states, afghanistan, technology, internet diplomacy

Space ministers press for co-operation to make exploration a reality

Indeed, said [ESA Council chairman Giuseppe] Pizza, there is no question of achieving ambitious scientific objectives or opening a significant new chapter in space exploration without a global strategy, including the active participation of every European player.

Tags: public opinion, science diplomacy, europe, technology, space

Cape Town opera snubs Tutu plea to cancel Israel tour

South Africa's Cape Town Opera has turned down an appeal from Nobel peace prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu to call off a tour of Israel. He said it would be as inappropriate as it had been for international firms to visit South Africa during apartheid.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, faith diplomacy, israel, south africa, opera, desmond tutu

Tommy Hilfiger’s Bollywood Roots

Tommy Hilfiger has become one of the best selling international brands in India thanks to a little unexpected help from actor Shah Rukh Khan, says Mohan Murjani, who built the brand in the U.S. and brought it to India six years ago.

Tags: united states, india, non-state actors, non-state pd, corporate diplomacy, film diplomacy, bollywood

‘S. Korea’s image undermined by confusion with North’

“The frequent confusion between South and North Korea and global coverage on the North often undermine efforts to enhance our brand awareness,” Lee Bae-yong, chair of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding (PCNB), told an international forum in Seoul.

Tags: nation branding, public opinion, south korea, north korea

Turkish folk dances, music, movies to mark national day

A colourful performance of Turkish folk dances and music will be held in [New Delhi] Nov 1 and 2 to mark the national day of Turkey. The dances, by the Hacettepe University Folk Dances Group, are being presented by the embassy of Turkey in cooperation with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, india, turkey, film diplomacy, dance

Korea’s Hallyu Boom?

Hallyu, or the Korean Wave phenomenon, has helped put South Korea on the map as a modern Asian nation with much to offer culturally. But has it brought economic gains to the nation?

Tags: soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, south korea, hallyu

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