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.
U.S. Recruits a Justice League of Artist Diplomats
In the past, the United States has sent artworks abroad to leverage its soft power. Most famously sending Abstract Expressionist paintings to Soviet-threatened Europe as a symbol of American freedom during the Cold War. Now, instead of dispatching art, the State Department has announced that it will launch the artists themselves.
Students learn new perspectives, culture at World Expo
More than 190 countries and 50 organizations are represented at the event, which has had at least 52 million visitors thus far. Of those 52 million, there are roughly 160 American college students working at the U.S. pavilion in the Student Ambassadors Program run by the University of Southern California. The event runs through the end of October.
Gallup Opens Abu Dhabi Center
Polling giant Gallup has opened a new social research center in Abu Dhabi headed by a U.S. government appointee. But the center's affiliation with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Court has ramifications for public diplomacy.
Africa viewpoint: Nollywood and religion
n the BBC series of viewpoints from African journalists, Sola Odunfa considers what Nigeria's movie industry reveals about the country's spirituality.
Indian Ocean becomes battleground for India and China
Let's play connect the dots. After the US midterm elections, President Obama will visit India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan. Trace a line between the nations, noting how it loops down through the Indian Ocean and back up through the South China Sea and East China Sea, forming a semicircle around China.
Immigration and the Midterm Elections
As the U.S. population of illegal immigrants swelled over the past decade, Democrats and Republicans have attempted various iterations of immigration reform with little success. After Arizona's governor signed a controversial immigration law in April 2010, immigration reform was thrust back into the national conversation and became a flashpoint for the midterm elections.
The Digital Disruption
The advent and power of connection technologies -- tools that connect people to vast amounts of information and to one another -- will make the twenty-first century all about surprises. Governments will be caught off-guard when large numbers of their citizens, armed with virtually nothing but cell phones, take part in mini-rebellions that challenge their authority.
Likable India
In recent years, Indian corporate largesse has also benefited, among others, Yale, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. But these gifts also illustrate a broader phenomenon: India's growing soft power.
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