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.
The Incredible Shrinking Influence of Iran
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has become the new Muammar al-Qaddafi. He dropped into the United Nations from an alternate reality with talk of Iran's "longtime acceptance" of the proposed nuclear fuel deal and how Iran has always "called for love, compassion, and peace for mankind."
A State’s Affairs and Affairs of State: Arizona’s Immigration Law
But the injury Arizona is inflicting with SB 1070 is not merely upon itself. The law also has the potential to diminish American soft power, the international power of persuasion and attraction. As was the case during the Civil Rights era a half-century ago, the policies of individual states or regions can have significant foreign relations effects.
South Africa at Expo 2010 Shanghai
Themed Ke Nako! ("It's Time!"), South Africa's pavilion at the Shanghai Expo has opened its doors to visitors wanting to learn more about what modern-day South Africa has to offer, from the upcoming 2010 Fifa World Cup to tourism, trade and investment opportunities.
Tackling Mideast issues, one scoop at a time
During state visits, President Bashar al-Assad leads his honored guests on an orchestrated tour of the Old Town, complete with a stop at Bakdash. Past customers include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Jordanian King Abdullah II and the foreign ministers from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi
Ripken Baseball hosts teens, coaches from Iraq
They flew 6,139 miles from Iraq to learn how to throw a baseball 60 feet 6 inches. A handful of teenagers and seven Iraqi coaches — including the Iraqi equivalent to the head of USA Baseball — came to Aberdeen, the home of Orioles legend and U.S. state department public diplomacy envoy Cal Ripken Jr., to receive instruction at his baseball academy.
Country branding
“Conceptualising a country as if it were a brand is stupid” - quite right. And the spurious application of “Brand Energy” or “Nation Branding Index” matrices and the like, is insulting to individual countries and their peoples.
Soldier in the War of Ideas
With cracks appearing in the U.S.-Israel relationship, the need to explain Israel’s case clearly and cogently has become more important than ever for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs...[an] independent, non-profit research institute to advocate for Israel and address a range of challenges the country faces.
State Department sends Muslim country singer on tour
The State Department is sending a Muslim Egyptian-American country singer on a Middle Eastern goodwill tour. Oklahoma native Kareem Salama, who has three independently released records, plays pretty good country-pop that owes a generous debt to acts like Rascal Flatts and Lonestar.
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