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 US And India Are In A Relationship And It’s Complicated
From a public diplomacy point of view, a shift in power from Europe to Asia is evident and often spoken about. President Obama will require good relations with India to balance the China's power. This week is Obama's opportunity to win over the trust of Indians, and if it goes well, India could be poised to follow in Britain's footsteps as being in a special, if complicated, relationship with the U.S.
Getting To Know (Or Understand) Each Other: US-Lebanese Dialogue for Democratic Reform
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a conference in Beirut sponsored by the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED). Our goal was to draft policy recommendations for U.S. policymakers on how to improve U.S. policy towards the region and encourage democratic reform.
Bridging a gap for India and Pakistan
Visits from three senior U.S. officials in three weeks indicate troubles in the U.S.-Pakistan relationship. Washington has failed to deliver on the regional strategy it promised this spring, and friction with Pakistan seems to be contributing to the long delay in announcement of a new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. Pakistan is critical to any Afghan strategy the Obama administration undertakes.
Accounting for human rights
News that the United Kingdom chose to abstain on a crucial UN vote on the Goldstone report is deeply disappointing. Concluding that both Israeli and Palestinian forces committed war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity, during the conflict in Gaza and southern Israel earlier this year, the Goldstone report reflects the messy situation on the ground in an ongoing struggle which polarises international opinion like no other.
The impact of Obama’s Asia tour
Barrack Obama's first Asian trip as president included Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea but not Indonesia where he spent four years of his life...But he will need to marshal all his skills in cultural diplomacy to rebuild the U.S. position in a region that Washington has neglected in recent years as China has grown in influence.
Foreign ministry funds 7 NGOs’ international projects
Taiwan's foreign ministry is giving ten million Taiwan dollars (about US$300 thousand) to seven local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The money will fund cooperative efforts with NGOs in other countries. It's part of the government's plan to use what it is calling "soft power" to improve Taiwan's image in the international community.
Obama’s Dithering May Have Lost the War
In war, perceptions matter; but in counterinsurgency warfare, perceptions are of overriding importance. That’s because the objective is to win over the populace, which is the center of gravity in this type of fight. The objective is to isolate the enemy from the populace so that an administrative state can develop and a civil society can flourish.
Brown backs Zimbabwe’s return to the Commonwealth fold
Britain is behind plans to bring Zimbabwe back into the Commonwealth in two years. Gordon Brown will urge a summit in Trinidad this weekend to hold out the prospect of readmission to encourage the unity government in Harare to carry out a wide range of political and human rights reforms.
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