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.
Atlantic Eye: Uniting Europe’s democracies
Twenty individuals representing fifteen countries, many of whom have, and have had, the ears of presidents and prime-ministers -- MILSEC types, three ambassadors, journalists and specialists -- sat for 24 hours at Radio-Free Europe pondering how to unite diverging modus vivendi. This was a group of trans-Atlanticists. All have strong ties to, and interest in, the relationship with the United States and to each other. All have served in distinguished capacities.
Taiwan gearing up to attract more foreign students: president
President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that his administration will work harder to attract more students from overseas to study at Taiwan's colleges and universities as part of its efforts to boost the country's "soft power diplomacy." Ma made the pledge while meeting with several of his national policy advisers.
Bokova will need goodwill at Unesco
Irina Bokova, a Bulgarian diplomat with fresh ideas and toughness beneath an easy smile, took over as director general Oct. 15 after five rounds of voting in September. She eclipsed Egyptian culture minister Farouk Hosni, an abstract painter with plenty of Arab detractors whose promise last year to burn Israeli books didn’t help a lot. Unesco will add new focus on climate science and water crises while rigorously defending freedom of expression, [said] Bokova.
A new role for Turkey
When Turkish officials land in bitterly divided countries like Lebanon or Afghanistan or Pakistan, every faction is eager to talk to them. No country’s diplomats are as welcome in both Tehran and Jerusalem, Moscow and Tblisi, Damascus and Cairo. As a Muslim country intimately familiar with the region around it, Turkey can go places, engage partners, and make deals that the United States cannot. This new Turkish role holds tantalizing potential. Before Turkey can play it fully, though, it must put its own house in order.
Turkey-Armenia ‘football diplomacy’ scores one for peace
The Turkish national football team gave a farewell present to coach Fatih Terim when it comfortably beat Armenia 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying group game on Wednesday. The two teams met in Bursa for a football game that was rich in political texture but low in sporting importance. Both teams had lost hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but the match was still interesting because it came as the two countries take steps toward normalization.
Setbacks take shine off EU enlargement
The European Union's “soft power of attraction provides hope and drives reform” in south-east Europe, Olli Rehn, the European commissioner for enlargement, said in presenting his annual report on the progress achieved by the EU's would-be members. It is an ambitious claim at the end of a year that has seen serious setbacks in the EU's principal policy towards its unstable backyard in the Balkans – enlargement.
India in Afghanistan: The ‘Soft Power’ Question
Indeed, ordinary Afghans appear to have welcomed Indian involvement in development projects in their country. India is building roads, proving medical facilities and helping with educational programs in an effort to develop and enhance long-term local Afghan capabilities. Toward this end, it has been India’s deliberate policy to refrain from giving its support a military dimension and to stick to civilian matters.
The ‘Israel’ Brand
The offensive on Gaza will continue to affect Israel’s brand. As the American political scientist and coauthor of The Israel Lobby Stephen Walt wrote after Gaza: “The way a country regains the world’s admiration in the aftermath of misconduct is to stop doing it, admit it was wrong, express regret and make it clear that it won’t happen again. Restoring Israel’s image in the West isn’t a matter of spin or PR or ‘re-branding’; it’s a matter of abandoning the policies that have cost it the sympathy it once enjoyed. It’s really just about that simple.”
Pages
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.