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.
India to open 16 new culture centres to project soft power
Riding on the soaring popularity of yoga and Bollywood, India is poised to nearly double its network of cultural centres across the globe in places as diverse as the US, Africa and Latin America. The opening of new cultural centres is an important initiative in cultural diplomacy to achieve range and depth of cultural coverage, said Karan Singh, president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), here Friday.
A cautionary note on partnership in Public Diplomacy
The current vogue for conducting Public Diplomacy through ‘partnerships’ and the movement in theory on collaborative / collective action can create some difficult challenges in practice. For those who conduct Public Diplomacy in partnership with BAE Systems, the announcement that BAE Systems faces prosecution over bribery allegations, while as yet unproven, creates awkward questions.
Defusing Iran
Preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is a bit like achieving peace between the Israelis and Palestinians -- the steps we need to take are fairly obvious, but actually getting them done is all but impossible. There's no simple solution to dealing with Tehran's nuclear plans. But diplomacy is the best bet.
Rotary exchange
The Rotary Club of Cornwall welcomed members of the GSE Team 3131, India, at their luncheon meeting, on Monday, Sept. 21, at the Ramada Inn and Conference Centre. The group, who are on a vocational and cultural exchange for the next month, will be travelling throughout eastern Ontario, western Quebec and northern New York. “The people here are very friendly and hospitable,” says Team Leader Usha Poonawalla.
Cold War Calling
While government-sponsored broadcasting was just one of the many successful public diplomacy tools utilized by the United States, former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, James Glassman emphasized that the United States still has much to learn in the way that it conducts its public diplomacy initiatives.
Palestinians Halt Push on War Report
In a startling shift, the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Council dropped its efforts to forward a report accusing Israel of possible war crimes to the Security Council, under pressure from the United States, diplomats said Thursday. The Americans argued that pushing the report now would derail the Middle East peace process that they are trying to revive, diplomats said.
Obama’s opportunity in Iran
The Obama administration faces a daunting set of barriers to diplomatic progress. Iran will be a formidable foe at the negotiations, the first serious talks between Washington and Tehran in 30 years. The negotiations will probably fail, as it will be extraordinarily difficult to convince the Ahmadinejad government to suspend uranium enrichment and give up its goal of a nuclear weapons capacity.
What will China’s rising influence mean for the Middle East region?
A hint of what may be in store for this region came this week in the form of an essay penned by China’s former special envoy to the Middle East, Sun Bigan. Writing in the Asia and Africa Review, Sun argued that there is a risk of deeping rifts between China and the United States over influence and oil in the region, saying: “Bilateral quarrels and clashes are unavoidable. We cannot lower vigilance against hostility in the Middle East over energy interests and security.”
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