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.
Jazz News: 17-Yr Old Zuhal Sultan Forms National Youth Orchestra of Iraq
17-year-old Iraqi piano prodigy Zuhal Sultan has confirmed plans for the first-ever NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF IRAQ. Her ambitious program will debut in August 2009 in the northern Kurdish region, and will feature performances by a 35-piece orchestra comprised of Iraq’s most promising young classical musicians.
Sympathy as Policy
The U.S. might actually have more leverage with the current regime if the educated middle class in urban centers, and particularly, younger Iranians, see the U.S as being on their side. Clearly, the government of Iran realizes it does not have the power and authority to govern without this group being somewhat pacified
Jazz Quartet has begun its tour of Uzbekistan
The Brian Horton Quartet started its tour of Uzbekistan with a concert at the Turkiston Palace in Tashkent. The Quartet’s visit of Uzbekistan is a part the Rhythm Road Music Abroad Program, which is organized by Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York and the U.S. State Department. Within the Program the band visited Kazakhstan, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Does Obama still want to engage Iran?
The Obama administration is so far responding cautiously to the elections, heaping praise on Iranians who went to the polls in record numbers but maintaining that US concerns about Iran are unchanged by the election results. "What's important is the concerns that we have about their nuclear weapons, and the concerns we have about their support for terror isn't any different than it was on Friday," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday.
New Public Affairs Chief Sets Out to Transform Communications Processes
Gone will be the days, Price Floyd said, when the department released information and conveyed messages hoping they'd reach receptive ears and eyes and convince skeptical audiences at home and abroad. The new goal will be better-targeted communications that reach groups not necessarily linked into traditional media outlets, and mechanisms that not only accept, but also solicit, feedback.
Social Networks Spread Defiance Online
As the embattled government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears to be trying to limit Internet access and communications in Iran, new kinds of social media are challenging those traditional levers of state media control and allowing Iranians to find novel ways around the restrictions.
Pay to Play
As the slots get filled for new U.S. ambassadors, I have to modify my earlier praise: too many sensitive overseas posts are being given to Obama fundraisers. For every Carlos Pascual (veteran envoy now assigned to Mexico), there now appear to be several David Jacobsons (Illinois lawyer and Obama-Biden fundraiser set to go to Canada).
President Obama’s Middle East Expedition
Few stories have caught the scope of attention and imagination of both global public and press as President Barack Obama's recent foray into the complicated landscape that is the Middle East. Coverage and commentary was ubiquitous in all corners of the globe in the run-up to the president's visit to Riyadh and Cairo and his speech at Cairo University.
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