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.
Africa offers platform for media businesses
It is a continent of diverse languages, cultures, religions and resources. Now, Africa is emerging as a big opportunity for communication business with nation branding. It is the last great market globally, providing untapped business opportunities for industries such as IT, finance, telecoms and infrastructure.
Kenya: Country’s Poor Show in Global Image Ranking
Kenya's image globally is yet to recover from the effects of the recent post-election violence, grand corruption and threats of terrorism, a new survey shows. The study released in London last week ranked Kenya at position 176 out of 200 countries surveyed based on stories published in the international press. Apparently, most of the stories about the country were negative, mainly as a result of the post-election violence and corruption.
Russia Contributes US$1 Million to Fund Cooperation Activities with ASEAN
Russia has contributed another US$ 500,000.00 to the ASEAN-Russian Federation Dialogue Partnership Financial Fund (DPFF), bringing the total amount of funds it has contributed to the DPFF to US$1 million. The DPFF was set up by the Government of the Russian Federation to facilitate cooperation between ASEAN and the Russian Federation in the areas of science and technology, trade, culture, education, energy and others. Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, welcomed Russia's interest to further enhance relations with ASEAN.
America’s Hollywood image
The BBC's arts correspondent Lawrence Pollard examines how America's image around the globe is shaped by Hollywood films.
NBA teaches African girls the right moves on – and off – the court.
In South Africa – where conservative social practices such as polygamy exist side by side with laws of gender empowerment – such words of encouragement from a successful woman athlete can be a powerful thing. Ms. Azzi's tour of the African continent, sponsored by the National Basketball Association's (NBA) "Basketball Without Borders" program, is a first-ever effort to reach out to young women athletes in Africa, giving them hope, ball-handling skills, and crucial advice on how to make it in a man's world.
Drugs and diplomacy make a sinister mix
The faces of our embassy and people who work there are the representatives of our state all over the world," Gjergji laments. "The Rome incident is the second one in which persons with diplomatic immunity have been arrested by the Italian authorities, and it is not hard to imagine that our embassy in Italy -- the face of our state in one of the countries with which we have a very good relationship -- is now being watched by Italian justice." "This negative story will damage the image of Albania in the world, the image of the Albanian state and all ordinary Albanians," agrees Klaudio.
17 Countries to Gather in Turkey’s Med Cities Symposium
Representatives from 17 countries would convene in the First International Mediterranean Trade & Port Cities Symposium in the Aegean city of Izmir between September 25th and 26th, Ekrem Demirtas, the chairman of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce, told a press conference. Demirtas said the meeting would bring together tradesmen and academicians to boost trade, cultural relations and tourism among Mediterranean-littoral cities.
Benjamin Didszuweit – a young leader building cultural bridges between Germany and Turkey
For cultural diplomacy skeptics, and those with deeply ingrained prejudices, an exchange program of this kind might seem purposeless, and it’s goals unattainable. Didszuweit’s response to this is that there is something that should be worked on regardless, and without the “usual prejudices, the prejudice of ‘überfremdung’” – a German term for ‘foreign infiltration’ – which often leads people to develop a fear of the unknown. This fear is what creates the breeding ground for prejudice.
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.