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.
Prejudice & the Paralympics
It is not until you are inside the Paralympic Village itself that you see a single Chinese person in a wheelchair or one with any other obvious disabilities; China's 83 million disabled are a largely invisible presence in a country where disabilities are viewed as a source of shame in some families, particularly in urban areas, and where discrimination is widespread.
Paralympic Boon to China’s Disabled
If the Summer Olympics were a coming-out party for China as a whole, the Paralympic Games will be an even greater event for the country's disabled. In preparation for the 11-day international competition that opens Saturday, Beijing is being retrofitted with ramps for wheelchairs and street crossing signals for the blind. The city also has acquired 2,000 "kneeling buses."
Heavy Metal ‘Hasbara’
It's highly improbable that the Foreign Ministry is aware of the latest hasbara (public diplomacy) tool in Israel's arsenal. But the "Counterstrike" video on YouTube featuring vintage footage of IDF fighters juxtaposed over the band's pummeling music and lyrics has generated thousands of user hits - both from heavy metal fans around the world and from young Israeli rock fans who may have found in Sabaton and "Counterstrike" an unlikely, inspirational source of patriotism.
Assistant Secretary of State Goli Ameri To Name Fran Drescher as Public Diplomacy Envoy
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Goli Ameri will announce Fran Drescher as the newest Public Diplomacy Envoy on September 8, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. in the Treaty Room of the U.S. Department of State. Ms. Drescher will join Cal Ripken, Jr. and Michelle Kwan as Public Diplomacy Envoys.
Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: Why Is Russia Losing the Media War?
One of the hotly debated aspects of the Russian military operation in Georgia is how Moscow managed to lose the war in international media while winning the battle on the ground.
Dole Food Company Recognized by U.S. Secretary of State for Corporate Social Responsibility Programs
As an ACE finalist, the U.S. Department of State has recognized Dole's operations in the Philippines as an exemplary corporate citizen..."Public diplomacy and long-term community investment have been at the heart of Dole's core principles for decades," said David DeLorenzo, president and chief executive officer of Dole Food Company.
Israel: Come and have a good time
Countries, like items in the supermarket, sell better with clever advertising. So Israel, long frustrated by its image as a country tarnished by danger and strife, wants to rebrand itself—as hip, cool, cultured, fun and creative.
Bush’s Enduring Legacy in Africa
When President Bush traveled to sub-Sahara Africa in February he was greeted by large and tumultuous crowds of admirers - which mystified many of his critics, who believe that the animosity toward his administration abroad is universal. But polling data from the Pew Foundation shows something different: Approval ratings for the United States exceed 80 percent in many African countries, some with large Muslim populations. In Darfur, many families name their newborn sons George Bush.
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