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.
Behind Obama and Clinton
Salem News
Progressive Democrats do have reason to be disappointed with Obama's foreign policy agenda. At the same time, as The Nation magazine noted, members of Obama's foreign policy team are "more likely to stress 'soft power' issues like human rights, global development and the dangers of failed states." As a result, "Obama may be more open to challenging old Washington assumptions and crafting new approaches."
Bush Plans Africa Trip to Tout HIV/AIDS Program
The Africa trip is meant to highlight the administration's work on AIDS and Malaria. Bush's former speech writer Michael Gerson says the Bush years should be known for its soft power approach in Africa.
Charm of People’s Diplomacy
At the annual conference of the Chinese-Japanese Friendship Committee, geared for the 21st century, the attendees reiterated the "three basics" for healthy China- Japan relations, underscoring the principle that the people of both nations are the true foundation for bilateral ties.
Revamped Sri Lanka Tourist Board eyes tourism growth
e-Travel Blackboard
According to a report by Sri Lanka's Sunday Observer, the newly restructured Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) is set to roll out a number of initiatives in order to boost inbound visitor numbers.
Spielberg in Darfur snub to China
BBC News
US film director Steven Spielberg has withdrawn as an artistic adviser for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing….BBC's James Reynolds in Beijing says the decision will anger and worry the authorities there. Since Beijing won the right to host the Games it has always tried to keep China's politics and China's Olympics separate, he says, and it has attacked anyone who has tried to link the two.
Europe not to be underestimated
Taipei Times
European countries' success in overcoming centuries of animosity and the development of a large internal market have given them a great deal of soft power. At the Cold War's end, East European countries did not try to form local alliances, as they did in the 1920's, but looked toward Brussels to secure their future. Similarly, countries like Turkey and Ukraine have adjusted their policies in response to their attraction to Europe.
American Policies and the Middle East
Middle East Online
Both in Iraq and elsewhere, A1 Qaeda has murdered huge numbers of Muslims-many, many more than it has killed Christians or Jews. Yet our public diplomacy, such as it is, has concentrated on explaining away or defending Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and "extraordinary rendition" rather than on seeking common ground with the world's Muslims, the vast majority of whom share our horror at Al Qaeda's amoral tactics and reject its deviant vision of Islam.
Visa Policy and Transportation Security: Ensuring the Right Balance
The Heritage Foundation
Visa policy is a strategic public policy that America must get right. It is a critical tool for promoting American public diplomacy, economic growth, and international alliance-building.
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