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.

When an Embassy Becomes an Art Gallery

Dignitaries visiting the new US embassy in Nine Elms, south London, which is due for completion in late 2016, will encounter a commanding, site-specific work that is America incarnate. Los Angeles-based artist Mark Bradford’s work, “The Constitution”, will span 32 canvases and cover the embassy atrium. This gargantuan, patriotic piece will incorporate the entire text of the US Constitution .

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, us embassy, nine elms, london, united kingdom, mark bradford, arts, united states, art in embassies

U.S. News Unveils 2016 Best Countries Rankings

What makes a country the best? Is it leadership? Military might? Economic strength? A rich and deep vein of culture and history? Freedom, a stable government and transparency when it comes to business and the political process? In a word, yes. All of the above contribute to how people perceive what makes one country better than another – and ultimately which one ranks as the best overall.

Tags: us news, public opinion, smart & soft power, leadership, culture, economy, power, tourism, innovation, democracy, germany, united states, canada, united kingdom

Xi Jinping’s Global Cyber Vision

As the dust settles after the 2nd annual World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, media commentary outside of China has largely focused on President Xi Jinping’s opening statements about “cybersovereignty,” with scholars focusing on the suppressive censorship tactics that this policy is oft seen to represent in China’s domestic cyberspace.

Tags: china, beijing, xi jinping, digital diplomacy & new tech, government pd, censorship, media, social media, cybersovereignty, wuzhen, innovation, world internet conference

The Oscar Trail of Success Can Be a Huge Boost to 'Brand Ireland' Abroad

This has been a fantastic week for Irish cinema. The achievements of directors, scriptwriters, actors and producers in nabbing seven Oscar nominations is the equivalent of the Irish football team getting to the World Cup final.

Tags: ireland, oscar, smart & soft power, nation branding, Cultural Diplomacy, entertainment industry, film, culture, economic development, brand ireland

New York Times Mocked Over "Canada is Hip" Article

In what can only be described as a back-handed compliment, the NYT declared in a recent style article that its neighbour to the north was no longer a "frozen cultural wasteland populated with hopelessly unstylish citizens". The reason for Canada's sudden cultural cachet? The Times mentions film and music idols, fashion designers and YouTubers, but the star of the show seems to be new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Tags: nation branding, canada, new york times, PD fail, Cultural Diplomacy

Facebook Launches New Initiative Against Online Extremism And Hate Speech

On Monday evening, Facebook FB +1.05% COO Sheryl Sandberg announced in Berlin the launch of a new campaign against extremist speech on the Internet, called Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI). The initiative is supported by the German Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection [...]

Tags: non-state pd, digital diplomacy, international advocacy, Cultural Diplomacy, facebook, germany, hate speech

Why National Security Officials and Tech Giants Must Team Up to Combat ISIS Online

On January 8, heavies from the White House and U.S. intelligence and security sectors arrived in San Jose, California [...] to examine a pressing, worldwide problem: “How can we make it harder for terrorists to leveraging [sic] the internet to recruit, radicalize, and mobilize followers to violence?”

Tags: non-state pd, digital diplomacy, Cultural Diplomacy, counter terrorism, isis, nation security

International Tourism Grew by 50 million Travelers Last Year

Although 2015 had its fair share of international tragedy, tourism worldwide continued on an upward trend. International tourism arrivals — or the number of people visiting countries other than their own — grew 4.4% to 1.18 billion last year, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Tags: international exchange, international tourism, international advocacy, nation branding

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