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.
Obama Hosting ASEAN Summit to Talk Unity and China
President Barack Obama will host a summit with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in California on Feb. 15 and 16, the White House said on Wednesday. [...] “This unprecedented gathering – the first hosted by the United States with the ASEAN leaders – builds on the deeper partnership that the United States has forged with ASEAN since 2009 and will further advance the Administration’s rebalance to Asia and the Pacific,”
The Geopolitics of Christmas
The contemporary, increasingly international version of Christmas is less a religious festival than a celebration of affluence, modernity, and above all Westernness. [...] Without anyone willing it, Christmas has become part of a package of Western soft power.
Middle East Still Rocking From World War I Pacts Made 100 Years Ago
In an idle moment between cocktail parties in the Arab capital where they served, a British and French diplomat were chatting recently about their respective countries’ legacies in the Middle East: why not commemorate them with a new rock band? And they could call it Sykes-Picot and the Balfour Declaration. [...] It and the other wartime agreements are likely to feature in statements and public diplomacy designed to generate a “more nuanced understanding” of the UK’s controversial historical role.
The Danger of Empty American Embassies
As the last year has demonstrated, America’s struggle to defend its national interests cannot be won by military force alone. Even as the campaigns against the Islamic State group and the Taliban have faltered, American diplomats have made remarkable progress across a number of fronts, from climate change to checking Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Obama’s 2016 World Tour
President Barack Obama will be making good use out of Air Force One while he still can. [...] The travel will be aimed at cementing a foreign policy legacy he hopes will include the Trans Pacific Partnership, increased attention to Asia, an opening of Latin America, progress on ISIL and significant global movement on climate change.
Pint-Size Diplomacy at Play in U.N. Ambassador’s Penthouse
A family of Syrian refugees had been invited to dinner in a penthouse atop the Waldorf Towers, the official residence of the United States ambassador to the United Nations. [...] Morad and Ola Al Teibawi, and their five children — ages 3 to 17 — came to the Waldorf from their tiny apartment in Paterson, N.J., on Monday evening, guests of Samantha Power, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, and her husband, the writer and law professor Cass Sunstein.
Pangilinan: Our Gift To The World
Following the miraculous success of this year’s Giant Lantern Festival in the City of San Fernando, more good news arrived as the City Government received letters of thanks and positive publicity from the various consulates and embassies of the Philippines abroad where the San Fernando lantern has been making rounds as an iconic symbol of Filipino Christmas.
A New Era of Engagement -- U.S. Educational Exchange Opportunities in Cuba
December 17 marked one year since President Obama announced historic steps to begin the process of normalizing relations with Cuba. One of the most exciting opportunities opened by the Administration’s policy is strengthening our ties with the Cuban people, including through educational exchanges.
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