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.

International Protocol and Diplomacy School To Open Center in Muscat

The International School of Protocol & Diplomacy (ISPD), which has its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium will be opening its center in Muscat by January. ISPD is Europe’s leading academic institution offering programs in protocol, diplomacy and cross-cultural communication skills, and this center will be its first in the Middle East.[...] “With powerful nation-branding efforts, Oman and the entire Middle East could project their real business and growth potential to the rest of the world."

Tags: oman, middle east, brussels, belgium, muscat, diplomacy, cross-cultural communication, nation branding

Taylor Swift Might Be America's Best Public Diplomat

Members of the Twitterati might be useful in spreading a new kind of American diplomacy abroad. "We need to use soft power in hard places," says one of America's top diplomats, and social media is just the way to apply it. [...] He's (Undersecretary Stengel) looking to the country's artists, musicians, athletes and citizens abroad to be the engines of discourse, amplified and distributed through the power of the Internet, mobile phones and social networks.

 

Tags: taylor swift, public diplomacy, united states, twitter diplomacy, richard stengel

‘An Illustrated History of Kazakhstan’ Presented in U.S.

“An Illustrated History of Kazakhstan,” which uses colourful materials to acquaint the reader with the historic heritage of the country and its people, was presented by the author. He noted the history of the Great Steppe country from ancient times to the present has many epoch-making events and interesting facts and attracts the attention of all who love to study the past.

Tags: kazakhstan, united states, Cultural Diplomacy, literary diplomacy, Jeremy Tredinnick, Kazakh Khanate

Janadriyah Festival to Have Germany as Guest of Honor

Germany will be the guest of honor at the 30th Janadriyah festival starting Feb. 3, at the Al-Janadriyah heritage village located on the outskirts of Riyadh. “It is a great honor for Germany to have been chosen as the guest country for the upcoming 30th edition of the festival. It is a major recognition of the excellent state of our bilateral relations to have been chosen as special Guest for the most outstanding cultural heritage festival in Saudi Arabia,” said a senior diplomat.

Tags: saudi arabia, germany, Cultural Diplomacy, state pd, cultural heritage, janadriyah festival

Nobel Prize Winning Economist Says Foreign Aid Does More Harm Than Good

Angus Deaton, who was yesterday awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics, is a strong critic of foreign aid, arguing that it does more harm than good, damaging the opportunities for poor people to grow richer.  Deaton, who was awarded the prize yesterday for “his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare”, argues that aid actually stifles development in poorer countries and can help prop up brutal dictatorships. 

Tags: global development, development aid, angus deaton, nobel prize winner, economics, foreign aid, international aid

Scorecard Rwanda: How Soccer is helping Rwandan Women

[Sport] is a powerful tool for progress and for development," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2011. In post-genocide Rwanda, Felicite Rwemalika's work is an embodiment of this idea. She has forged opportunities which have brought increased wealth and skills to women and their families - all by getting women to play football.

Tags: non-state pd, Cultural Diplomacy, sports diplomacy, soccer, football, rwanda, women's empowerment, africa

Greece to Reach Out to Diaspora

In an effort to better Greece's international image, the country's Department of Foreign Affairs has stated it will strengthen ties with the Greek diaspora to fend off the stigma of 'Grexit' to a more appropriate 'Greform' (Greek reform), following the effects of its economic crisis.

Tags: government pd, international exchange, diaspora, europe, EU, international image, diaspora diplomacy, economic crisis, greek diaspora, greece

The Original Social Network: How Global Diasporas Can Mean Big Business

When Kenyan-American Jacob Maaga moved to the United States, he realized he arrived with a unique and valuable gift: the knowledge of his homeland that could one day make him a successful entrepreneur. [...] He founded Pan Africa Exchange (PANEX), which helps East African farmers and U.S. buyers exchange the information they need to negotiate an agreeable price for coffee beans and other commodities.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, international business, non-state pd, diaspora, coffee, kenya, africa

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