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.

Time for Indonesia to Share Its Rich Heritage with the World

Despite sharing many cultural affinities, Indonesia and Malaysia have had a checkered relationship over the past 50 years […] but underneath the tensions, there are lessons Jakarta can learn, and these may help explain why Indonesia’s soft power is not yet at the level it ought to be. 

Tags: government pd, Cultural Diplomacy, indonesia, southeast asia, malaysia, nation branding

Artist Nelson Makamo’s Dynamic Portraits of Johannesburg Children

With a dizzying flurry of oil paints, watercolors, silkscreen & monotype printing techniques, charcoal, and ink, artist Nelson Makamo captures the daily life of South African children as reflected in their charismatic faces. […]Makamo has exhibited in numerous group and solo shows in South Africa, France, Italy, the U.S., The Netherlands and Scotland over the last few years.

Tags: non-state pd, Cultural Diplomacy, art, nelson makamo, south africa

Banksy to Donate ‘Dismaland’ Materials to French Refugee Camp

The world famous street artist Banksy announced Monday that the materials used to construct his dystopian “Dismaland” theme park will be donated to a refugee camp in Calais, France. The park’s timber and fixtures will be repurposed for shelters, the artist wrote on Dismaland’s official website.

Tags: non-state pd, Cultural Diplomacy, banksy, refugees, syria, france

HAJJ 360: Experience the Journey of a Pilgrim Visiting Islam's Holiest Site

Walk with Al Jazeera’s Basma Atassi in Mecca, as she takes you on a tour to see the major landmarks that millions of Muslims visit during the period of Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage.

Tags: international broadcasting, nation branding, faith diplomacy, Hajj, middle east

Ethiopia: Dashen Beer Signs MOU with Arsenal

Dashen Beer S.C. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the English premier league football club Arsenal on September 25, 2015 at Intercontinental Hotel in Addis Abeba.

Tags: non-state pd, nation branding, sports diplomacy, africa, arsenal, ethiopia

U.S. Turns to "Zero Dark Thirty" Writer for Anti-ISIS Propaganda

The State Department says it’s losing the information war to ISIS—and is tapping HBO, Snapchat, and a screenwriter with deep CIA connections to help turn things around.

Tags: government pd, nation branding, smart power, isis, US, north america, soft power, propaganda, Cultural Diplomacy

Lost to History: Covering Conflict in the Age of Eternal Protest

Photojournalism provides a visual history that both enriches and complicates our understanding of the world. In its wall-to- wall display of photos, the Gallatin School of Individualized Study launched Human Rights Week with “Lost to History: Covering Conflict in the Age of the Eternal Present” and aimed to illuminate stories that would otherwise go unseen or unheard. 

Tags: human rights, photojournalism, human rights watch, war, conflict

US Soft Power

Public diplomacy (PD to its friends) is one of the less celebrated but more intriguing investments in U.S. foreign policy.  For decades, it has earned lasting allies for our country and helped multitudes understand and embrace our core values, including human rights, freedom of information, strong civil society and education for all.

Tags: united states, soft power, public diplomacy, us public diplomacy, public diplomacy evaluation

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