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.

Nigeria: Three Events Hinder Nigeria's Brand Building Efforts

Three historical events have hindered Nigeria's brand building effort, said Mr. Ben Bruce, Chairman of Silverbird Group.

Tags: nigeria, boko haram, advan, nation branding, propaganda

Israel Travel Program Seeks To Strengthen Jewish Connection

In recent years, the program has been redoubling its efforts to help keep Jewish tradition afloat amid increasing anxiety that young members of the Jewish diaspora are losing their connection to their culture and to Israel. One recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that one-third of Jews under 30 said being Jewish was very important to them. That compares with 54% of Jews 65 and older. Intermarriage, long viewed as a threat to American Judaism, also continues to increase.

Tags: israel, united states, canada, birthright, international exchange, palestine

BBC Claims Ethiopia Jamming Broadcasts

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other international broadcasters have claimed television and radio broadcasts on the Arabsat satellites have been intentionally jammed by the Ethiopian authorities. BBC, Deutsche Welle, France 24 and the US Broadcasting Board of Directors, which oversees the Voice of America, have all been affected, and have condemned the action, which they said was a “flagrant violation” of international procedures on operating satellite equipment.

Tags: international broadcasting, ethiopia, bbc, voa, arabsat

Social Media For Development: Making The Most Of Facebook

The techniques used in commercial social media campaigns don't always translate to the field of international development. Global development is a niche sector, so its communicators don't need tens of thousands of followers to be successful. Even for commercial outfits, a followership of 30,000 is not in itself an indication that the campaign is being effective: what if only 15% of those followers are from the target audience? 

Tags: global development, social media, digital diplomacy, facebook, usaid

China Institute Marks 88th with Gala

The China Institute will hold its annual gala today, celebrating the 88th year since its founding in 1926 and making it the oldest US-China cultural organization in the United States.  The China Institute in Manhattan was established by American and Chinese educators, including John Dewey, Hu Shih, president of Peking University and China's ambassador to the US, and Kuo Pingwen, founder of the National Southeastern University in China.

Tags: china, Cultural Diplomacy, united states, north america, east asia, public diplomacy

The Diplomacy of Hard and Soft Power at Shangri-La

The Shangri-La Dialogue styles itself as the premier forum for defence diplomacy in Asia.  Institutions and individuals whose primary function is the organised use of force are turned to the business of dialogue and communication. In a region so beset with tensions and rivalry as Asia, defence diplomacy is an important and welcome addition to the international scene.

Tags: military diplomacy, hard power, soft power, asia, public diplomacy

Foreign Aid Funding Luxury Hotels in Myanmar

New investments from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private-sector investment arm, may perpetuate economic inequality rather than alleviate poverty in Myanmar, critics here are warning.  The IFC has proposed five new investment projects for Myanmar (also known as Burma). But the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a rights group here, is calling on the multilateral funder to slow down these projects and analyse their potential social effects.

Tags: myanmar, southeast asia, world bank, united states, assistance diplomacy, foreign aid

As Ties With China Unravel, U.S. Companies Head to Mexico

With labor costs rising rapidly in China, American manufacturers of all sizes are looking south to Mexico with what economists describe as an eagerness not seen since the early years of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the 1990s.

Tags: united states, china, mexico, economy, foreign investment, non state pd

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