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.

The Way Forward in Afghanistan

The Afghan people have an opportunity now to build on the progress that's been made, to achieve a more secure, more prosperous, and more peaceful future. President Obama has made it clear that as they do, the United States will stand with them.

Tags: government pd, assistance diplomacy, democracy, united states, afghanistan, middle east

Eco-Tourism Rises As Iran's Currency Woes Clip Travelers' Wings

No-frills eco-tourism appears to be a thriving, if limited, sector amid Iran's generally bleak economic landscape. Zhivar, one of a number of ecologically minded boutique travel agencies that have sprouted up, has seen its clientele quadruple in three years, to more than 2,000 in 2013.

Tags: eco-tourism, iran, rial, international sanctions, nation branding

Under Narendra Modi, There Will Be Closer Integration Of Indian Business And Diplomacy

Indian voters and foreign observers have been understandably fixated on Narendra Modi's potential to repair India's economy and governance. Less attention has been paid to the possibility that he might also prove a transformative leader in India's relations with the world — until now.

Tags: Modi, india, south asia, development, government pd

For Some Foreign Students, U.S. Education Is Losing Its Attraction

Each fall, thousands of students from South Korea arrive on American campuses. They come from a culture that views education as the key to success, where mothers and fathers save to send their children overseas. Recently however, after years of robust enrollment increases, graduate applications from South Korea to American colleges have fallen off; and last year the number of South Korean undergraduates in the United States also dropped. Fewer South Koreans study in the United States now than did five years ago.

Tags: china, south korea, international exchange, united states, education

Nepal's Bogus Orphan Trade Fuelled By Rise In 'Voluntourism'

Like an increasing number of tourists visiting Nepal's mountain peaks, colourful markets and lush national parks, Marina Argeisa wanted to experience the latest must-do activity on the tourist trail: a volunteering stint at an orphanage. What the 26-year-old Spaniard did not know was that her good intentions were unwittingly feeding an industry that dupes poor parents into sending their children to bogus orphanages in order to extract money from well-meaning foreigners.

Tags: nepal, volunteering, global development, tourism, unicef

Bonds of Wisdom: Chinese Most celebrated Sage as the emblem of Soft Power in Africa

China's most celebrated sage has become the emblem of the country's soft-power drive and of its people-to-people diplomacy in Africa. Todd Balazovic reports.In Africa, it's Chinese businesspeople who sign multimillion-dollar deals, top politicians who sign major cooperation agreements and people who embody China's most famous thinker who act as cultural ambassadors.

Tags: confucius institute, soft power, people-to-people, Cultural Diplomacy, africa, china

Turkey to Pay Wages of Imams in Flood-hit Bosnia

Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has decided to pay the wages of imams in flood-hit Bosnia-Herzegovina, in addition to restoring mosques and other religious service buildings that have been damaged in the flood.“At the moment, the number of damaged mosques is over 10. Among them, there is the Recep Yazıcıoğlu Mosque in Maglaj, which was built by Turkey. These mosques need to be rebuilt,” Deputy Director-General of the Diyanet Foundation (TDV) Mustafa Tutkun told state-run Anadolu Agency on May 25.

Tags: faith diplomacy, aid diplomacy, global development, government pd, turkey, bosnia

Modi's Swearing-in: Currying Favour with Fishermen Diplomacy

In a goodwill gesture, Pakistan yesterday freed 151 Indian fishermen while Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the release of all detained Indian fishermen on the eve of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi.Authorities released 59 Indian fishermen from Malir jail in Karachi and another 92 from Nara jail in Hyderabad in Sindh province. The release comes ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to India to attend the swearing-in of Modi.

Tags: india, Modi, pakistan, government pd, fishermen, detained indian fishermen

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