Abu Dhabi’s New Approach to Cultural Diplomacy

Ambassador Rugh explains how Abu Dhabi's investment in education, medicine, art, and music constitutes a new kind of cultural diplomacy. Read More

Trafficking of Women on the Burma-China Border: Why the International Community Should Care About the Conflict in Kachin State

In recent weeks, warfare in Burma’s Kachin State has increased and is now making its way closer to the Burma-China border. While the international community has paid little attention to the Kachin conflict over the past few years, understanding its complexity is now more important than ever. Failing to do so could have dire implications on the lives of Kachin women, and on diplomatic relations in the region. Read More

Challenging the Pakistani Taliban Through Culture

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari throws down the gauntlet to the Taliban at the recent cultural festival in Sindh. Read More

Interview: Ambassador Munter at USC

In this audio clip, former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter speaks to MPD candidate Bryony Inge about the complex relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan, and how to improve relations going forward.

High Stakes and Intensive Public Diplomacy: The Global STOP TB Partnership

In her essay on the different types of public diplomacy, American university professor R.S. Zaharna identified policy networking strategy and coalition building as third-tier relationship-building initiatives (Snow and Taylor, 2008). Read More

Culture Posts: Propaganda by Default in Ukraine

Strategically, the default to “propaganda” creates blind spots, its own reverse deception, and most importantly, a lost opportunity. Read More

Ukraine: Turning Boxing Champion Klitschko into a European Politician

While the Klitschko brothers are known as champions of heavyweight boxing, the older brother Vitali is transforming himself into a politician that represents the new Ukraine. Formerly called “Doctor Ironfist,” Vitali is extending his heavyweight champion brand far beyond HBO sports audiences -- he has emerged as the international spokesperson for the pro-Western, pro-reform Ukraine. Read More

Watch: MIMA Presents “Band Together” in Russia

Christoph A. Geisler, MIMA Media founder and current MPD candidate speaks about the importance of public diplomacy during geopolitical crises. The “Band Together” program, co-sponsored by the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg and MIMA Music, teaches songwriting, recording, and filmmaking by bringing American facilitators to train Russian musicians and NGO leaders in these skills. St. Petersburg Public Affairs Officer Steven J. Labensky states, “I think more important sometimes than the diplomats speaking to each other, are people speaking to each other.”

Punish Putin by Opening the Door to Russia's Best and Brightest

Immigration policy was the first weapon used to punish Vladimir Putin and his cronies following their Crimean consumption. Travel sanctions were imposed and U.S. visas denied to a handful of Putin colleagues with the intended message being: You are criminals and unwelcome in the United States. Read More

Reflections from the International Studies Association Conference, 2014

Having recently returned from the International Studies Association (ISA) conference in Toronto, I wanted to share some thoughts with the PD community, and particularly the scholars who for some reason or other couldn’t attend. For those who aren’t familiar, ISA is the major annual conference where PD scholars convene, particularly through the International Communication (ICOMM) and Diplomatic Studies divisions. ISA has around 5,000 participants, of which the regular faces working on PD comprise of less than one percent. Read More

Search form

Pages

STAY IN THE KNOW