Economic Security and the Hopes of Arab Youth

Although democracy retains its allure, the Arab uprisings that began last year were about democracy primarily as simply a means to an end. The real goal of those who took to the streets was to grasp a better future for themselves and their families. Having a job, getting enough to eat, being assured that children could receive decent education and medical care – these constitute the substance of everyday life that so many in the Arab world had long been denied and were determined to claim. Read More

European Cinema as Cultural Diplomacy

APDS Blogger: Emina Vukic Read More

Why NATO Needs Soft Power

Author’s Note: This blog is the edited version of a speech I gave at the recent NATO conference on The Power of Soft Power. When Joseph Nye first coined the term soft power over 20 years ago, the United States and Europe were in a different place than they are today. Read More

Public Diplomacy, Branding, and the Image of Nations, Part II: More of the Same, or Different?

One of the defining attributes of being in a center of global commerce and culture is the feeling you get when walking down the sidewalks. In London, I found the experience of strolling a few blocks from where I was staying to the downtown campus of UEA London, in large part along the fabled Brick Lane, to be a source of energy and inspiration. Read More

Don’t Shanghai Milan!

I have spent some time as of late picking through the now infamous train wreck that was the American pavilion at Shanghai. Cynthia Schneider offers her opinion on what went wrong here. Here’s my take: Read More

Aspiring To An Interest-Free Cultural Diplomacy?

When I hear from people about the relative advantages of cultural diplomacy, they often point to the apparent “neutrality” or “apolitical” basis of, say, cultural exchange. Coming from an anthropological background, this often advanced claim has always puzzled me. Read More

Discussing the Future of Public Diplomacy

APDS Blogger: Aparajitha Vadlamannati At USC on April 6, the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars held a conference on the Future of Public Diplomacy. Experts, academics, and practitioners gathered to discuss what lies ahead for the field of public diplomacy. There were a couple of major takeaways from the conference. Read More

U.S. Leadership Still Viewed Positively, but with Major Declines in Africa

WASHINGTON --- America’s image abroad remains strong, retaining its post-Bush worldwide increase in 2009. But in new survey data released here this morning by Gallup, the U.S. has lost significant support in the past year in Africa and Latin America. Read More

A visit at the EU delegation in Washington D.C.

APDS Blogger: Riccardo Ruffolo On the last day of the Masters of Public Diplomacy delegation’s visit to Washington D.C., some of us had the opportunity to visit the Delegation of the European Union to the United States. The delegation included University of Southern California alumna and Senior Communications Advisor, Stacy Hope; Assistant Press Officer, Ren Althouse; and three Press & Public Diplomacy (PPD) interns. Read More

Welcome to America

One of the most significant factors shaping foreign visitors’ opinions is the way they are received when entering the country. For advocates of U.S. public diplomacy, this is particularly important because of the value of having outsiders come to America to gain an appreciation of the freedoms and lifestyle enjoyed here. Read More

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