Each week, CPD features an article, report or book of particular interest to the PD community that has been added to PD Hub. Search its Online Library for more great content.
Library
![Photo by Rona Proudfoot | CC BY-SA 2.0](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/2624684293_619510cf23_o.jpg?itok=5Os8JnFl)
This article is a timely assessment of the cultural, political and sentimental factors that shape and influence the meaning and deployment of flags across history, with examples of flags used during the Arab Spring, to those seen in Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and present day Mozambique, New Zealand, and Vietnam.
![](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/19103575013_81d3eab8e0_o.jpg?itok=HEEfFWUI)
This new editorial by Nicholas Cull explores the interplay of nation branding and public engagement at the "slow motion soap opera of international image making" known as the World Expo.
![Photo by doigstar1 / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/6444940799_a93e899ce2_o.jpg?itok=ovpDdU6A)
This article illustrates how states and state-sponsored actors are utilizing six pathways of connection to communicate and engage with foreign publics, with examples that include President Obama’s visit to Brazil, a Chinese cultural exhibition in the United States and the European Union’s Youth in Action program.
![Photo courtesy of Olli Henze via Flickr Creative Commons](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/8475766971_cfa9a2026d_o.jpg?itok=L4EUAcFo)
This article from Felix Heiduk, a research scholar from the Asia Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, evaluates the nature and impact of the so-called 'strategic partnerships' forged between the governments of Berlin, Beijing and New Delhi.
![Photo courtesy of Marc Veraart via Flickr Creative Commons](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/2759533562_1b6cb5aa71_o.jpg?itok=rG6KfzTl)
The article traces the history of Japan's cultural diplomacy policy to offer a critical assessment of its strengths and failings.
![Image courtesy of Wirednerd via Flickr Creative Commons](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/19331003929_58c9ee5710_o.jpg?itok=1enr5kiQ)
This article analyzes how the Mexican consular network in the United States is engaging with the local LGBT community, and offers a series of recommendations for the consular network to better “promote and protect the rights of their community members."
![Image by Vijay Chennupati via Flickr Creative Commons](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/16370731708_bdcc4af444_o.jpg?itok=bX2ovHU0)
This article explores the public diplomacy and participant benefits afforded by Asialink, an Australian cultural diplomacy program aimed at strengthening international relations with Asia.
![Image from Crystian Cruz via Flickr Creative Commons](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/14238506068_e14b0cabb1_o.jpg?itok=L5NbChRJ)
This new article by three U.K. sports scholars evaluates and assesses how and why governments are leveraging sports mega-events, including the 2012 London Olympics; the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil; and the forthcoming 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, to bolster their nation-brand and foreign policy strategies.