CPD Blog: Top 5 Posts - June 2014

Global internet governance, Iranian soccer diplomacy, Brazil's World Cup soft power potential, Turkey's Armenian initiative, and a new model for U.S.-Russia exchange diplomacy - All part of our Top 5 most popular CPD Blog posts from June 2014:

5. Internet Governance at NetMundial: Public Diplomacy and the Perception Gap - Sarah Myers West

"When we talk about Internet governance, what we are talking about is how to understand and renegotiate these definitions, which is why it is increasingly becoming the domain of public diplomacy. The discussions are diplomatic in nature and incorporate a broad range of state and non-state public actors."

4. Soccer Diplomacy at the FIFA World Cup: Cross-Cultural Relations Redefined on the Pitch - Kimiya Shokoohi

"He is an Iranian-American – he is at once a product of the United States and cultural progeny of Iran. Backed by globalization, he is a picture of the multi-dimensional loyalist. He is a patriot of the country that made him and a compatriot of a heritage which raised him. He is at once an outsider and an insider, politically neutral and culturally empathetic."

3. Turkey’s Armenian Initiative: Rhetoric or Confidence Building? - Senem Cevik

"Erdoğan’s recent statement was a groundbreaking step that could revive the normalization process. It has caught the Armenian diaspora, Armenia, Turks and the rest of the world off guard. The statement is also significant because it reflects the shift in the state’s approach to Turkish-Armenian relations."

2. Stanford U.S.—Russia Forum: Model Exchange Diplomacy? - Stanislav Budintsky

"Over the months of the Ukrainian crisis, U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations have arguably plummeted to their lowest point since the Cold War. Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum (SURF), a grassroots student exchange program, is a rare bright spot in the presently bleak bilateral relations picture—and a globally promising model of educational exchange diplomacy."

1. Featured Expert Opinions: Will the World Cup Help Brazil’s Soft Power? - Amb. Derek N. Shearer, Barry Sanders, Amb. Arturo Sarukhan, Jay Wang

"Like the Samba and Carnival, ‘the beautiful game’ (soccer) is essential to the country’s soft power. By hosting the World Cup, Brazil is trying to up its game and rebrand itself beyond music and fun. Perhaps a victory by team Brazil and a world class performance by Neymar (the new Pele) will overshadow the bad press and quiet domestic discontent."

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