If a scientific global ‘perceptions survey’ were to be carried out today about the country, the most powerful images that come to mind are probably these: Kenya as the land of ‘Kitu Kidogo’, Kenya as the country of great long-distance runners (last year Kenyans won 31 of the 43 IAAF marathons – an impressive 72%); and Kenya as the country of M-PESA and Ushahidi technological innovations.

“The British Council has responded to challenging financial conditions since the 2010 Spending Review and we are glad that the Committee has recognised that we have continued to successfully deliver our work and be “a major instrument of UK public diplomacy and ‘soft power’”.

Countries from all over the world have converged at the second annual Nation Branding and Investment Expo in Netherlands, as the Brand Kenya Board coordinates initiatives for marketing the country in order to maximize its efficiency and maintain a good image. The expo allows Brand Kenya to position the country optimally in terms of investment, credit worthiness, tourism and international relations.

This week will see the Korean Association of International Studies and the Korea Foundation host an international conference on the role of middle powers in the 21st century. The significance of the conference being held in South Korea is twofold ― it marks Korea’s prominence as a source of innovative and influential scholarship on middlepowerism, and it marks Korea’s growing acceptance of middlepowerism as a national role.

The NHL is not only considering more outdoor games. It is considering more overseas games. Chief operating officer John Collins referred Sunday to a “European business plan” and ideas ranging from resurrecting the World Cup to starting something like a champions league. But first the NHL has to reach a deal to go to the Sochi Olympics, which are less than a year away now. There remain several open issues between the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee. The four organizations will meet this week.

It would be disastrous for Kenya to overlook the benefits of liaising with Kenyans in Diaspora in regards to Nation Branding. However, the link with Diasporans should not only be linked to Nation Branding but the overall development of the mother country.

Nearly twenty years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is still a country of controversy and conflicting narratives... Which direction is South Africa heading in today? It’s been a beacon for Africa over the last twenty years, a continent of its own competing narratives: on the one hand, an emerging “economic giant” with a growing middle class; on the other, a hot spot for rising terrorist groups and home to more than a few nasty dictators.

APDS Blogger: Jennifer Yael Green

Nearly twenty years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is still a country of controversy and conflicting narratives.