public diplomacy

January 20, 2014

CPD's 2014 Summer Institute (July 20 - August 1) is now full.

LONDON --- If Apple, Disney, Coca Cola, and other corporate giants benefit from their carefully nurtured brands, why shouldn’t nations do the same? “Branding” is a fashionable tool on which some public diplomats rely heavily…perhaps too heavily.

Helping global publics associate a country with nice things may be useful, but emphasizing a brand for a country can be self-defeating. A nation is not a soft drink, and public diplomacy planners will find themselves getting little return on their efforts if they are satisfied with mere imagery.

The partnership between UT and the US Department of State to engage women and girls from around the world through sports was named one of the nation’s ten best public diplomacy efforts of 2013. The Public Diplomacy Council ranked the US Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program—the flagship component of the Empowering Women and Girls through Sports initiative—as the ninth best diplomatic accomplishment in 2013.

Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on 100,000 Strong in the Americas on Friday, January 17, 2014, at 2:45 p.m. at the Department of State. The event will also feature remarks by Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta S. Jacobson, and Special Advisor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

Public diplomacy fans should read the list of the 10 biggest public diplomacy stories of last year. Thanks to the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy, we can see the global trends and how public diplomats are responding to those trends.

CPD announces the 10 most significant public diplomacy stories of 2013 as part of its review of global trends that are shaping the field. To narrow our list of 1,500 stories to 50, we took into account the following factors: the frequency of the story being covered in various news sources, the implications of the public diplomacy event, the credibility of sources publishing the news about the PD moment, and the frequency of an actor’s participation in public diplomacy activities either as the initiator or receiver of public diplomacy.

New Year resolutions are already aplenty, but we at CPD thought you might still be interested in knowing our goals for the year head. As CPD enters its 10th year, our mission remains the same. Our work continues to be guided by a global vision, a drive to integrate research and practice for distinctive social impact, and a commitment to preparing the next generation of public diplomacy leaders and practitioners.

Bringing the world to radio listeners in a unique format, All India Radio (AIR) will launch ‘India 360’ initiative this Republic Day, highlighting India’s bilateral ties with countries by presenting interesting facts and anecdotes. “We will cover all countries with whom we have diplomatic ties. This initiative will be a unique effort to connect the radio listeners with the world,” AIR Director General (News) Archana Datta said.

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