The Canadian man who once helped basketball hall of famer Dennis Rodman get into North Korea now wants to bring former NHL players into the isolated country to play hockey.

 The most effective PD initiatives may well be those that favorably align image, state-centric identity and public-centric identity. Aggressive efforts to promote a positive image that neglect a negative public-centric identity of the state may invite trouble. Activists are often the first to exploit gaps between state-centric and public-centric identity.

When Qatar announced the closure of Al Jazeera America this month, the decision by its new ruler marked a more cautious approach to public diplomacy by the tiny Gulf state after years of cultivating a high-profile international role.

We, at the Royal Commonwealth Society, strongly urge the UK government to address the potential diplomatic blowback, and damage to Britain’s soft power and to the economy, that will result if it continues to overlook the skilled workers of the Commonwealth. As the UK gazes on myriad European continental concerns, it must not forget its much wider international make-up of which the Commonwealth proudly plays its part.