Monday, February 13, 2017

CPD Weekly, Feb 12-Feb 7


via email from University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy

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Feb 12, 2017

EVENING STANDARD
A new campaign by Amnesty International has given refugees the chance to take to Twitter as they urge for more action to be taken in the on-going migrant crisis. Social media users who tweet about the crisis have been receiving direct video responses from residents of refugee camps in Lebanon and Kenya. The ‘I Welcome’ campaign has allowed refugees to respond to tweets asking social media users to take action and do more than just share their outrage. Read More...
THE TIMES OF INDIA
You can fight a visible enemy with guns and bombs. But how do you face the fury of online radicalisation and recruitment of youngsters who are misled with misquoted verses and other sacred statements. By quoting the right verses with their proper contexts and interpretations, of course. This is exactly what the famous Mahim Dargah, in collaboration with Goregaon-based Madrassa Darul Uloom Faizan-e-Raza, is doing. They are fighting the terrorist outfit Daesh or Islamic State (IS) through social networks and helping stop youths from getting swayed by extremist propaganda. Read More...
DAILY AMERICAN
Enrique Makasi's hometown of Beni in eastern Congo is under frequent siege from rebels, and music is the way he tells the world what is happening. Performing before tens of thousands at the Amani Festival in the regional capital, Goma, the 26-year-old singer hopes to give voice to the hundreds slain and build solidarity to promote peace. [...] Nearly 36,000 people gathered in Goma over the weekend for the three-day festival of music and dance aimed at promoting peace and boosting the eastern Congo's generally negative global image. Read More...
THE NATION
The Ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran, Mehdi Honardoost hosted a reception at a local hotel in Islamabad to mark the 38th anniversary of the victory of Islamic Revolution and the national day of Iran. Federal Minister of Commerce, Khuramm Dastgir Khan was the chief guest while Raja Ashfaq Sarwar Provincial Minister of Punjab for Labour & Human Resource was also a special guest as he was representing Mian Shahbaz sharif, the Chief Minister Punjab. During the ceremony national anthems of Pakistan and Iran were sung by the students of local school. Read More...
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD
Nearly 12 years ago, Hamdia Ahmed boarded a plane bound for America. She had spent nearly all her young life in the Dadaab in Kenya, the world’s largest refugee camp, along with hundreds of thousands of other Somalis fleeing civil war. [...] Now the 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Southern Maine is finding her voice advocating for Portland’s Muslim and immigrant community, which is on edge since Donald Trump was elected president using anti-immigrant rhetoric and vowing “America first” policies, such as tightening the borders. Read More...
COLOMBOPAGE
Sri Lanka Navy is taking part in Pakistan's AMAN-17 multinational naval exercise kicked off on February 10 in the North Arabian Sea in Karachi. The multinational naval exercise is held from February 10 to 14 with the participation of 37 countries. Nine nations including Australia, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and Russia are participating with warships or aircraft. Read More...

Feb 11, 2017

REUTERS
President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hit the links on Saturday, as the two leaders looked to forge a bond over a round of golf diplomacy. [...] After four hours at the club, Trump tweeted a picture of himself and the prime minister on the golf course. "Having a great time hosting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the United States," Trump said in the tweet. Shortly after, Trump and Abe left the club to head to a private lunch. Read More...
THE GUARDIAN
The International Committee of All Africa Music Awards has called on the new leadership of the AUC to forge a deeper integration of Africa through cultural exchange, as a way of creating a brighter future for her teeming youth and future generations. [...] “It is worthy of note that African artists are breaking stereotypical and geographical boundaries to make their mark on the music, culture and entertainment scene around the world. Read More...
POLITICO
Europeans have every reason to worry about U.S. President Donald Trump. He has declared NATO “obsolete.” He’s spoken more glowingly about Russian President Vladimir Putin than about most Western European leaders. And he’s suggested he will apply his transactional vision of diplomacy to his country’s alliances. [...] Its European members must show unity of purpose and vision: The time has come to create a European pillar of NATO. Read More...
THE ECONOMIC TIMES
Convergence — that is what Incredible India is seeking to bring into the increasingly digital campaigns to market the country to tourists. One of the objectives of the Incredible India 2.0 campaign is fostering engagement between Centre and state initiatives, as well as extensive collaborations with industry, to promote tourism. [...] The ministry is promoting a give-and-take approach. Read More...
THE WORLD POST
The dominant foreign policy vision animating left and right in recent years has been promiscuous intervention. While elites disagreed on tactics and targets, both major political parties shared a belief that Washington should micro-manage the world. [...] However, national interest is not enough. America’s approach should be enlightened, in which a concern for others tempers Washington’s role around the globe. Read More...
REALSCREEN
British producers association Pact UK will host its first UK-China cultural exchange. The Feb. 13 meeting will see 21 senior programming executives from major Chinese broadcasters in London meeting with over 70 production companies and broadcasters. Following the launch day, Chinese executives will spend the rest of their week in placements with 23 indies selected to take part in the exchange. Read More...

Feb 10, 2017

THE HUFFINGTON POST
Trump’s plans to build a wall at its south border, deport millions of undocumented immigrants and renegotiate NAFTA force Mexico to reconsider the friendly relation it used to maintain with the U.S. The Obama era is gone and the cooperation narrative that existed between the two countries is being challenged. Mexico needs to defend or create new narratives to confront Trump, and win allies in the United States to help Mexico defend its interests. Read More...
THE NEWS
The Consul General of Japan in Pakistan Toshikazu Isomura has said that he was looking into the possibility of appointing a teacher at Sindh University’s Area Study Centre to teach Japanese language to the students of Sindh University. Read More...
NPR
A few days before Rex Tillerson's confirmation as secretary of state, Tillerson's Danish counterpart stood before an audience at a Copenhagen conference on the future of diplomacy and announced he would soon be naming a new ambassador. That would hardly be news — except this ambassador will not be heading to the U.S. or any other country. Instead, he or she will be serving as Denmark's chief diplomatic connection to the tech industry at large. Read More...
DEMERARA WAVES
“Hosted by the University of Guyana with support from a team of leaders in the diaspora and other stakeholders, the Conference is organised around two overarching pillars: human, social and entrepreneurship development and diaspora philanthropy and diplomacy,” UG said in a statement. Read More...
NK NEWS
North Korea and Malaysia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) focused on “culture, arts and heritage,” North Korean state media said on Thursday, renewing and building upon a previous agreement from 2002. Read More...
KOREA JOONGANG DAILY
This week in Gwangju, we also see cultural diplomacy in action. "With support from the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, some 100 participants and their families and communities have come together with a team of dancers from Battery Dance, a New York-based contemporary dance company, to help build understanding and bridge divides." Read More...
THE WASHINGTON POST
"The greatest damage might be in the realm of public diplomacy," write Nathan Brown and Michelle Dunne of the Carnegie Middle East Center. "Using a broad brush to paint all Muslim Brotherhood organizations as terrorists would be understood by many Muslims around the world as a declaration of war against non-violent political Islamists — and indeed against Islam itself." Read More...

Feb 9, 2017

THE RIO TIMES
This Saturday, February 11th, food fair Junta Local will take place from 10AM in the grounds of Botafogo’s Christ Church. With free entry and continuing until 6PM, the artisanal culinary fair hopes to promote cultural inclusivity and exchange through different international cuisines. Read More...
HAVANA TIMES
The Fair will hold numerous activities in secondary venues in the Vedado district of the city such as the Dulce María Loynaz Center, the Casa del Alba Cultural and the Cuban Association of the United Nations. The Cuba Pavilion, the headquarters of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba and the University of Havana will also offer opportunities for cultural exchange and enrichment. Read More...
CPD BLOG
Despite the new U.S. President's well-known openness toward the Kremlin, I can think of no relationship where public diplomacy and exchanges are more important or harder to do than the relationship between the U.S. and Russia. Read More...
GRAPHIC NEWS
A group of Danish students numbering over 200 and their teachers from Hald Ege Boarding School in Denmark have arrived at the Malshegu community in the Sagnarigu District of the Northern Region on a week-long cultural and educational exchange programme to learn more about Ghanaians and their culture. Read More...
TAIPEI TIMES
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will propose new Cabinet-level US-Japan talks on trade, security and macroeconomic issues, including currencies, when he meets US President Donald Trump today, a Japanese government official involved in planning the summit said. Read More...
POLICY OPTIONS
The journalistic standards and values that CBC-RC represent are crucial in this era of misinformation. In order to uphold these values and the trust Canadians put in us, we must invest even more in fact-checking, in-depth reporting and investigative journalism. Read More...

Feb 8, 2017

CPD BLOG
Currently, President Peña Nieto and his entourage are being presented with an opportunity to redeem themselves. If they manage to get a good deal throughout this turmoil, they have the opportunity to mend Mexico’s international image–as well as their own. Read More...
STAT NEWS
Cuba is proud of its government-run health care system and its skilled doctors. But even with a raise two years ago, the highest paid doctors make $67 a month, while nurses top out at $40. That leaves many feeling demoralized — and searching for ways to improve their lives. Read More...
NATIONAL POST
Peace Meal Kitchen is an exercise in gastrodiplomacy – fostering cultural exchange and increased understanding through food. As NPR wrote in 2014, while the concept is fairly new in terms of its place in cultural diplomacy as a whole, “the idea itself can be traced back to the ancient Romans, who often made peace with their enemies over a good meal.” Read More...
TAIWAN NEWS
The Taipei International Book Exhibition 2017 opened at the Taipei World Trade Center Wednesday, featuring representatives from hundreds of publishers along with a wide range of activities, including keynote speeches, lectures, reading sessions, publication introductions and cultural performances. Read More...
BBC NEWS
Welsh and Indian creative professionals will travel to each other's countries to work together and produce new works including books, music and dance. [...] It is a joint Wales Arts International and British Council scheme which aims to help build relationships between the two countries. Read More...
ECONOMIC TIMES
The US can be a natural partner to Sri Lanka as it progresses on the challenging transformative journey, to develop the nation as a modern democracy, rapidly integrating with the world of business and trade, in peace and friendship, for the mutual benefit of both countries, the Ambassador said. Read More...
HUFFINGTON POST UK
Kosovo always enjoyed a special relationship with the United States. After Trump’s election, however, a resurgent Russia (Serbia’s backer) and an intransigent United States puts the special relationship at-risk. [...] Kosovo must demonstrate its value to the Trump administration. Greater security cooperation would serve Trump’s “America First” agenda. It would also advance Kosovo’s interests. Read More...

Feb 7, 2017

BLOODY ELBOW
Hours following Trump’s restrictive immigration policy was announced, various sports entities, including the NBA, MLS, and the UFC, had contacted State Department to determine how this would impact their respective businesses. The EO also threatened U.S. bids for the Olympic Games and World Cup. However, it was the policy’s impact on amateur wrestling that resulted in retaliatory action from Iran. Read More...
MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION
A number of American museums have added their voices to ongoing protests against the policies of the Trump administration, particularly its travel ban on refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Following the president’s executive order introducing the ban last month, which has since been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge, a number of high profile US institutions issued statements condemning the measure. Read More...
HOLYROOD MAGAZINE
Sport can play a major role in boosting Scotland’s influence abroad, and help cement international relations, while influencing diplomacy and foreign policy. The potential is there to use sport to improve international relations and development, and what the Scottish Government needs to do is to elevate sport’s role on the global stage. Read More...
TEHRAN TIMES
Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country is expecting to increase the number of tourism arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million by 2025. “The Iranian government is making every effort to use this opportunity to widen its relations with other nations and to boost Iran’s national and international power as well.” Read More...
THE JAKARTA POST
Cities are engines of economic growth. Due to unique social, environmental and physical challenges, ASEAN cities should be able to find their own way in dealing with these issues. Collective lessons will need to be drawn from various city development projects implemented by ASEAN member states with support from international donors. These will hopefully lead ASEAN’s cities to their sustainable and livable future. Read More...
THE NATIONAL INTEREST
How should the Trump administration approach Pyongyang diplomatically? Given a widespread, rigid view among U.S. policymakers that the Kim regime is nothing more than an “evil deceiver” and the tendency of those policymakers to automatically equate talking to North Korea with a reward, setting up a low-profile back channel with North Korean negotiators should be prioritized first. Read More...

Feb 6, 2017

HINDUSTAN TIMES
America’s best universities and colleges are teaching President Donald Trump a lesson: They won’t take his controversial policies lying down. [...] Over 20,000 faculty members from many universities across the US, 572 members of the US National Academy of Sciences and hundreds of scientists have signed the “NoToImmigrationBan” petition. Read More...
TIMES OF ISRAEL
During the visit, the players will hold an exhibition game together with players from the Israeli Football Association on February 18 in Jerusalem. Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Minister Gilad Erdan expressed hope the visit would offer the players “a balanced picture of Israel, the opposite from the false incitement campaign that is being waged against Israel around the world.” Read More...
CPD BLOG
VOA is probably not a high priority for the new administration, but inevitably it will fall under scrutiny. [...] I was initially skeptical about the alarmist reports concerning VOA's future. But with a president who touts "America First" and a Republican majority in Congress unwilling to defy the White House, I am no longer so sanguine. Anything is possible. Read More...
FIJI TIMES
People in the country are not too familiar with these words, but to make it easy for our readers, the above-mentioned words are French. Promoting the French language in the country is an organisation called the Alliance Française de Suva. French is the official language of 44 countries. While in Fiji that might not be the case, the language and its influence are slowly starting to make their mark on the people. Read More...
KHMER TIMES
Cambodia and Myanmar have agreed to strengthen ties by focusing on both nations’ tourism and education sectors, but stopped short of discussing the latter’s widespread abuse and persecution of the Rohingya minority. [...] The two heads of state also mooted the idea of establishing exchange programs and scholarships but stopped short of solidifying plans. Read More...
CHOSUN ILBO
A Japanese documentary released Saturday depicts the life of a Korean student who sacrificed himself to rescue a Japanese man in a subway station in Tokyo in 2001. [...] The film comes out at a tense time in Korean-Japanese relations after official protests from Tokyo over statues set up in Korea to honor the victims of the Japanese Imperial Army's drafting of Asian sex slaves in World War II. Read More...

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