PD News: Melania Trump Makes Her First Debut as the First Lady

via email from USC Center on Public Diplomacy

May 22, 2017 Swedish Human Rights Ambassador Annika Ben David Visits Myanmar THE IRRAWADDY Protecting and promoting human rights is a cornerstone of Swedish foreign policy. Sweden strives to be a strong voice and a global leader that stands up for and defends human rights, democracy and the principles of rule of law through foreign policy. This is also central to our engagement in Myanmar. I will meet with representatives from the government, civil society and international organizations to get a good understanding of the situation. This is important to Sweden, since protection and promotion of human rights in Myanmar is a fundamental part of Sweden’s political engagement and development work in Myanmar. Read More... Soft Touch And Hard Results THE PIONEER When Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his second year in office visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar and Turkey, taking diplomatic activism in the region to newer heights, including the special outreach to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, it became clear that Modi’s foreign policy was a studied departure from the outdated ideas of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. With his much-awaited trip to Tel Aviv in July this year, (no Indian Prime Minister has visited Israel since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992), the Prime Minister is set to challenge the old stereotype that... Read More...  Indigenous Art Curators Off To Venice ABORIGINAL ART DIRECTORY The Australia Council for the Arts has announced that nine established Aboriginal Art Curators are taking part in an international exchange program at the 57th Biennale in Venice. Ozco's Executive Director Strategic Development and Advocacy, Dr Wendy Were explained that the First Nations Curators Program at the 2017 Venice Biennale builds on the First Nations Curators Exchanges held at 8th Asia Pacific Triennial in 2015 and in New Zealand in 2017 involving Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians. It also aligns with a deep First Nations focus by Australian at the 2017 Venice Biennale, with Tracey Moffatt as the first solo... Read More... Aid Worker Killed, Another Abducted In Kabul Attack CNN A German woman was shot and killed and her Afghan guard beheaded when attackers targeted a guest house for aid workers Saturday night in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to Afghan Interior Ministry acting spokesman Najib Danish. A Finnish woman also staying at the guest house was abducted, Danish said. The German and Finnish nationals were members of the NGO Operation Mercy, according to a statement on the group's website. Read More... Conducting 'Quiet Diplomacy' ELEVEN MYANMAR Izumi Nakamitsu took office as U.N. undersecretary general and high representative for disarmament affairs — the highest U.N. post dealing with disarmament affairs — on May 1. She is currently the highest-ranking Japanese official at the United Nations. In a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nakamitsu revealed her intention to “quietly” support discussions between member nations on reducing armaments. Read More... Statement By High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogheri MILTECH Today we celebrate the international day of cultural diversity. Since the very start, cultural diversity has been at the core of the European project. Unity in diversity is the motto of our Union, because Europe has never been just one but many. It is thanks to our cultural diversity and our commitment to dialogue that for the last 60 years we have been able successfully to face new challenges and obstacles, to change and progress. The European Union has an enormous amount to offer to the world in terms of diversity of cultural expressions, thriving artistic creation and creative industry... Read More...