This American Corner

Paul Rockower / CPD Blog

While recently on a cultural diplomacy adventure across Central Asia on an American Music Abroad tour—the State Department’s flagship musical exchange program that American Voices administers—with the bluegrass band Della Mae, I had the opportunity to encounter the public diplomacy space that are the State Department’s American Corners.

How ‘soft power’ can tackle US-Russia differences

Pavel Koshkin / Russia Beyond the Headlines

While the Fulbright educational program celebrated its 40th anniversary in Russia on April 10, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine, took the opportunity to drop in on the American Center in Moscow. She delivered a speech on the importance of soft power and how it can be used to cope with and minimize political differences.

The White House Announces Another Key Administration Post

White House

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key Administration post:  Matthew C. Armstrong – Member, Broadcasting Board of Governors

GW Opens Doors to China with Confucius Institute

Joshua Eferighe / The Washington Times

China’s growing diplomatic soft power was on display just a few city blocks from the White House, as George Washington University opened the District’s first Confucius Institute promoting the rising Asian giant’s language and culture Wednesday.

China and India: Translating Public Diplomacy Into Soft Power

Sarah Ellen Graham / CPD Blog

Two recent books on China and India have highlighted the rising importance of public diplomacy within the foreign policies of these rising Asian giants

Digital diplomacy’s Reach and Risk

P.J. Crowley / Take Five Blog

The recent Twitter row between the United States and Egypt triggered a number of issues – freedom of expression; the role of media in modern societies; the balance between diplomacy and public diplomacy; between interests and values, both ours and theirs; and the ability to communicate not just governments but populations using traditional channels and social media.

Being a Foreign Service Officer Became Much, Much Harder after 9/11

Olga Khazan / The Atlantic

The recent death of Anne Smedinghoff revealed the challenges diplomats face as they aim to rebuild countries where militants are actively trying to kill them.

Social Media and Public Diplomacy: Twitter and DC Embassies Part 2

Jeanette Gaida / Take Five Blog

When social media and twitter specifically are discussed within the context of Public Diplomacy, one of the frequently cited metrics is the number of followers. While this is a frequently stated metric, when stated about a single Twitter account it is at very best a tactical question, rather than an indicator of a successful strategy – unless getting followers is the end goal of using a Twitter account for Public Diplomacy.

Women in the Arab World – do they matter?

Tara Sonenshine / U.S. Department of State

It is essential in today’s Arab world that women actually govern. In Yemen, you could say that 28 percent of the delegates at the National Dialogue are women. But the truth is: Women hold very few seats in decision making circles. Women only have three out of 72 seats in the new Syrian Opposition Coalition.

On Our Flashpoint Blog

Gastrodiplomacy – “Reaching Hearts and Minds Through Stomachs”

Matthew Wallin

Yesterday, I attended an event at American University discussing the merits of “gastrodiplomacy”—a term basically meaning the public diplomacy of food. The event was hosted by the School of International Service’s Public and Cultural Diplomacy Forum.

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