Reviving Authentic Sports Diplomacy

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By Ambassador Stuart Holliday, CEO of Meridian International Center While the world was preparing for the quadrennial spectacle that would be the World Cup, a crowd at the Allianz Area in Munich broke out into John Denver’s, ‘Country Roads.’ On Sunday, November 13, the National Football League (NFL) had a historic, first-ever regular-season game in Germany as part of their NFL International Series (a series of American football played outside the United States) and returned to Mexico City for the San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals on November 21 as part of the first regular-season game of the year...

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Baseball Diplomacy: World Baseball Classic 2017

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The 2017 World Baseball Classic took place from March 6-22.

The Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy, with support from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, is curating an exhibition highlighting U.S.-Japan baseball diplomacy that will debut in June. Baseball is arguably the most popular sport in Japan – the island nation is home to the largest professional baseball league outside of MLB in the United States. While the FIFA World Cup continues to be the most-watched sports event in the world, and professional basketball maintains its popularity overseas, baseball, “America’s pastime,” has been left relatively in the dark with regards to its international recognition. After being cut as an Olympic...

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Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup (October Edition)

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Soft Power: October
The days are shorter and the air is more crisp by the end of October. So, find a cozy spot and curl up with the latest edition of the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy’s Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup. The following selection highlights eight notable cultural diplomacy events that took place around the globe this month.

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Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup (September edition)

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Events this month took place in Colombia, Italy, Toronto, and Shanghai, among others.

The end of September brings with it the kickoff of autumn, pumpkin-spice madness, and, of course, the latest edition of the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy’s Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup. The following selection highlights nine notable cultural diplomacy projects that took place around the globe this month. Continue  

Soft Power: The Monthly Roundup (August Edition)

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Events this month took place in Nairobi, Singapore, Berlin, Toronto, and Edinburgh, among others.

As August, and consequently summer, sadly comes to a close, the Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy is back to round up some of this past month’s soft power events. The following selection highlights cultural exchange through community engagement in the globalized world. For the summer season, this interconnectedness means lots of festivals, so read on to see how diverse communities are coming together to celebrate around the world.

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