Networks of Diplomacy

Headlines this week in public diplomacy news explore the role of information and cultural networks in the international arena. Stories from Greece, Rwanda, Taiwan and the United States highlight a myriad of platforms used to shape, strengthen and support socio-political objectives by both state and non-state actors. Taiwan is dubbing soap operas into Spanish as a means to promote Taiwanese culture in Latin America, “home to many of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies,” while in Greece, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs is turning to its diaspora to play a more active role in state efforts to “rebuil[d] Greece's shattered reputation following the events that transpired its 2008 economic crash.” Meanwhile, American, Israeli and Palestinian youth are bonding over collaborative video games, and in Rwanda, the formation of women’s soccer leagues are helping Rwandan women “overcome the trauma of the 1994 genocide and become drivers of economic growth.”

• Can Cooperative Video Games Help with World Peace? – Tech.Co
• Greece to Reach Out to Diaspora – Neos Kosmos
• Politically Ignored Taiwan Practices Soap Opera Diplomacy, in Spanish – LA Times
• Scorecard Rwanda – Al Jazeera
• U.S. Peace Corps Sees 40-Year High in Applications for Overseas Program – The Washington Post

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Photo by Taylor McBride | CC BY 2.0