A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.

Al-Shabaab Sells Terror in Safari Propaganda Video

Al-Shabaab propaganda video tries to lure fighters with scenes of African hunting safari. The shooting is just one of the surreal scenes in the latest of a series of high-definition videos called "Front Lines" that al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgent group Al-Shabaab uses to recruit members. The U.S. government designated the militant group a terrorist organization in 2008.

Tags: propaganda, digital diplomacy, digital terrorism, al-shabaab, somalia, kenya, africa

China's Secret Radio Network Part of Global Propaganda Campaign

Revelations that the Chinese government secretly controls a network of overseas radio stations are a further indicator that Beijing is actively taking its propaganda to a global audience[...] The report, which has sparked calls for a federal investigation, emerges as President Xi Jinping's administration expands its deployment of "soft power," a form of influence that goes well beyond the business of government, analysts said.

Tags: china, propaganda, international broadcasting, xi jinping, government pd, human rights watch, australia

What Being An Exchange Student Taught Me

It sounds cliché but an [educational] exchange really is a life changing experience and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to any Brock student. The time I spent abroad was more than just learning new things and travelling, I learned a lot about who I am as a person and as cheesy as it sounds it changed me for the better.

Tags: educational exchange, finland, University of Jyväskylä, Helsinki

People-to-People Exchange Forum To Open

The forum will bring together over 90 politicians and experts from more than 20 countries, and they will discuss the themes of city construction and management, education, civilization, senior care and exchanges among young people.

Tags: people to people exchange, china, education, civilization, youth exchange, government pd

Play Promotes Cultural Diplomacy In A Time Of Conflict

The play attempts to show how violence, especially as a result of war, shapes those characters. Raffo, an Iraqi-American who grew up in Michigan, links the stories to Iraq’s history and political forces, with commentary from characters who range from a child indifferent to the debris of war littering her neighborhood to an aging political exile, comfortably commenting from afar. 

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, theater, iraq, florida

Finland: Ministry launches 'Tongue-In-Cheek' Emojis

Finland's foreign ministry has launched a set of official emojis, and a once-ubiquitous Nokia handset is among them. More than 30 icons will be available for people to download, representing "important things associated with Finland", the ministry says. 

Tags: finland, Finnish foreign ministry, emojis, chinese, arabic, hindi, government pd

NATO Tests Its Capabilities-And Wants Russia To Take Note

NATO is putting on its most fearsome display of military might in over a decade [...] The war games, which took two years of planning, were rejiggered to add areas where many NATO officials say the alliance has been dangerously deficient, including defending against cyberattack and the use of social media to deceive public opinion.

Tags: nato, non-state actor pd, public opinion, social media, heard power, soft power, security, cybersecurity

The Art Project That Stitches the U.S. and Mexico Together Across the Border

For four days last month, an art collective called Postcommodity erected a two-mile-long temporary installation of balloons that bi-sected the U.S.-Mexico border. Called “Repellent Fence”, the project included 26 balloons, each tethered to the other, which floated right above a stretch of the border located on the edge of Douglas, Texas and Agua Prieta, Sonora. 

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, art diplomacy, international exchange, mexico, united states, north america

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