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.
Qatar Seeks to Free More U.S. Hostages in Syria
Qatar is working to help free four Americans held hostage in Syria by various armed groups, a Gulf source familiar with the matter said on Monday, a day after the Gulf Arab state's diplomacy helped free a journalist held since 2012.
Somaliland: Opposition Leaders Launched Public Diplomacy in Sweden
A delegation of Justice & Welfare Party UCID who is on working visit to Sweden has met with the mayor of Vasteras Mr. Andres Teljeback. UCID delegation is headed by Mr. Said Omar, a senior Justice & Welfare Party has held in-depth discussions with Mr. Andres that lasted for hours and spoke about the possibility that the town of Vasteras should have working ties with Las Anod, Sool’s provincial capital.
New Public Diplomacy Initiative May Involve Israel’s Famed Intelligence Agencies
Israel’s current Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, aimed at stemming rocket fire from the coastal enclave, may also propel the issue forward as the Jewish state faced a torrent of criticism partly, many believe, due to less than desirable public diplomacy efforts. “I think that the war itself will be the catalyst for that to happen, because I think people realize how critical it is that this just be organized,” Lipman affirmed.
2014 Edinburgh International Culture Summit Welcomed New Zealand
Chief Executive of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Lewis Holden led the New Zealand delegation at the second Edinburgh International Culture Summit, held at the Scottish Parliament last week. New Zealand was one of 25 international government delegations brought together with speakers, arts leaders and culture experts from across the world.
Will the Chinese Communist Party Become Social Media’s ‘Most Followed’?
The ruling party has told all 86.6 million of its members to engage with its first foray into social media with a public account launched this month on massively popular mobile social media platform WeChat, which boasts 438 million monthly active users. The account, called “gong chan dang yuan”, or Communist Party member, is managed by the Organisation Department of the party’s highest organ of power, the Central Committee. The department has told all members of the world’s largest political party to follow the account.
Chinese Producers Hope Cartoon Can Help Ease Ethnic Tensions in Restive Xinjiang
At a time when the restive region of Xinjiang has witnessed executions of suspected separatists, knife attacks on train passengers, and clashes between the Chinese government and forces it has identified as Muslim extremists, a film company believes it has the answer — a cartoon princess. With the encouragement of the authorities, a Chinese animation company is turning to a Disney-like character for help in bringing ethnic Uighurs and Han Chinese together.
Why Do So Many Anime Characters Have Non-Japanese Names?
There are a lot of things that surprise newcomers to anime. Why are the characters’ eyes so big? How come everyone has funky hair colors? What’s up with all the panty shots? A lot of those have simple answers. The giant eyes are an influence from legendary manga artist Osamu Tezuka, who was in turn inspired by classic Disney designs. Anime artwork uses a relatively small number of lines in drawing faces, and a large palette of hair colors is a quick and easy way to differentiate otherwise similar-looking characters.
Why Washington’s War on Terror Failed
There are extraordinary elements in the present U.S. policy in Iraq and Syria that are attracting surprisingly little attention. In Iraq, the U.S. is carrying out air strikes and sending in advisers and trainers to help beat back the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (better known as ISIS) on the Kurdish capital, Erbil. The U.S. would presumably do the same if ISIS surrounds or attacks Baghdad. But in Syria, Washington’s policy is the exact opposite: there the main opponent of ISIS is the Syrian government and the Syrian Kurds in their northern enclaves.
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