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.
Young Palestinians Sound Off on Current Unrest, Israeli Occupation
As Palestinian veterans and analysts grapple with the question of whether current events bear the hallmarks of a new intifada, Al Jazeera reached out to a number of Palestinians under the age of 30 throughout the region.
How Arab Artists Trolled Homeland Writers on Their Very Own Show
Homeland […] has been subject to much criticism for its depictions of its Arab and Muslim characters. When, last summer, a group of Arab artists in Berlin were contacted by Homeland set designers to help make one of their sets […] look more authentic with Arabic anti-regime graffiti, they agree—but they splayed the walls with anti-Homeland graffiti instead, attempting, they said to “subvert” the show’s message.
U.S. Peace Corps sees 40-year High in Applications for Overseas Program
The U.S. Peace Corps last year saw its applications reach a 40-year high in response to an initiative to revitalize the overseas service organization. About 23,000 Americans volunteered to serve in the Peace Corps in fiscal 2015, a 32 percent increase from the year before [...] With an annual budget of $379 million, the Peace Corps allows volunteers to serve two-year appointments overseas [...]
Amman Skatepark a “Melting Pot” for Locals and Refugees
Ahmad Al Rayyan, a Syrian refugee who moved to Jordan’s capital city 2.5 years ago, is one of the many skaters who frequent 7Hills [...] The park opened last December, but the idea for it, Mohammed Zakaria, co-founder of 7Hills Skatepark says, was always there [...] Working with Make Life Skate Life, a nonprofit that builds skateparks in developing countries, they used an online campaign to fundraise for the park.
Politically Ignored Taiwan Practices Soap Opera Diplomacy
"The Fierce Wife,"[...] about a woman dealing with the aftermath of her husband’s infidelity, was seen as the best ambassador for Taiwanese culture. With a contested national identity, no formal relations with major powers and no membership in international organizations such as the United Nations, Taiwanese officials are testing a new strategy: soap opera diplomacy.
Can Cooperative Video Games Help with World Peace?
Recent research conducted by ScienceDaily shows that playing cooperative video games, as opposed to playing competitive or solo games, elicits a host of social benefits among players of different backgrounds. The evidence suggests that it encourages teammates to see helpful, collaborative behaviors as both valuable and commonplace.
Soft War vs. Soft Power
The idea of soft war seems to be a counterargument for Joseph Nye’s theory of Soft Power. This article tries to look at the two ideas and find how they are applied in US policies towards the Middle East. The idea of soft power and its implications in foreign policy are discussed first using Nye’s and other researchers works; and further, the idea of soft war is reviewed by going through excerpts from Ayatollah Khamenei’s speeches and remarks.
International Protocol and Diplomacy School To Open Center in Muscat
The International School of Protocol & Diplomacy (ISPD), which has its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium will be opening its center in Muscat by January. ISPD is Europe’s leading academic institution offering programs in protocol, diplomacy and cross-cultural communication skills, and this center will be its first in the Middle East.[...] “With powerful nation-branding efforts, Oman and the entire Middle East could project their real business and growth potential to the rest of the world."
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