Julian Bleecker

REINVENTING PUBLIC DIPLOMACY THROUGH GAMES AWARDS CEREMONY

Join the USC Center on Public Diplomacy as we announce the awards winners of the Reinventing Public Diplomacy through Games Contest!

When: May 8th, 2006
3:00 - 5:00 p.m

Where: Davidson Executive Conference Center
University of Southern California
3415 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0871

Our Finalists: The finalists ranged from virtual cultural exchange programs to strategy games about the Israel and Palestinian conflict or international water rights. Listed below, in alphabetical order.

Exchanging Cultures Exchanging Cultures, a diplomatic game built inside “Second Life,” was created to facilitate the creating virtual communities and relationships based on the exchange of cultural items like: dances, art crafts, food receipts, architectural models, clothing, cultural routes and images of real original places for travelers and explorers. http://interactive.usc.edu/members/jmfernandez/2006/02/exchanging_cultures_ec_game.html.

Global Kids Island: Fostering Public Diplomacy Through Second Life Global Kids, Inc. envisioned a Public Diplomacy program within Second Life where the youth in the after-school program will spend the month learning about a global issue, experience an interactive and experiential workshop designed to educate about the issue. Their demonstration will be shown at the awards ceremony. For more information on the organization: http://www.globalkids.org/olp/index.jsp.

Hydro Hijinks Hydro Hyjinks is a class project designed to promote discussion about international water issues and to educate players from around the world about sources of international conflict over water rights. Watch the video tour of the game at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS2JT9IV3CM.

Peacemaker PeaceMaker is a cross-cultural political video game simulation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which can be used to promote a peaceful resolution among Israelis, Palestinians and young adults worldwide. More information, please visit their website: http://www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/peacemaker/.

For those who will not be able to attend in Los Angeles, the event will be Simulcast in Second Life at Annenberg Island. To start your Second Life account, please go to http://secondlife.com/ . For a sneak preview of Annenberg Island within Second Life go to http://tinyurl.com/oogzx.