Could world peace be sparked by a small group of children hoping to share a little goodwill with those who are less fortunate? Japan’s Kumon Institute of Education is trying to prove just that with its annual Ambassador of World Peace program.

The Ministry of Culture on Thursday launched its official website www.pakistanculture.org with an illustrated tour of the rich history and living traditions of the ancient seat of great civilisations. History, folk traditions, crafts, music, literature, folklore and archaeological sites are given a representation through the website, providing the visitor a broad vista of the depth and variety of Pakistan’s culture.

It has been an eventful 2010 on the cultural front -- a flurry of events, be it in the spheres of theatre, films, dance, art or music. Though Dhaka was the centre of most of these happenings, in a relatively new phenomenon we had the privilege of seeing many of our talented cultural personalities making a mark in the international arena as well.

A Chinese government official has praised the culture of Saudi Arabia and said more needs to be done to strengthen ties between the two countries... The visit comes on the sidelines of the Chinese Culture Week that kicked off Saturday in Riyadh, to mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, inaugurated a Chinese Cultural event at the King Fahd Cultural Center (KFCC) in Riyadh, Saturday night.

I met Madame Thai Thi Lien, the doyen of Vietnamese music, this year in Hanoi during the Southwest Chamber Music’s cultural exchange held in honor of the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Vietnam’s capital.

In the Tanoura dance, a broad-shouldered man, Tarek, comes onto the stage wearing a long multicoloured skirt. He starts whirling around at high speed like a top, and soon the skirt is swirling.

A trip of a lifetime to China was the extraordinary experience for four Kingsbury School pupils as they took part in a cultural exchange programme. Mia Davies, Amy Bagnall, Alex Paton and Ronnie Woollaston were the lucky group who jetted off to Ruyuan in Guangdong Province, Southern China.