A longtime Las Cruces schoolteacher spent part of her summer in a small village in Albania, working with the Fulbright Association and Cultural Heritage Without Borders to restore historic, Ottoman-era mansions that have fallen into disrepair.

Tags: united states, albania, sweden, kosovo, fulbright, ottoman culture, cultural heritage without borders, Cultural Diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy

Actor Joel Edgerton and director George Miller will receive honorary awards in Los Angeles for their contribution to Australia's reputation in film. [...] Miller will receive a lifetime achievement award for his commitment to creative industries in Australia and his reputation as a filmmaker, especially the Mad Max series.

Tags: united states, australia, film diplomacy, g'day usa, mad max, george miller, joel edgerton, government pd, cultural pd, nation branding, reputation building

America’s money and public diplomacy have opened conversations and opportunities in societies where the subject was taboo just a few years ago. But they have also made gay men and lesbians more visible — and more vulnerable to harassment and violence, people on both sides of the gay rights issue contend. 

Tags: nigeria, united states, government pd, gay rights, lgbti advocacy, human rights, usaid

The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Saturday launched a global thought leadership platform to help frame and stimulate regional and global debate on vital development issues shaping the Middle East.

Tags: middle east exchange, The Gates Foundation, leadership, economic development, non state pd, united arab emirates, youth, dubai, innovation, education

Speaking at a conference chaired by Senator Sherry Rehman titled ‘The Road to 2016: Negotiating Deadlock and Diplomacy with India and Afghanistan’, participants discussed Jinnah Institute’s Track II diplomacy efforts for building sustained channels of bilateral and multilateral engagements and for offering alternative recommendations on regional policy issues.

Tags: india, afghanistan, islamabad, bilateral relations, multilateral engagements, narendra modi, pakistan, government pd, economic cooperation

Last 30th of September, the French and Dutch ministers of Culture announced publicly the join purchase by the Louvre and the Rijksmuseum of a pair of portraits by Rembrandt. A premiere in the history of museology, and a new step in European non-governmental relations.

Tags: france, netherlands, culture, arts, louvre, rijksmuseum, rembrandt, museum diplomacy, Cultural Diplomacy, mark rutte, francois hollande, bilateral relations, cooperation

Three main strands run through the narrative: learning Japanese, creating camaraderie with Keio University students, and acquiring extropy. That ambassadors come and go is a truism. Yet, precious few make a permanent mark on the country and people where they are accredited. Aftab Seth is one such scholar-diplomat. 

Tags: japan, language diplomacy, culture, india, bilateral relations, Cultural Diplomacy, japan india partnership forum, keio university, education, literature

They look like scenes from a Hollywood movie. [...] Underneath the images, a track of soulful music enhances his emotional plea. But this video isn't from Hollywood. It's from ISIS. The Islamic State's online recruitment is so powerful that the U.S. government is having a difficult time counteracting it, according to experts who study efforts by both sides.

Tags: isis, violent extremism, propaganda, digital diplomacy & new tech, think again turn away, new america, social media, non state pd, strategic communication