Pakistani Issues Explored by CPD University Fellows, Asghar and Soni

Last month, USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni and Rob Asghar, a USC Center on Public Diplomacy University Fellow, met with officials from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., to discuss the Pakistani diaspora community and to explore a relationship with the USC center.




As a result of the visit, Soni and Asghar ended up as two of the organizers for the Concert for Pakistan, which occurred Sept. 13 at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York. The concert drew nearly 2,000 music fans from around the world, allied in their concern for the conflict-affected people of the Swat region. Salman Ahmad, Sting, Deepak Chopra, Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani, Roger Federer and Donna Karan joined diplomats in calling for help for the region.




"The Concert for Pakistan symbolized the power of popular culture and the arts as a potent form of public diplomacy," Soni said. "By bringing together musicians from around the world, the concert put a human face to the serious challenges confronting Pakistan’s three million internally displaced people."




To read a CPD Blog about the Concert for Pakistan, click here.