During the opening ceremony Belarusian Culture Minister Boris Svetlov noted that the center will work to represent and popularize the cultural legacy as well as modern culture and art of Belarus in addition to providing information about the country's public, political, and economic life.

A new generation of African photographers are redreaming the medium again. Look, for example, at the Africans among the 25 young shooting stars chosen for the short list of the sixth prize for contemporary African photography – the CAP Prize – which awards depictions of life on the continent and the diaspora. [...] The themes are personal and political, and there’s a fierce social justice edge in the work of many of the finalists, which includes two South Africans: Tsoku Maela and Lebohang Kganye.

Under the patronage of the President of Azerbaijan H. E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, Baku will be hosting the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue on May 5-6, 2017. The topic of this year’s Forum is: “Advancing Intercultural Dialogue: New Avenues for Human Security, Peace and Sustainable Development;” it is being organized in cooperation with UNESCO, UN Alliance of Civilizations and other prestigious international organizations.

Bollywood may sound just like a step-sister of Hollywood; however, the language, syntax, grammar and scale of both the industries are poles apart. What was it then that allowed Bollywood to establish its stronghold not only in Hollywood but in other continents like Africa and Europe, and countries like Africa, China and Japan. National Award winning author Roopa Swaminathan's book Bollywood Boom: India's Rising Soft Power explores that and much more.

Deb Mukharji is a writer and a former Diplomat. He served as the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and is a long time friend to our country. Being an ardent art lover and culture enthusiast, he writes about Bangladesh's involvement in the Khajuraho Dance Festival.