The colorful, packed extravaganza in the expansive Ronald Reagan atrium featured an array of booths and information exhibitions that spotlighted different nations’ culture, cuisine, arts and crafts, trade, tourism and traditional dress. Thousands of visitors could wander and learn more about dozens of countries spanning the globe. 

Serena Hotels, under its Cultural Diplomacy initiative, organized a wonderful Heritage Fair at the Serena Business Complex Lawn, to help promote local art and artisans. With cultural music playing in the background and provincial artists dancing, the atmosphere boasted a fragrance of delicious local cuisine as craftspeople and vendors showcased the cultural diversity of the country.

Pakistan can receive millions of tourists annually if there may be peace and infrastructure in areas where these ancient sites and relics were located. If Pakistan government take the initiative, it could kick start a massive hospitality industry in the region earning billions of dollars foreign exchange annually.

Organizers hope to expand  the exhibition soon and find a larger venue for it. Meanwhile, other U.S. embassies — including the one in Berlin — are also helping Syrian artists gain exposure. Without art and culture, civilized societies cannot exist, said Al Kadri. The exhibition, he added, “is a big chance [to show] that Syria has a deep-rooted civilization.”

A 6-day international training workshop will start from December 12 to inscribe rich Intangible Cultural Heritage on UNESCO'S Representative List of Humanity that will bring Pakistan on the cultural map of the world and would promote its soft image. National history and Literary Heritage Division (NH&LH), Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage in collaboration with CRIHAP and UNESCO, is organising the 6-day training workshop on community based inventorying under UNESCO 2003 Convention on safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Noted Hindi poet-critic Ashok Vajpeyi on Friday said cultural initiatives are important to improve ties with Pakistan in the long-run and hoped the two neighbours can be comrades in arms in the sphere of art.

Sri Lanka’s diaspora-to-population ratio is known to be one of the highest in the South Asian region. Sri Lanka is now exploring ways to engage its overseas community for future growth and reconciliation. Engaging these stakeholders in development (and ultimately reconciliation) necessarily relies upon sound knowledge of who they are. 

Promoting culture is imperative for Arabs given the destruction of, and war on, culture launched by extremist and terrorist groups in the Middle East/North Africa region, said Sultan Al Qassemi. [...] Al Qassemi spoke on the Arab world’s rich history in culture, and promoted the notion of cultural diplomacy, but admitted funding in general remained a hindrance to supporting the arts.