Cultural Diplomacy
What began two and half years ago as a dream cultural connection between Harlem and Havana, Cuba, is practically a reality.[...] Lloyd Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, said, “We have worked out an agreement with the Cuban Ministry of Culture that on an annual basis, in winter, it will be Harlem going to Havana … and during the summer months, it will be Havana coming to Harlem. During that appearance here, they will participate in Harlem Week.”
The U.S. Department of State is collaborating with veteran ultra-marathon runner Dean Karnazes on a 12-day run along the Silk Road — an ancient trade route through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — as part of the department’s sports diplomacy program and which will commemorate the 25th anniversary of those countries’ independence from the Soviet Union.
Public diplomacy for cross-border cooperation.
Malaysia’s filmmaking industry is ready to move on to the next level, with the country’s first international film festival and award show – the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFF), and Malaysia Golden Global Awards (MGGA) – to be held in the first quarter of 2017. [...] The international film festival is co-organised by Malaysia’s National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, and is a joint effort between Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In Paris, refugee chefs are showcasing their culinary and cultural traditions in an innovative gastrodiplomacy initiative to feed cross-cultural understanding.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been a boxer, a nightclub bouncer, a world leader - and now, a cartoon book character. Mr Trudeau appears on the cover of an issue of Marvel's "Civil War II: Choosing Sides", due to be released on 31 August. Clad in a Maple-leaf tank top, boxing gloves and shorts, he is surrounded by members of a Canadian superhero group. In the story, he appears to advise the superhero team.
As the double barrels of hard power are increasingly regulated by intergovernmental agencies, nations are expanding their influence through the more pacific work of cultural promotion, and at the forefront of promoting Korean culture is the former diplomat Lee Si-hyung. When Lee was appointed the new president of the Korea Foundation last month, tasked with promoting the national brand overseas.
The Kinara Festival, organised by Love & Etiquette and Super Slow Way, is one of the first of its kind to take place in the UK and will bring diverse artists together to form the first comprehensive UK festival celebrating Islamic and South Asian arts and culture in time to celebrate Eid and the end of Ramadan.