I was excited to take part in an international symposium last week on Buddhist-Muslim interfaith dialogue in the commercial crossroads of Southeast Asia and the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. Appropriately titled "Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence in Multicultural Societies."

Farzad Amoozegar straddled two cultures, North American and Iranian, throughout much of his childhood. Before he was 9, the Persian language, culture and food had begun to shape his identity as an Iranian; after moving to Canada and then to America, he discovered music to bridge the gap between Iran and the West.

In a recent study that elicited the views of mainland Chinese tourists to Taiwan, the researchers show that the increase in tourism between the two places has already had a positive influence on the “long-term peace-building effort” and that it will “facilitate political reconciliation and mutual recognition” in the future.

Vatican is a small state, spread over just 34 hectares, but no one denies that the Vatican has a great influence on the countries around the world [...] construction of an Indonesian museum in the Vatican is a right step. It will help Indonesia pursue cultural diplomacy in the international arena. 

A Syrian orchestra whose members have fled the country's civil war to different parts of the globe is reuniting in London for a rare concert which they say will show people another side of their country. The Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music, which includes musicians from different perspectives of Syria's war, will perform on June 25 with songwriter and producer Damon Albarn, frontman of the band Blur, and other guest performers.

Dignitaries visiting the new US embassy in Nine Elms, south London, which is due for completion in late 2016, will encounter a commanding, site-specific work that is America incarnate. Los Angeles-based artist Mark Bradford’s work, “The Constitution”, will span 32 canvases and cover the embassy atrium. This gargantuan, patriotic piece will incorporate the entire text of the US Constitution .

This has been a fantastic week for Irish cinema. The achievements of directors, scriptwriters, actors and producers in nabbing seven Oscar nominations is the equivalent of the Irish football team getting to the World Cup final.