Go with the ‘fro: celebrating Botswanan women in the 21st century. Botswanan fashion artists Gatsh Fros set up a shoot for the launch edition of what they say will be the country's first ever fashion magazine.

Malek Jandali wants to use what he calls the “soft power” of his art to bring about a solution [to the effects of war]. A classical composer and part-time Atlanta resident, Jandali wants to use music to unite, and he plans to do that in an unusual way.

Liyuan's public persona has not disappointed in providing a spark of personality to China's image abroad. The high-profile spouse, widely regarded as the most visible since since Jiang Qing, the late wife of revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, has played a significant role in diplomacy.

Concerns about the closing of the American Center in Moscow appear to be overblown. Russia is still open to new ideas and the constructive role that can be played by soft power. [...] This may look like a form of paranoia, but truly speaking, the major goal is to find a fine line between culture and politics. 

The Permanent Mission of Israel will be hosting the event in partnership with the Forum for Cultural Diplomacy.[...] The initiative is very important for the Israeli mission, as it is part of Israel’s ongoing campaign to gain UN recognition of Yom Kippur as an official holiday at the United Nations. 

The closure of the American Center in Moscow is just the latest step taken by the Kremlin to crack down on U.S. public diplomacy initiatives within Russia and ratchet up anti-Western sentiment.[...] As Ambassador Tefft suggests, the move marks the culmination of a decades-long process of undermining U.S. cultural influence in Russia that emerged in the wake of the post-perestroika euphoria and belief in the rosy future of Russian-U.S. relations.