“For Muslim youth, music [is a way] to proclaim your identity, to proclaim your politics, to explain who you are, to mobilize, to build community,” Hisham Aidi told chief arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown.  In his new book, “Rebel Music: Race, Empire and the New Muslim Youth Culture,” Aidi explores the cross-cultural trends in political activism and movements throughout history, and how it’s all brought together with music.

The number of foreign fighters who have flooded into Syria throughout the past three years now exceeds the total number of jihadists who fought invading Soviet troops in Afghanistan in the 1980s, according to a report by the Soufan Group.

The main purpose of DanceMotion USA, a cultural diplomacy program run by the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the State Department, is to send American troupes abroad. Yet the program also benefits New Yorkers directly by having an American company bring back a foreign one for a free, collaborative performance here. These visits have proven illuminating, even if the arranged artistic alliances haven’t always gelled.

Speaking about the initiative, Ambassador Javed Malik said, “Art and culture are important mediums of cultural diplomacy, and modern day diplomats recognize the vital role that art can play in connecting people and promoting goodwill and positive interaction through creative dialogue. He appreciated the Pakistan association in Dubai for their work, and welcomed the formation of Pakistan Art & Photography Club, and said that further opportunities must be created for the Pakistani community in UAE to positively contribute to the society...

The Arts and Healing Network awarded Ballet Theatre Company’s Artistic Director and General Manager Roman Baca for his efforts creating war related dance pieces, combining military veterans with dance, and seeking artistic and cultural diplomacy in Iraq. Baca, a U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran, cofounded the Exit12 Dance Company in 2007 upon his return from Iraq and subsequently embarked on a soothing journey to help fellow veterans and to visualize inspiring conversations regarding worldly differences.

In 2012, Korea and the United Kingdom agreed to allow young people, aged from 18 to 30, to live and work for a maximum of two years in each other's countries in order to gain work experience.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 386 Koreans participated in the program, called the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS), in 2012, and this number jumped to 965 in 2013. Yet the high rate of Korean participants returning home early increasingly makes the program look like a failure.