At the end of its four-day annual policy meeting, China’s ruling Communist Party approved a programme to make its ideology more popular at home and boost China’s soft power abroad.

APDS Blogger: Rajesh Mirchandani

For anyone who is Indian-born, as I am, the chance to see Ravi Shankar perform is akin to an audience with the Pope for Catholics – and perhaps even harder to accomplish. This one-off show at the Disney Hall had been scheduled for October last year and postponed twice - due, the press release said, to “illness and visa complications” (a public diplomacy blunder for U.S. immigration?).

A bronze bust of Mahatma Gandhi, gifted to the people of Egypt by India in recognition of their peaceful pro-democracy revolution, has been unveiled in Cairo to mark the fifth international day of non-violence.

Art and dance are reflections and representations of the complexities of humanity, which is designed to captivate us visually and audibly, invoking a deep emotional connection that transcends through time and boundaries, proving their importance as the essential tools of cultural diplomacy.

While most media coverage around Islam focuses on wars or terrorism, two female singers, Falguni Shah and Emel Aykanat, are using music to show a fuller picture. They do not know each other...but for years they have each used Oriental instruments and rhythms to speak out against racism and try to overcome prejudices.

APDS Blogger: Helen Tol Dosta

It’s been over 30 years since the horrors of Pol Pot’s terrorizing reign and while there are many remnants of the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge regime remaining, the country is rebuilding. Since the influx of NGOs and IGOs in the mid 1990s, Cambodia has seen all types of organizations enter and leave, providing much needed assistance in health care, educational and cultural programs.

Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong met with Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, pledging to actively promote relationships between China and the EU. Vassiliou said...that such exchanges will enhance communication in the areas of education and culture, and promote further cooperation.

From October 24 through November 11, emerging journalists from 105 countries will participate in the U.S. Department of State’s Edward R. Murrow Program. The flagship initiative...will connect international journalists with their American counterparts, where they will meet in both the newsroom and in United States’ journalism classrooms.