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.

More than 300 of the Communist Party’s most powerful leaders met in Beijing and discussed ways of boosting the nation’s “cultural soft power”: an admission that for all the country’s economic prowess it lacks the magnetic draw of a country like America.

Called Viki, the Singapore-based web startup pools the linguistic talents of thousands of its users to help push world television content into markets historically impenetrable to all but a handful of foreign-language productions. The service relies on an active community of translators proficient in 158 languages to caption the footage.

Bollywood is an industry that employs many, and is an important source of India's soft power. It is the government's responsi-bility to ensure that Bollywood is not put out of business by rampaging Hollywood moguls keen to capture the Indian market.