The dramatic changes in the Middle East region are leading to a new paradigm for understanding conflict and the pursuit of freedom by people, no matter what their religion or origin. Efforts to build bridges between communities are being propelled by social media, education and entertainment.

The Korea Furniture Museum, which hosted luncheon for spouses of G20 leaders during the G20 Seoul Summit in November, launched an academic program on Tuesday for spouses of foreign ambassadors to Korea and expat CEOs to help them discover traditional Korean heritage.

A popular Afghan musician known for drawing huge crowds across Afghanistan is Radio Azadi's "Person of the Year." Farhad Darya was recognized by RFE's Afghan station for his exceptional dedication to promoting music and cultural tolerance throughout the country.

With careful diplomatic scripting, India and Pakistan began talking again this week...Then, unexpectedly, a cricket match intervened, and almost overnight, the scope and possibilities of the dialogue have changed. The national teams of India and Pakistan have both advanced to the semifinal round of the cricket World Cup tournament, now in progress.

Public diplomacy is a field predicated on the communication of culture and values to foreign publics; gastrodiplomacy is the act of winning hearts and minds via stomachs. Gastrodiplomacy uses culinary delights to appeal to the global public’s appetite, and thus helps raise a nation’s brand awareness and reputation.

Cricket diplomacy is the opposite of the notorious “gunboat diplomacy,” in which forces are deployed and coercion is used against the opponent. In the context of Pakistan-India relations, the history of diplomatic episodes in the name of cricket is not new.

I've just returned from a mission trip with First Methodist Dallas to San Jose , Costa Rica, where we worked with a pair of Texas missionaries who are building an orphanage. More on Texas' ties to the children's home to come soon...

The United States Embassy has encouraged more Pakistani students to study in America and representatives of 11 US universities met students and their parents.