Jazz wins hearts and minds. It’s a rhythmic diplomat, reflective and conversant by its nature. That’s the idea behind the Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, a project produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center and sponsored by grants from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, now embarking on its seventh series of journeys.

Members of the famous Mayurbhanj Chhau Group from Orissa, India are on their way to the West Indies for several performances and workshops from March 14 to 20. This is under the aegis of the High Commissioner of India, Malay Mishra and Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation.

Just a fortnight before the massive tsunami devastated north-eastern Japan, nearly 300 passionate Japanese nationals in the City were enjoying themselves, exhibiting aspects of their cultural heritage and embracing elements of Indian mores.

Since the whole deal with the public vote for the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi began back in September [RUS], the issue seems to have been all but “non-political”: from the selection of 11 emblems-finalists at the end of the solicitation period to the actual call-in and SMS vote on February 26 2011, televised [RUS] on the state channel ORT.

As visitors from Taiwan and the rest of the world are discovering, however, there are more than flowers on display. The beauty of Taiwanese culture is highlighted through thousands of scheduled cultural performances, and local achievements in horticulture, science and environmental protection can also be seen.

It is crucial Taiwan promotes its cultural relevance within the global community as a means of boosting the nation’s international visibility. As part of this push, the country is planning to engage in linguistic diplomacy through the Taiwan Academies initiative.

American Muslims organized rallies that they were calling "I Am Muslim Too" to protest against the March 10 hearing in the U.S. Congress on the perceived "radicalization" of American Muslims. Among those opposed to the hearing -- which was called by congressman Peter King (Republican, New York) -- is Salman Ahmad, a Pakistani-American activist, rock star, UN goodwill ambassador, and author of the book "Rock & Roll Jihad: A Muslim Rock Star's Revolution."

This season, Mumbai’s fashion week is looking to add a little foreign flavour to the mix of designers showcasing. Joining hands with the the Japan Fashion Week (JFW), one of the shows will feature three Japanese designers as part of Tokyoeye — a unique cross-cultural exchange initiative by Japan’s Mi
nistry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) collections to buyers from India and all over the world.