Ascending Dragon, the biggest cultural exchange between Viet Nam and the US, has created a buzz among the Asian country's music scene.

Rob Ashgar on the potential of cultural diplomacy to ease the India-Pakistan conflict.  

Cultural life in Iraq is on the back-burner, but it still exists. And now the Iraq authorities are reaching out, to Malmö. During a trip to the country, Natik Awayez, artistic director for the Inkonst Culture Center in Malmö, was invited by Aqeel Al Mindlawie, Iraq's general director for cultural relations.

It is interesting how very few American writers have acknowledged the Pakistani contribution. One reason for this is Pakistan's weak public diplomacy skills. Most Pakistanis don't know about this, let alone Afghans and the international media.

The center will run courses in Balinese gamelan and dance, Indonesian language, batik making, cooking, angklung (bamboo musical instrument) as well as hosting art performances and cultural discussions.

...Navneet Suri, a former consul general to South Africa, said that the popularity and level of awareness created about India by the IPL bandwagon in South Africa was one of the biggest gains of the money-spinner tournament.

To Vijai Singh Katiyar, the sari is more than just an enduring symbol of India's tradition and heritage. It is, he says, a cultural wealth, a design resource that we need to harness as we move ahead into the future.

Organizers of the event merged the country's exquisite selection of food and various genres of music to better promote through diplomatic channeling. And more than a dozen ambassadors from various parts of the globe attended the ceremony to experience Korean dining.