Cultural Diplomacy

Indian Prime Minister Narendra​ Modi​ is a big fan of yoga. He calls it "India's gift to the world" and recommends people make yoga as much a part of daily life as their mobile phone. But yoga is also a key asset in Modi's push to promote and develop India's soft power....

Inside the Pentagon’s 9/11 memorial chapel, built where terrorists attacked the building nearly 15 years ago, the Muslim call to prayer goes out. The man who will lead prayer, Dawud Agbere, is one of five Muslim Army chaplains. Since being stationed at the Pentagon, he leads afternoon prayer, giving fellow Muslims at work a chance to connect with their creator.

China's Mid-Autumn Festival will fall on September 15th this year. Chinese people mark the festival by getting together with their families and eating mooncakes. Even if you're not in China, you can still get a taste of the festive atmosphere. We'll take you now to a special performance in Australia and a mooncake-making contest in Cape Town, South Africa.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pushed Buddhism diplomacy during his recent trip to Hanoi. India had announced special annual scholarships for Vietnamese students in advanced Buddhist studies at Masters/Doctoral level and scholarships of a year for study of Sanskrit at Indian institutes for Buddhist Sangha members.  

Indian Academy of Fine Arts, established in pre-Partition days, has extended invitation to artists from Pakistan for joint performances and participation in various competitions including painting, sculpturing, fine arts etc. aiming to bolster the relations between two nations which have taken a backseat in recent past.

The embassy tours will take place this weekend on a first-come, first-served basis and are part of Heritage Open Days, England’s annual festival of history, which will see thousands of places open their doors. [...] As well as the embassy tours, the trust has launched Europe and Us in 99 Objects and on 17-18 September will hold a weekend of events at Mount Stewart [...] exploring the history and politics of British diplomacy. 

There is a need for African governments and industry to explore innovative financing schemes alongside enactment of robust policies to spur the growth of the cinema and audio visual industry, [...] Speaking at a media roundtable ahead of the Africa Film Festival to be held in Nairobi from October 12 to 16, the officials said a vibrant creative industry will boost the continent's soft power and economic growth.

The Kyrgyz Republic is home to the pearl of Central Asia – Lake Issyk-Kul, a government protected biosphere reserve and recognised by UNESCO as the second-largest high mountain lake in the world. [...] Cholpon-Ata, a city in the heart of this region, is host to the Second World Nomad Games. Around 10,000 people were present at its spectacular opening ceremony. 

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