When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor 75 years ago, museum directors across the nation had a decision to make: Should they continue to exhibit the Japanese Friendship Dolls given to the United States by the children of Japan 14 years earlier? It is thought that only one, Harry Davis of the N.C. State Museum, chose to leave the elegantly dressed, handmade wooden doll at his museum on display.

The song playing was Taylor Swift’s ode to young adulthood, which is something of an anthem for American millennials. The lyrics transform an unexciting age into an identity, the uncertainty of youth into a celebration. [...] The song set the tone for that night and cemented what became a steadfast friendship among us, students from different continents with traits more different than similar.
 

As Hollywood comes to China in desperate search of new, lucrative audiences, China is desperate to harness something of the elusive magic. If it can build its own film industry, the argument goes, it can use it to develop its so-called "soft power", in the same way US movies have carried American values and norms around the world for a century or more.

The J-1 visa programme that allows Irish students work for 12 months in the US is being extended for another three years under a new agreement signed by the Irish Government with the State Department. 

The skyline of Paris has just acquired yet another arresting feature. Only a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower, a spanking new Russian Orthodox cathedral, complete with five onion domes and a cultural centre, was inaugurated on December 4th by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, amid sonorous rhetoric about the long and chequered history of the Russian diaspora in France.

A social enterprise in Queensland is helping refugee and migrant women gain employment and foster community spirit through cooking. The Spice Exchange sees these enterprising women come together to creates spice blends, condiments and gingerbread. [...] Backed by Access Community Services, the social enterprise in Logan, south of Brisbane, also helps the women practise their English-speaking skills. 

Promoting culture is imperative for Arabs given the destruction of, and war on, culture launched by extremist and terrorist groups in the Middle East/North Africa region, said Sultan Al Qassemi. [...] Al Qassemi spoke on the Arab world’s rich history in culture, and promoted the notion of cultural diplomacy, but admitted funding in general remained a hindrance to supporting the arts.

Now in its fourth year, the Prizm Art Fair is the only Art Basel Miami Beach satellite fair dedicated to showcasing artists from the African Diaspora — whether underrepresented or already well-established. Founded and directed by Mikhaile Solomon, Prizm allows for cultural exchange and the representation of forgotten histories.