Actually, the temple can enhance China's 'soft power' diplomacy and provides a more intriguing picture of the nation.....Although Abbot Shi Yongxin faces a great deal of criticism for commercializing the temple, he's bringing global attention to Chinese culture. Many famous Hollywood actors and American superstar athletes have visited the Shaolin Temple to learn from the kung fu monks.

Nowadays, we call this phenomenon globalization: "the intensification of economic, political, social and cultural relations across borders,"... But make no mistake: the world that Ibn Battuta experienced in his travels nearly 700 years ago was as globalized as the world we live in today.

In the States, we hear of hip-hop projects to keep kids off the streets. In Sana'a, the stakes went up a notch. Hip-hop, the hope was, could keep youth out of al-Qaeda. And the charming and unassuming AJ easily endeared himself to embassy staff, government officials, and NGOs that wanted to support his efforts.

Youssef created mock Arabic newscasts of the Egyptian revolution for YouTube. The comedy clips were such a hit that they led to a production deal with Egypt's ONTV.

“Barbie is an American cultural icon,” said Li Guangdou, a brand analyst in Shanghai. “It is more than a toy. It is also promoting a kind of American culture. Youthfulness, confidence, independence and sex are the selling points of Barbie. But Oriental culture emphasizes more of introversion and introspection.”

It’s not a freedom fighter atop a tank but a young bohemian woman in Benghazi reviving a carnival banned by Gaddafi and singing songs of protest. Ann Marlowe reports on an extraordinary utopian moment in the free city.

CPD Assistant Director for Research and Publications, Naomi Leight, will be participating on a panel, organized by BINA LA, discussing the impact of film and culture in Israel’s public diplomacy strategy.

Royal wedding fever sweeping the Western world is making its way across Canada, including Quebec, despite conflicting emotions among Quebecois over the monarchy's role in the francophone province... In Montreal, 25-year-old Alexandra Arbour, a medical student, proudly displays her royal collectibles...