At this intersection of culture and politics, a number of social enterprises have been born in the UK, encouraging women from migrant and refugee backgrounds to achieve their dreams of establishing their own businesses—all through the strength of their culinary skills. Such initiatives are aimed at allowing women to both use their power to earn and to fight anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Earlier this month saw the world’s first celebration of all things emoji, Emojicon. The brainchild of Jennifer 8. Lee and designer Yiying Lu, founders of Emojination, and produced by Jeanne Brooks, the convention aimed to promote diversity and representation within emoji. It also brought together designers, enthusiasts, and members of the Unicode consortium.

Two schools will open branches in Dubai with a combined enrolment capacity of up to 4,000 students. [...] The Centre of Excellence for Arabic Language, Culture and the Arts located on the same campus, will be dedicated to the development of intra-cultural exchange, facilitate both teacher and student development, as well as promote a deeper understanding of the rich Arabic history and traditions.

According to the United Nations, 6.6 million people have been displaced by Syria's civil war. They have found refuge across the globe, facing economic hardship, language barriers, social and cultural acclimation. Despite their challenges, Syrians find hope and solace in their traditional food culture as a source of normalcy, stability, and hope in bridging cultural divides. 

A series of concerts entitled "So klingt Europa" (The Sound of Europe) organized by the country's treasury is aimed at showcasing the diversity of the eurozone through song and dance. Various performers from disparate parts of the EU have taken part in the event series, which was started three years ago, providing a platform for their respective cultural contributions to the European Union.

Veteran film journalist Esin Kucuktepepinar had just arrived back in Turkey after attending the Tokyo International Film Festival when she spoke by phone to Al-Monitor on Nov. 3 from the Istanbul airport. During the interview, she offered her impressions on the success of Turkish TV soap opera series. “Interest in Turkish series is growing everywhere,”

DNA research suggests that Māori originated from Taiwan. This week Te Kāea reporter Talisa Kupenga embarks on an Asia New Zealand Foundation-sponsored cultural exchange to the Island nation some 180-kilometres East of China. The exchange aims to explore the indigenous links and the potential for greater economic ties between Taiwan and Aotearoa.