The U.S.-Polish relationship is buttressed by our peoples’ centuries-long pursuit of liberty and freedom--values that unite us as we strive together to create a Europe whole, free, and at peace. [...] Almost 10 million Americans today claim Polish ancestry, providing unwavering support for close U.S.-Poland relations.  The Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission has funded more than 1,900 Poles and 1,000 American exchanges over its 60-year history. 

Italy is on show at the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro with two important exhibitions and exclusive coverage of the games by state broadcaster RAI. [...]  "We are faced with the double challenge transmitting the importance of representing ourselves to our country and communicating the culture of the Country system. It is essential that the public service broadcaster speaks to those who are interested in Italy," 

Somaliland Diaspora Agency (SLDA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of the Republic of Somaliland is planning to hold the 3rd Annual Diaspora Conference under the theme “Experiences of the Diaspora & the Situation at Home” in August 2016. Previous conferences were successful in bringing Somaliland Diaspora and representatives of the Somaliland government together to discuss critical issues on Somaliland’s political transition, economic opportunities and the important role of the Diaspora in the nation’s development.

The Mosaic Taiwan 2016 program ended successfully recently with remarkable singing, dancing and instrument performances by program fellows, new diplomats and youth ambassadors, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). MOFA Secretary General Wen-liang Chang awarded completion certificates and five recognition awards. The friendly interaction between young leaders from Taiwan, the U.S. and Canada was a perfect ending to the event, said MOFA.

“During challenging times like these, there’s no replacement for people-to-people diplomacy – it’s something governments just can’t do,” observes Joanne Bouldt Sanders, former mayor of Sonoma and co-Chairman of Sonoma Sister City International. [...] “Organizations like Sister Cities International connect communities around the world, bringing people from different cultures together, allowing them to understand each other better and develop and build positive relationships"

In a few weeks, 14 members of the Felix Mantilla Little League will board a plane that will cross an ocean and land in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Most of the kids, ages 9 and 10, have never been out of Milwaukee. In Puerto Rico, they will play baseball games against age-group peers. [...] But baseball is not the most important part of the trip. The kids, mostly from low-income families, will visit historic Old San Juan, the Arecibo Observatory and the El Yunque rainforest and will tour the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame.

The 2016 East Global Citizenship Development Seminar (GCDS) organized by the International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC) was recently held in Shanghai. With the purpose of helping 131 international volunteers from 32 different countries along with 54 Chinese students from mainland universities prepare for six weeks of cultural exchange in China, the seminar allowed the volunteers an opportunity to learn about and respect different cultures and lifestyles.

Daya Kishan Thussu’s Communicating India’s Soft Power: Buddha to Bollywood (Sage, 2016) is a rare resource on the subject of the country’s ‘soft power’. As the author himself claims, “on the soft power of China itself there are at least half a dozen books published in English – many more in Mandarin – while in the case of India the terrain is blank, despite its large array of soft power elements”.