America does not have a regional problem, it has a national one. It is less about which statues stay up in the South than which prejudices fall nationwide. And that will, in turn, determine how we deserve to be seen in the world.

Czech speed skater Martina Sablikova and the late conductor Jiri Belohlavek will be among the 15 personalities who will receive the Gratias Agit award for promoting the country's good name from Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek on Friday. Belohlavek, chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic who died on May 31 at the age of 71 years, will be awarded in memoriam.

For a guy who started out in advertising a couple of decades ago, it’s surprising he dismisses Cannes with a flick of his wrist. V Sunil, the man behind Motherland — known for its millennial-chic magazine — says, “It’s an encouragement if you win, but you take some pictures and you go home and unfortunately, nothing really changes. So when we started our company, we decided we are not going to get into that drama.” He’s launched movements like Incredible India and Make in India, and brands like Indigo and has seen the country itself go beyond campaigns to experiences.

Going by headline indicators, Singapore's country brand looks strong enough. The Lion City tops the world in "online presence" in the Global Cities Index released this month. In the 2016 Soft Power 30 ranking of countries by their soft power, Singapore moved up two places to break into the top 20. But what fresh challenges lie in wait, in this new world of Brexit and Mr. Donald Trump? How well does Singapore stand in promoting and protecting its international reputation so as to continue to boost its magnetic pull for the choicest investments, trade, tourism and talent?