Laughter is the best medicine, but it could also make good diplomacy. That’s what U.S. diplomats in India are hoping for with a State Department-sponsored comedy tour. The “Make Chai, Not War” stand-up tour is on a mission to break down religious barriers between Indians and promote U.S.-India cultural ties.

We Americans tend to take our presidential campaigns lightly...But for people in many other parts of the world, the American presidential campaign is a thing of wonder...As a public diplomacy tool, this process is invaluable, but how should it be presented?

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei...summed up China's diplomatic achievements in 2011, and said China will adhere to the path of peaceful development...China safeguarded the security and rights of Chinese nationals... and carried out public and cultural diplomacy

As part of its public diplomacy exercise, China invited 500 Indian youth, who met Premier Wen Jiabao in the Great Hall of People on September 23. The youth delegation was led by India’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Ajay Maken.

One of the goals of this blog series is to develop greater awareness and knowledge of how culture intervenes in public diplomacy. In public diplomacy, culture’s web of influence spans across policy, practice, and research, and encompasses both sponsor and intended public.