After the Dalai Lama fled Chinese-controlled Tibet to India in 1959, several key monks of Tibet have followed suit. “The presence of all the religious heads of Tibet on Indian soil gives India a kind of power that China cannot match... India hosts the emotional and cultural core of a vast part of Chinese territory,” said Tsering Phuntsok of Norbulingka Institute for preservation of Tibetan culture.

While HBO’S aim is to broaden its audience’s knowledge of India, the films, all of which were made by foreigners, threaten to open a long-festering wound in India. The outside world’s depiction of the country is seldom appreciated, or embraced, by Indians.

CPD Interns Maya Babla, Mona El Hamdani and Aparajitha Vadlamannati are part of a team of seven graduate students currently on a two-week research trip to India to analyze the country's public diplomacy efforts. The objective of the trip is to spark a larger discussion on the relevance and value of public diplomacy within the international affairs and communications communities.

In the context of the Arab Spring, India is promoting Islam as an important aspect of Indian history and culture. One way to examine it is to look at the way Indian mass media portrays Islam. This is important for public diplomacy because what India projects to the rest of the world has to accurately reflect what is happening internally to gain credibility.

APDS Blogger: Anna Dawson

"It's been a tremendous experience to work in another country and be a part of the whole Bollywood process which is world famous. America and the rest of the world is fascinated with the whole Bollywood film industry and culture. I think it adds another layer of creative and cultural learning.

Aid diplomacy is an important part of the overall U.S. public diplomacy strategy. As a global power, the U.S. is part of international efforts...to alleviate poverty, provide humanitarian relief, support economic and social policies, and address global problems.

APDS Blogger: Hend Alhinnawi