Uprisings against tyrants in Africa and the Middle East. Economic immolation in Europe. Nuclear weapons programs in Iran and North Korea. Canada has never looked so good. Canada’s soft power values of peace, order and good government, ... are the envy of the planet. But if we fail to push our national interests, we’ll be in no position to assert these soft power values.

A look at how India is elevating its public diplomacy to match its growing stature in global affairs.

Expert insight on the India Is campaign. 

Despite priding ourselves as a friendly, hospitable nation with a warm and vibrant people, Jamaica is increasingly branded as one of the most homophobic societies in the Western Hemisphere. Within the current global context, defined by the spread of information, culture and trade, Jamaica's 'quality brand' would appear to be at risk.

The government of Kazakhstan seems eager to counter any negative perceptions about the Central Asian nation. It has spent substantial sums on global public relations, striving to shape an image as a modern, open and investment-friendly nation by relying on a stable of top-tier public relations firms and international advisors.

For all its efforts to enhance the soft power, China has had a limited return on its investment. The development of soft power need not be a zero sum game. All countries can gain from finding attraction in one anothers’ cultures. But for China to succeed, it will need to unleash the talents of its civil society. Unfortunately, that does not seem about to happen soon.