The past month exposes the limits of leaders who try to shape the world — and how unexpected actions by individuals can influence the course of history. “The drama of a singular event can supersede years of policymaking,” says Philip Seib, director of the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy.

Words without Borders tells us that "50 percent of all books in translation now published worldwide are translated from English, but only six percent are translated into English." "The conversation between the reading public in the United States and the rest of the world has become more like a monologue."

Together with the other Filipino achievers whose works and talents have been recognized in New Zealand, Ivy continues to do our country and people proud! Indeed, Ivy is among our valued links in enhancing Philippines-New Zealand cultural relations and people-to-people ties. This is cultural diplomacy at its best!

There are more than 17 million Facebook users in Iran, but the site is banned throughout the country. Iran also bans its citizens from accessing Twitter and YouTube. Even so, people are finding a way around the censorship with the help of Virtual Private Networks...

...I was at a restaurant in New York City's East Village looking for ways to experience elements of India without leaving home. By observing differences between the real India and the India of New York City, I learned many important cultural lessons.

To be successful and competitive in the long run, the private sector must manage global issues with numerous geographic and geopolitical challenges with creativity and dexterity, re-defining traditional notions of global engagement and public diplomacy along the way. A hybrid form of Smart Power on steroids.

On her graduation day at the prestigious Kennedy School at Harvard, Yang Jia’s dean called her “China’s soft power”. A decade later, Yang, 49, has probably become more than that — in a country which has the largest population of the disabled in the world, visually impaired Yang is now its symbol of hope.

There are so many stigmas attached to Israel at the moment. Without making this blog sound at all like a propaganda-fuelled promo piece for the nation, I was delighted to find out that Tel Aviv is nothing like most foreigners expect it to be.