"The decision by the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award the European Union (EU) with the 2012 Peace Prize has come as a surprise to many. Defending its decision, the Committee in Oslo heralded over half a century of European stabilisation: ‘The union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe’.

In partnership with governments, civil society and UN agencies, Funds and Programmes, UNICEF is laying the groundwork to end child marriage globally. In 2011, 34 country offices reported efforts to address child marriage through social and economic change efforts and legal reform... During the event, the new U.S. Public Diplomacy Officer in Lagos, Mrs. Rhonda Watson, said that the U.S. Embassy was always ready to help the young girls to realize their dreams.

Let me say at the outset, I am proud to be an American. I believe that with my citizenship comes a responsibility to be engaged and pay attention not just to what is happening domestically but also to what is happening in the world. In addition to being a proud American, I also see myself as a citizen of the world. So much of America is interconnected with the world and much of what we do here in the U.S. – from who we elect, to the goods and services we buy, to the media we consume – touches millions of lives around the globe.

Some of the most important work of citizen diplomacy that's been done in a long time, I suspect, is the trip recently organized by Code Pink that took nearly 40 U.S. peace activists to Pakistan. They met with elected officials, tribal leaders, drone victims whose existence the U.S. government denies, and with the U.S. Ambassador.

Taiwanese expatriates around major U.S. cities and in Paris celebrated Taiwan's Double Ten National Day in advance on Saturday, with events ranging from a procession of Harley-Davidson motorcycles to a fair held in New York.

Hip-hop music is becoming increasingly popular in Saudi Arabia with the rise of young artists who are mainly influenced by American hip-hop culture. To enhance mutual understanding through cultural exchange, the US Embassy held a workshop by two American hip-hop artists Edan and Paten at the US Consulate General here recently. Both have received international attention and critical acclaim.

For many decades a notable exporting powerhouse in manufacturing, South Korea has become a significant cultural exporter in recent years. ''K-Pop'' music enjoys enormous popularity in Asia, as do Korean television dramas. The latter have even found a foothold in places such as Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Eastern Europe.

Saakashivili is the only person in the entire post-Soviet space who was not afraid to challenge and clean the ossified post-Communist system, remove its cronies and build the country of his dreams, even if many of his own fellow citizens discovered that it was difficult to find their place in the newly transformed state.