Celebrity diplomacy is nothing new. On Tuesday, Madonna has announced plans to build 10 schools in Malawi with a new partner after mismanagement forced the singer to scrap her first project there last year. The singer said she hoped the schools would educate at least 1,000 children a year, half of them girls.

The respect that India has been able to command at the international arena has come in no small measure by this soft power of the overseas Indian, who the world over are known for their values of hard work, of excellence and enterprise and respect for their communities and adopted countries.

Flashy pop culture figures and sports icons may not negotiate an armistice or prevent war, but they could be valuable levers to get top diplomats into the right place at the right time while lowering the stress of high-stakes diplomacy.

Events in Egypt and countries across the Middle East and North Africa have shown in the 'Arab Spring' that internet platforms and technologies should be seen for what they are: effective tools for the conduct of political campaigns in authoritarian contexts.

Israel has changed its attitude toward the Diaspora and is more interested in a relationship of equals than it was before. Speaking at the Women’s International Zionist Organization’s Enlarged General Meeting, the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister boasted that the government not only accepts donations from Jews living abroad but also invests in them.

Promoting Korean food has been one of the key cultural projects of the Lee Myung-bak government. But many wondered how much the government’s efforts could help spread a culinary culture, which is simply different from an export item like computer chips.

40 aspiring musicians from the same institution are all set to present Mozart Magic in India...Interestingly, the costumes for the performance have been designed by Indian designer duo of Parvesh & Jai and comprise traditional dresses kings and queens once wore.

Citizen diplomacy is a concept defined as individuals taking actions to engage with those outside of their country in a meaningful and mutually beneficial dialogue. In China, the kind of citizen diplomacy undertaken by both Mr Woo and Mr Yang are individual actions that were unheard of just a couple of years ago.