non-state pd

November 8, 2011

Cross-cultural tensions on the American campus may still increase because...it’s fundamentally a clash of civilizations. Chinese and Americans have fundamentally different values, norms, and worldviews, and Chinese students on U.S. campuses is merely the first front of the inevitable struggle between the hegemon and its challenger.

A satirical song that takes a tongue-in-cheek swipe at religious extremism, militancy and contradictions in Pakistani society has become an instant hit , drawing widespread attention as a rare voice of the country’s embattled liberals. The popularity of the song on the Internet has made it a sensation across the border in India as well, surprising the band members.

November 7, 2011

We formed The Water Initiative (TWI) because the global water crises requires local, customized solutions. TWI co-creates customized and sustainable drinking water solutions through innovative partnerships with municipalities, businesses and local micro-entrepreneurs in developing and developed countries.

The idea...is to “look for films with strategic crossovers to show the world that there are ways to make films that can be extremely successful in China and extremely successful in the U.S. That might be Chinese myths or U.S. cultural stories as long as they make for really great global stories.”

For Nusrat Durrani, senior vice president and general manager of MTV World, the connective tissue that binds cultures and countries is music. It also provides the insistent beat that drives MTV’s newest multi-platform global music brand, MTV Iggy, a channel that aims to bring artists and pop culture from around the world to America.

The Australian screen industry is extending its reach into the USA, following a new International Engagement Program...with G'Day USA...which seeks to strengthen trade, investment, business, innovation and cultural relations between Australia and the United States.

November 1, 2011

An interesting blog post from the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy discusses Creative Learning, an organization that encourages Americans to become “unofficial Ambassadors” to different Islamic nations. Another blog...demonstrates the impact social media can have on public diplomacy and how the use of the internet makes public diplomacy very effective in its distribution.

Through WaterCredit, we have explored the application of microfinance to water and sanitation needs. The potential of microfinance to democratize access to capital is paralleled by the potential of technology and social media to democratize access to information.

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