The power disparity between donors and causes, between foundations and nonprofit organizations is as great a gulf as any other in civil society.

Asian philanthropy is an emerging force in international relations. As social impact investors, philanthropists in Asia are non-state actors transforming civil society and diplomacy.

In a recent interview with world-renowned Spanish chef José Andrés, we discussed creativity and inspiration, his open and collaborative style of leadership, the many secrets to his success, philanthropic efforts in the U.S. and around the world, and much more.

In this email interview, Craig Newmark says they're still working out the model but have enjoyed early success in linking groups dedicated to serving military families. The nonprofit also focuses on open government, technology for good causes, public diplomacy, consumer protection and back-to-basics journalism.

Teaming up with the Gates Foundation isn't just a charitable move on the part of the Chinese government. The partnership is a perfect example of soft power--the spreading of influence through propaganda, public works, and cultural prestige.

UBS has announced that David Hayward Evans is its new head of philanthropy and values-based investing Asia-Pacific, based in Singapore...He also managed public-private partnerships for public diplomacy campaigns undertaken by the British government in China and India.

Cultural diplomacy usually comes in the form of a traveling art exhibit or a celebrity visit to a war-torn country. But there's a deeper kind of diplomacy taking place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C...arts managers from around the world have been coming to D.C...

Nowadays, we call this phenomenon globalization: "the intensification of economic, political, social and cultural relations across borders,"... But make no mistake: the world that Ibn Battuta experienced in his travels nearly 700 years ago was as globalized as the world we live in today.