When I hear ‘sports diplomacy’ evoked in conversation I often wince, knowing that 99% of the examples do not live up to the standards of the term. Athletes and coaches who work for a team outside of their country for no purpose other than for a love of the game and personal gain do not always qualify.

With the recent death of Vaclav Havel and the passing of Nelson Mandela into a long twilight, there is only one global figure who nearly universally embodies aspirations for freedom and human dignity around the world. She is "The Lady," Aung San Suu Kyi -- or as she is endearingly termed by her fellow citizens of Burma, Daw Suu.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has, to her credit, visited fifteen African countries on four separate trips. But her presence has been overshadowed by President Obama’s absence. Obama has set foot on the continent just once: for a mere 20 hours in Ghana in July 2009 where he gave a speech on democracy that resulted in no substantial action.

APDS Blogger: Michael Duffin

When I hear ‘sports diplomacy’ evoked in conversation I often wince, knowing that 99% of the examples do not live up to the standards of the term.

Athletes and coaches who work for a team outside of their country for no purpose other than for a love of the game and personal gain do not always qualify. There is no universal definition of public diplomacy, but from my perspective there must be intention on the part of the actor to influence opinion.

In the history of institutionalized relations between states, the preservation of peace and stability has always been a predominant concern—an ideal that is also enunciated in the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations.

At a press briefing in Hanoi on October 1, Park Nark Jong, director of the RoK Cultural Centre, said that the centre has coordinated with the Korean embassy, Government agencies, local organizations and people from both countries to organize art and cultural exchanges for a busy and significant Vietnam-Korea friendship year 2012. Other events will include a performance by Sumi Jo, a famous Korean classical musician, with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra.

Eight burly guards in black suits ushered guests into an anonymous building on the bank of the Neva River in St. Petersburg, as activists, artists, and diplomats gathered last month for the opening of the city's Queer Fest – the first time the annual event has been held under the shadow of a new law against "gay propaganda" aimed at minors.

Their consensus is simply, we need to get to know China more. China is a complicated country, burdened by its past and not quite that comfortable in its new role as a world super power. Unless our leadership understands the nuances of our China relations a little more deeply, mixed signals between us will likely keep the relationship tense, and that cannot be good for both countries.