Analysts in India have tended to view the recent visit to Japan of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi through a narrow political prism. They see it as an image-building exercise conjured up by Modi’s slick PR machinery to project him on the international stage and appear, well, Prime Ministerial.

Participants at the First Meeting on Public Diplomacy, organized by the Moroccan Association for Development and Parallel Diplomacy (AMADIP) in Rabat on July 27 and 28, stressed the need to unify visions and efforts of public diplomacy actors and have a proactive approach to diplomacy instead of a seasonal and folkloric one.

The following list of current, ongoing, and planned Department of Defense Science and Technology Strategic Communication (SC) programs was taken from the 2009 Strategic Communication Science and Technology Plan compiled by the Defense Research and Engineering Rapid Reaction Technology Office.

Speaking at a seminar on "Kochi-Muziris Biennale -socio-cultural benefits" here on Monday, they said the event can be a major initiative in cultural diplomacy to raise the international profile of city and the state, and enhance the image of the city in the eyes of its own citizens.

The opening weekend of the London 2012 Olympics saw medals, shocks, world records and controversy...The London Games have been dubbed the most social yet, with the organizers encouraging the athletes and fans to use social media. Here are the highlights from the opening weekend.

According to a new study done by PR firm Burson-Marsteller, two-thirds of the world’s leaders have joined Twitter, including 16 members of the G-20. But while Twitter is a powerful tool, it has its limits and will never replace traditional diplomacy.

Yet on July 23 and 24, the two nations shared a bonhomie typical of their cultural diplomacy, when the Oscar-winning documentary “Saving Face,” filmed in Pakistan, premiered in New Delhi and Mumbai. Brought to India by the Asia Society, the short film drew packed audiences in both cities, with over 550 people turning up in Delhi and about 475 in Mumbai.

Yingluck, elegantly dressed in a black suit and surrounded by her entourage of cabinet ministers...Yingluck’s charm, patience, tolerance, politeness and flexibility have helped restore political stability to the country since she took office in August 2011. “She represents the soft power of Thailand."