After years of torture and imprisonment, Mohamed Nasheed was, at 41, democratically elected to the presidency of the Maldives. The critically acclaimed documentary "The Island President" (98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) tells that story. More centrally, it tells President Nasheed's heroic story of putting a human face on this low-lying island nation, which faces inundation through climate change.

The government and private sector don’t always get along. But Cheryl Mills, Hillary Clinton’s current counselor and chief of staff (and former deputy White House counsel for President Bill Clinton), believes that entrepreneurship and strategic investments from the private sector can do more than government assistance alone in transforming countries in need.

Four Indian naval ships scheduled to visit Shanghai on a rare goodwill visit next week, first since 2006, will receive "high-profile" reception, China said today. As External Affairs Minister S M Krishna spoke of the goodwill tour of the naval ships to Shanghai during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jeichi here today, the Chinese Minister told him that a high-profile reception awaited them.

It is the summer of 2012 and America is debating whether to modernize a piece of 1948 legislation on U.S. public diplomacy called the Smith-Mundt Act. At a time when American officials are racing to keep pace with the new communication technologies and trying to “out-communicate” the terrorists, not just other nations, the whole debate is mind-boggling.

Mashable will be in Brazil to host Rio+Social, working with our Social Good Summit partners the United Nations Foundation and the 92nd Street Y. The event will explore how social media and technology can help create sustainable solutions for the future of the planet.

It is the summer of 2012 and America is debating whether to modernize a piece of 1948 legislation on U.S. public diplomacy called the Smith-Mundt Act. At a time when American officials are racing to keep pace with the new communication technologies and trying to “out-communicate” the terrorists, not just other nations, the whole debate is mind-boggling. Ultimately, the debate is about much more than the legislation and speaks volumes about America understanding of communication in a global era. To get up to speed, U.S. public diplomacy needs the U.S. public, and both need a U.S.

The People’s Republic of China’s Government of Guizhou Province and New Zealand’s Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development) have launched an international agricultural exchange programme. The programme recognises that investing in the education of young people is a vital way to boost development in rural areas.

India faces a choice: be a cog in the wheel of the US’ Asia-Pacific strategy or be a wheel by itself with a dynamics of its own. The choice is going to be rather easy for the Indian policymakers to make.