The U.S. government’s public diplomacy institutions are running on autopilot. Political leaders' attention is focused elsewhere: the budget deficit, the economy, the presidential election, etc. People who should be advocating for public diplomacy and think about its strategic role in U.S. foreign policy are simply not in place, so much-needed leadership in this area is lacking.

...I think the Colombo Plan is an exemplary example of public diplomacy where a whole generation or more of young people, the best and brightest from our region, were given an opportunity to undertake study in Australia. And many of those student are now leaders in government and in the public and private sector, in countries in our region. And this exchange of ideas and understanding is invaluable.

Australian Rules Football (AFL) is looking to bring its own sport, a strange-looking hybrid of rugby and football, to the rest of the world, specifically China. “We see China as an important and growing market for the game, and this purpose built AFL oval will enable more Chinese people to play and enjoy Australian football and showcase their talent."

Miami collector Ella Fontanals-Cisneros...said she's planning to send around 85 pieces from her vast art collection to be exhibited in Havana's National Museum of Fine Arts in May. Collaborations between Cuban museums and collectors from the Miami diaspora are rare, but Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros said she wanted to "build bridges" with Cuba's art lovers and give them a chance to see "art they rarely have access to."

Beginning February 9 in Atlanta, Georgia, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) will host the first of nine 2012 Fulbright Foreign Student Enrichment Seminars. Students will learn about the U.S. political system and the electoral process.

Egypt has become synonymous with mass upsurge, revolution, and maybe the flawed victory of its people, but its multi-cultural wealth has stayed untouched by the tumult on the ground, and it was evident from the Egyptian Cultural Week organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations...

For South Africa, this is the true value of Web 3.0. This is a game-changer in how society works. The web of openness will offer tremendous opportunities for us all. I hope my book will go some way to making sure that we are ready to grasp those opportunities and make the most of them.

Peacekeeping provides a very useful soft-power tool for China, in the sense that [it] can help promote a positive reputation of the Chinese...Citing its commitment to non-interventionism, Beijing has never deployed combat troops, even in the midst of humanitarian disasters like Darfur.