Youngster across the country are submitting short videos for the ‘India is’ Global Video Challenge in three categories- India Is... Colorful, India Is... Creative, and India Is... Wherever you are till December 31. “Such a competition helps us understand how the youth perceives our country,” says Navdeep Suri, joint secretary of The Public Diplomacy Division.

Assessing China's "charm offensive." 

Recently, I argued that Pakistan is not in a position to be either a friend or foe of the United States, due to the de facto civil war among Pakistani's pro-Western and anti-Western citizens.

APDS Blogger: Aparajitha Vadlamannati

Media and technology have played a powerful role in mobilizing protesters and exposing authoritarian rulers and regimes. Political consciousness and solidarity have given shape and strength to civil societies, making it increasingly difficult for recalcitrant establishments to go unchallenged.

Pew recently reported that younger generations "favor multilateralism over unilateralism and the use of diplomacy – rather than relying on military strength -- to ensure peace." We need to see that hard power is often best used in restraint, and that soft power can be thrown away by a few criminals in the White House deciding they know what's best about interrogation methods.

With much of the country's media under the control of the state, bloggers have filled in the void -- often beating the traditional outlets to important stories on issues ranging from parking to high-level corruption. As online media's influence rises, it is also increasingly attracting the attention of the authorities.

The message is clear: voters want more, not less, global engagement. They understand that in today's interconnected world it is not an option to wait until the economy recovers before facing global challenges. Should it continue engaging with the world in smart ways, the United States will find plenty of cooperation. Among all the countries surveyed, a majority say that U.S. influence on global affairs is positive.