Tehran has hosted a two-day international conference on dialogue among religions and cultures in Asia. The aim of the conference was to review cultural relations among Asian nations and promote respect for cultural and religious diversity.

To the long list of public diplomacy efforts the U.S. State Department has launched in Afghanistan, add the TV show "Eagle Four," a "24"-style cop thriller that has proven, in early analyses, to be the most popular of several TV programs financed by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The shows are all meant to serve some public policy function.

America's adversaries are not really most afraid of its military or even economic power. They are most afraid of its moral power...America's greatest natural resource and comparative advantage is its dynamic, multicultural society drawn together by a unifying concept...But, the way we approach the world through our foreign and national security policies is woefully inappropriate and counterproductive.

The New York Times has launched India Ink, an English-language website offering news and analysis about Indian politics, culture, business, sports and lifestyle. And it's free to access, initially at least. "India is a vibrant country with a wealth of urgent news and compelling stories," said Jill Abramson, NYT executive editor. "India Ink is an exciting expansion of The Times's global reach."

Ambassador Ford and other Embassy staff regularly post notes and interact with others on Facebook. The Ambassador believes it is important to use social media to get out the message that the United States wholly supports the Syrian people’s universal rights to freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly.

What started in 2003 as a U.S. public health campaign has now become a full-fledged global movement with homegrown versions of a "cut out meat one day a week" program in 21 countries. This rapid global growth isn't the result of a big-budget NGO or a federation...it's driven by committed advocates from all walks of life...who share the belief that eating less meat is good for our health and good for the planet.

The peace-making loans from the UK are announced Monday by the British Council to coincide with the visit of David Cameron. They represent a remarkable thaw in cultural diplomactic relations. They will mean major Russian exhibitions in Britain, including one on Catherine the Great, coming next year from the Hermitage to the newly expanded National Museum of Scotland.