...politicians might reconsider their stance on meeting the Dalai Lama if he makes it to this part of the world again. A man who draws crowds of nearly 10,000 as well as extensive media coverage is hardly insignificant to political leaders...the Dalai Lama has immense “soft power that every western politician or president would die to have".

China is keen on promoting its soft power," Shen Dingli, professor at the Center for American Studies at Shanghai's Fudan University said in a telephone interview. Joint productions serve "the political purpose to promote our culture and systems with Hollywood's competence.

China has been very sensitive to concerns of potential destabilization in Asia from its rise. To assuage such concerns, China spoke of “a peaceful rise” and later “a peaceful development,” undertaking a soft-power approach. Yet the realists argue China will be more assertive on world issues.

The university in Ghana started a decade ago by a visionary Microsoft engineer finally has its own campus. It represents the vision and commitment of Patrick Awuah, who left the security of a job writing software to pursue a crazy dream building a university in his homeland...to offer Ivy League-caliber education in Africa, to create ethical, broad-minded leaders who would go on to elevate the continent.

‘Sports diplomacy lives!” raved a former national security official traveling with the Georgetown University basketball team on a visit to China timed to coincide with Vice President Biden’s trip this week. That was before a brawl ended the Hoyas’ game against a professional Chinese team tied to the Chinese military.

Sports diplomacy, they might say, makes for a great story, but seldom has a genuine geopolitical impact. The legendary Christmas ceasefire and football match between German and British troops in 1914 was followed by the most vicious carnage the world had ever seen.

Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyed Mohammad Hosseini underlined the significant role of mosques in strengthening the country against enemies' soft threats.

Because, Sri Lanka’s overseas public diplomacy or its public affairs program has not identified in advance the most influential media outlets in Western capitals, especially the epicenter of Western diplomacy Washington, to reach them and make them knowledgeable of the country’s current atmosphere and situation.