A seismic shift is under way at the U.S. Department of State as Foggy Bottom increasingly draws on Sillicon Valley expertise to develop tools and strategies for remaining effective — and relevant — in a rapidly innovating world...public diplomacy in particular has had to adapt its perspective and overhaul its outreach to stay current in a constantly evolving technological landscape.

Yep, it seems that Pakistan's new 34-year-old foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, has accomplished what years of tense diplomacy haven't been able to -- create some genuine goodwill between the two constantly sparring nations.

As the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, a big part of my job is combating religious intolerance and encouraging respect for religious diversity around the world...in order to live peacefully side by side, we cannot allow violence based on religion to continue under any circumstances.

Very few Australian sports stars achieve global recognition but those who have bear witness to the great responsibilities that come with that recognition. Whether he seeks it or not, Evans will be seen as an ambassador for Australia and Australian values.In many respects his story to success is typically Australian.

It’s quite difficult, to be honest, for the government to do that [control] because many of these soft power tools are not things that we have direct control over. Even if we did try to influence them, that would be — to use the English phrase — the kiss of death, because the fact that the government was doing it would actually detract from the effectiveness of those soft power tools.

Today, such ancient wisdom is proliferating across the whole of China. That the international community can be won over more with soft power has been emphasized by Hu, who has taken measures to spread the knowledge of China's "soft power" across the world.

Byrne and Hall argue that the sheer size of the export education industry is a form of what Joseph Nye famously defined as soft power... Soft power gives Australia an opportunity to pursue its values, promote its ideas and pursue its international interests offshore.

In the 18 months since the Lisbon Treaty created the European Union’s diplomatic service – the European External Action Service (EEAS) – there has been more talk than ever of Europe having a “single voice” in world affairs. The service became an urgent necessity with the “Arab Spring”...But a “foreign ministry” is not a foreign policy, and there is little sign that the EU will devise one anytime soon.