This year, team USA's strong performance in the World Cup inspired Americans to follow the sport in record numbers. Now that the sport has our notice, there is a good reason for us to keep paying attention. Believe it or not, that little black and white ball might just be the key to winning the peace in Iraq.

There is a lot of talk on Capitol Hill about "smart power" and "soft power" but when it comes to funding programs like the Peace Corps, lawmakers hesitate, or they do not understand how an extra $10 or $20 million dollars is transformative...

China may have no intentions of using its growing military might, but that is of little comfort for Western countries. From the World Trade Organization to the United Nations, Beijing is happy to use its soft power to get what it wants -- and it is wrong-footing the West at every turn.

We arrived yesterday, and the city seems very, very peaceful," said Japanese delegate Yoshiki Oi, who attends the University of Tokyo. "We are going to big cities, but this allows us to have a good perspective of America. If all we saw were the big cities, we would not learn about all of America.

When reporters asked fruit vendors and people on the streets and in markets on how did they feel about Hilary’s visit and comments about Pakistani mangoes, some of them replied that "America's interests in Pakistan is much more than Pakistani mangoes".

Today, the State Department is reaching out to foreign publics in partnership with major private sector partners including Jazz at the Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music as well as maintaining its own program of visits, exhibitions and tours.

The alternative theory of ecological diplomacy, on the other hand, focuses on facilitating peace through environment initiatives. Still, one might argue that diplomatic mechanisms like the international climate change negotiation process, illustrated at last year’s COP15 meeting, have not accomplished anything more than the promotion of good will between countries.

What often gets overlooked is how the tensions between the countries affect ordinary people every day. With the hostilities come tough security measures and visa restrictions that deeply impact people like Tasleem, who have family members living on both sides of the border.