Twitter might have contributed to Shashi Tharoor’s exit from the government, but he lectured his former ministry today on the merits of social networking tools.

In leading foreign ministries the digital age is producing dramatic change. Every day a single American diplomat communicates with more than a quarter of a million Indonesians using Facebook. Australia's diplomatic service, by contrast, doesn't even use social media in Indonesia.

During her landmark trip to Pakistan in 2009, Secretary of State Clinton participated in a nationally televised town hall-style meeting, entitled "Our Voices," with a group of Pakistani women.

"If the church is not on their mobile device, it doesn't exist," he said, likening social media to a "new digital continent" waiting to be evangelized.

The office of 84-year-old Queen Elizabeth II announced on Sunday that she is launching her own page on Facebook. The page will feature videos, photos and news updates about the long-serving British monarch. Facebook users will be able send messages to Buckingham Palace, and leave comments on the Queen's pages...

Alarge part of a diplomat's role and mission is to reach out to and engage with the citizens of his or her host country. Traditionally, this has involved cultural events, receptions and business exchanges. But with the advent of Web 2.0, an increasing number of diplomats are turning to the Internet and social media...

Last Friday, an official accompanying President Aquino in his state visit to Vietnam was criticized for comments posted on Twitter. Carmen Mislang, who holds the rank of assistant secretary in the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, tweeted that the wine served at a dinner hosted by Vietnam "sucks"...

In the run-up to the Nato summit on November 19 in Lisbon, the transatlantic community must confront not just the burning issues it faces (from Afghanistan to Russia), but the way free nations can and should wield their power for global progress.