Israel's advanced technology developments have become its most prominent soft power tool for boosting diplomatic ties and improving its position in the world, enhancing its own security in the process. 

This holiday season has stood out a bit from others, being the first time, at least as far as I can recall, that cyber warfare and the fictional assassination of North Korea's Supreme Leader have featured so very prominently in news and personal discussions. The Sony Pictures release of The Interview [...] has actually generated some interesting ideas about cybersecurity, information warfare, and a host of other issues.

So what if we envision a world of 2015 in which information technologies become agents of peace instead of sources of conflict? In many ways, we are already on that path, but the efforts are episodic. 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has warned the Rakyat not to misuse the internet in spreading lies and hatred that could destroy the foundation of a multiracial society in Malaysia.

In fact it may be that the distinction between "hard" and "soft" power may be morphing into a new concept put forward by Prof Nye, that of "smart power".

"Education and cultural diplomacy is the only way forward to strengthen relationship between the SAARC countries. We should, therefore, like to have focused university to university linkages between our countries for mutual capacity building in education, research technology and innovation," Irani said.

However you define it, power is important because it allows you to get things done.  Whether you are a politician or an executive, you must seek power to achieve objectives.  Yet power never stays constant, but has always been highly dependent on context and, in today’s world of rapidly shifting contexts, emerging sources of power are often the most potent.

How are technological innovations shaping global futures? What could the next industrial revolution look like and who and what might bring it about? (...)Many of the leading actors consumed by these and other questions gathered in Paris for the second Forum Nouveau Monde ("New World Forum") at the gleaming headquarters of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from October 7-8.