“This is an exercise in cultural and public diplomacy to project positive image of Pakistan and to highlight Pakistani culture and heritage,” said Consul-General Fakir Asif Hussain, the spirit behind the event. “Far from being confined within geographical borders, Pakistan Fashion has gone global, leaving its distinct mark on almost every major culture in the world.”

Naturally, many Egyptians will interpret this as unwelcome interference in their domestic affairs. The U.S., then, would need to explain its position, its "red lines," and the consequences for crossing them through renewed public diplomacy, engaging directly with Egyptian political parties and civil society actors.

Over the past few months, I have been privileged to work with a team that has produced a new video, "Visit America: It's Easier Than You Think." The video is addressed to foreign travelers and combines imagery of the incomparable natural wonders of the United States, its vibrant cities, and diverse people, with an overlying narrative describing the straightforward steps to apply for a visa.

This collaborative work is making the case that effective cultural diplomacy need not aspire to control the message. It is not best deployed when closely linked to the priorities of policy makers or defined national interests. Nor is it always desirable for acts of cultural diplomacy to be framed in terms of the goal of the representation of a people.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton love using soft power whenever the situation calls for it, like, say, retooling the State Department’s catering services to serve delicious food from celebrity chefs whenever she hosts visiting heads of state. And no, spectacular food is not a froofy detail, “Tough negotiations take place at the dining table.”

In these cases of chronic crisis, recurring shocks erase development gains and set local populations back into urgent need over and over again. With many in the Sahel still struggling to recover from the region's last food crisis in 2010, they now face a new crisis of food access.

This creates a tension between immediate, sometimes kinetic responses to security challenges that the military typically delivers and “soft-power” solutions that take a longer-term view toward resolving the underlying political, economic and social development causes, the ambassador noted.