The ambassadors' 'Bike Across Borders' trip to the sister cities of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Livingstone, Zambia included stops along the way to see U.S. government projects, national parks, and local chiefs. One of the ambassadors' key messages was the importance of an improved business climate to attract private investment.

Andrew Saul, CEO of Genovation Inc., recently completed a three-week, eight-city speaking tour of Australia and New Zealand on "Entrepreneurship and Renewable Energy," as part of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP). Genovation is a Rockville, Md.-based designer and custom builder of environmentally friendly automobiles.

The United States will continue to inspire young African leaders to drive the path towards democracy, peace, and prosperity for generations to come. This weekend, Secretary Kerry traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he participated in celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the African Union.

Successful public diplomacy directed toward the Muslim world must be firmly grounded in the recognition that Islam is a dominant factor in the daily life of hundreds of millions of people and in the public sphere of many countries.

The U.S. will certainly face a rise in the power of many others—both states and nonstate actors. Presidents will increasingly need to exert power with others as much as over others; our leaders’ capacity to maintain alliances and create networks will be an important dimension of our hard and soft power.

Hard power has not been in vogue since the Iraq War turned badly in about 2004. In foreign policy journals and at elite conferences, the talk for years has been about “soft power,” “the power of persuasion” and the need to revitalize the U.S. State Department as opposed to the Pentagon: didn’t you know, it’s about diplomacy, not military might! Except when it isn’t; except when members of this same elite argue for humanitarian intervention in places like Libya and Syria. Then soft power be damned.