There were some sweaty brows among South Korea’s construction executives last year, when Libya accused Seoul’s gaffe-prone intelligence service of snooping on Colonel Gaddafi. The builders weathered that diplomatic storm only to be rocked by this year’s rebellion against Col Gaddafi’s 41-year rule.

PD Magazine announces the launch of the Winter 2011 issue: "Corporate Diplomacy". This unique publication examines a variety of factors that make the private sector an important source of innovation and collaboration within the public diplomacy process.

SA will, in the coming months, approach fellow members of the Bric bloc Russia and China to train local diplomats in commercial diplomacy. Diplomats trained in commerce and economics are indispensable in negotiating favourable trade and investment agreements with other countries . Russia, and more particularly China, have been aggressively pursuing trade deals abroad .

India's reputation as a place to do business took another hit after the scandal-tainted government charged top public sector bankers with accepting bribes initially estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

If there ever were a time for a new beginning in this country, it is now. The recession is still very much with us. Global crises and disasters compound daily. Our national attention is consumed with political candidates on both sides of the aisle who seem to have completely lost their minds. And yet amidst the absurdities, there are signs of real hope and cause for optimism.