The diversity of activities labelled as public diplomacy obviates the need for a “theory” of public diplomacy. Investigations should instead examine how it offers new sites of inquiry.
The focus on public diplomacy organisation and objectives must be rejected. Instead, we need to integrate a culturally-informed understanding of foreign groups, organisations and dynamics into the core of decision-making.
Public diplomacy is not just a euphemism for a kinder, gentler propaganda, but also part of the modern diplomat’s toolkit. This is not our mother’s diplomacy. Today a citizen blogger is as much a public diplomat as any Undersecretary of State for Public Affairs.
With Wikileaks, the Arab Spring, and the Occupy Movement, nation states are facing a second wake-up call in public diplomacy as adversarial publics challenge them in the quest for global public support.
Although we seem to live in a global world, examining how communication technologies are used on a daily basis by social actors is key to understanding how diplomacy is evolving.
Social media is opening up direct two-way communications between foreign ministries and the general public on an industrial scale. The US Department of State is leading the trend.
Polish public diplomacy has adopted means of strategic communication and demonstrates a strong belief in the importance of perceptions, images and brands in international politics.
In order to better communicate with the rest of the world regardless of their religious affiliations and establish a stable identity, Turkey should focus on institutionalizing its public diplomacy attempts and should soften its anger-driven rhetorical style.
The differences in Western and Arab reactions to the Innocence of Muslims video clip cannot be reconciled. A cultural détente is our best hope. YouTube diplomacy is now an issue that all nations must address.
In an era of increasing international tensions over issues such as territory, natural resources and wealth distribution, exchange programs enhance cross-border understanding.
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