Digital Diplomacy

The Term Diplomacy is difficult to define, as there is no universal definition for diplomacy. Broadly speaking It has been defined as “institutionalised communication, among internationally recognised representatives…[who] produce, manage and distribute public goods”(Bjola and Kornprobst, 2013; p4). Alternatively, diplomacy can be defined as “the conduct of human affairs by peaceful means, employing techniques of persuasion and negotiation”(Badie et al, 2011; p1). What is clear is that diplomacy concerns communication between international actors in a networked sphere. Moreover, diplomacy is conducted by independent states that enter into dialogue because of domestic policies affecting each other. Eighteenth century philosopher Jacques Rousseau termed this ‘body politic’, whereby a state is “forced to look outside itself in order to know itself”(Watson, 1982; p1). States must therefore constantly be aware of the happenings outside their borders, by engaging in dialogue as “their domes..

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So what exactly is Digital diplomacy? Digital Diplomacy is the use of digital tools by diplomats and by MFA’s (Ministry of foreign affairs) as a new method to conduct their public diplomacy. Digital diplomacy entails the use of digital tools such as social networking; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google + and many other various social networking sites (SNS). The move for MFA’s to adopt digital tools happened when digital technologies began to penetrate every aspect of modern day life which of course impacted the political and diplomatic arena. The digital age saw people shift to online platforms as modes of interaction. The traditional forms of how politics was conducted is changing, and Western and European countries moved a huge proportion of their services online. This is when diplomats and MFA’s realized that they needed to interact with foreign publics as well as interact with their own nationals and the diaspora. Former Mexican Ambassador to the USA, Arturo Sarukhan is said to..

Today, 336 million people worldwide use Twitter every month, and it’s become so important that it’s being used to influence the outcomes of elections...

Thanks for joining me! This post is a critical response to Christopher Meyer’s post found here. “Is a digital revolution really transforming diplomacy…Or, with the clearing of...

Russia, USA, China, Iran, France and Germany are the modern world’s leaders in digital diplomacy, says Professor of American studies, St. Petersburg state University...

МОСКВА, 11 окт — РИА Новости. РФ, США, Китай, Иран, Франция и Германия являются современными лидерами в мире по цифровой дипломатии, считает профессор кафедры американских исследований СПбГУ Наталья...

In today’s time and age, social media has become embedded in the daily workings of not only corporate organisations but also that of the...

Its obsession with using hard power has led the Egyptian state to believe that it is the only practical tool capable of helping to...

In the introductory chapter to the edited volume on Digital Diplomacy: Theory and Practice that Marcus Holmes and I published four years ago, I...