Public Diplomacy has been defined as the nation’s ability to influence the international environment through the interaction with nongovernmental individuals and organizations. This involves the creation of long-term relations through cultural and sportive exchanges, as well as daily and strategic communication. More specifically, public diplomacy strategies enter categories such as advocacy, cultural diplomacy, and international broadcasting, widely used by developing nations to increase their soft power.
Sports diplomacy, for example, has the unique power to connect people and nations through the shared love for a discipline, and to enhance the host state’s soft power, reputation, partnerships and economic income. Uzbekistan hosted the 22nd edition of the world championship men’s boxing in the capital after impressive results at the Tokyo and Rio Olympics. The government took advantage of the event to sponsor its culture abroad by sending national athletes to train in Cuba, the US, Mexico, and the Philippines, the world-leading countries in boxing. This strategy is called exchange diplomacy, in which a nation aims to influence the international environment by sending citizens abroad and consequently welcoming foreigners, for cultural reasons. Similarly, by hosting the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup, South Africa received global attention which positively shaped the nation’s image, besides turning into a channel for diplomacy.
Uzbekistan also started a cultural diplomacy campaign by boosting its cultural sites and historical geographic position: by sponsoring its 6 World Heritage Sites, including the historic city of Samarkand, and being the heart of the Silk Road, an ancient trade route that connected the eastern societies to the western ones, the government aimed to attract tourists while influencing international community of its historical importance.
Celebrity diplomacy is another guaranteed tool to reach a higher slice of the population than the governmental press: through online platforms, celebrities can spread awareness over specific issues of national importance, or simply they can enhance national culture and widespread recognition. In this way, they reach not only different generations of citizens, but also thanks to the algorithm they can become viral, spreading the message in every corner of the world. For example, since the 1950s, the UN has enlisted public celebrities, defined as Goodwill Ambassadors, such as actors as famous as Ben Stiller and Emma Watson, because of their huge follow and global recognition of their person. Similarly, Italy increased its soft power globally during 1960s also thanks to actresses such as Sophia Loren, starring in films both in Italy and the US and turning into one of the most popular and beloved film stars in the world.
Another public diplomacy strategy used is gastro diplomacy, so governments, working together with non-state actors, use national traditional food to increase their nation’s brand. The political use of food started in Thailand, when in 2002 the government decided to take advantage of the numerous Thai restaurants around the world. The so-called Global Thai campaign aimed to promote national culture by globally increasing the number of restaurants and to encourage foreign investors and tourists. Similarly, South Korea has spent $44 million in the Kimchi diplomacy by opening Korean cooking classes in the best culinary schools in France, the US, and Italy, and by increasing the number of worldwide restaurants (Consulting, 2021).
International broadcasting is also a successful way to engage foreign audiences through TV, radio, and the internet. Kazakhstan created a successful broadcast campaign by taking advantage of the global popularity of the fictional Kazakh character Borat, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, to increase tourism and bring media attention to the country.
In conclusion, a well-drafted public diplomacy plan can improve the nation’s image and contribute to gaining international recognition. Moreover, such a plan is not only profitable for the state’s interests, but also for the political power that derives from it: if we take as an example sports diplomacy, a nation that boycotts international competitions or that refuse to accept another state’s athletes, send a clear message over its political position, while losing credibility on global eyes.
By The European Institute for International Relations
