Public and Cultural Diplomacy and the Practitioner

I have always wondered how public and cultural diplomacy is managed in a practical field aside the more rhetoric analysis in foreign policies. Caroline Cannelle – Jaine gave a very good insight in the field that most at times is associated with foreign and domestic perception.

Caroline’s most important assertion was that: ‘Public and Cultural diplomacy gives a country a strategic advantage’. This in practical theory is very true as I have been assessing for myself, that even foreign aid that a country gives to another after crisis or disasters propels the aid givers strategic advantage. Let’s take the case of US aid to crisis areas around the globe. The rice or maize bags are always in scripted with bold letters reading ‘USAID’.

It is however very amazing how people in despair change their attitude immediately after seeing USAID and embrace America as a humanitarian saviour. Even though the food handouts change foreign audience views, it constitutes as part of a long term action plan for strategic advantage.

The process of Public and Cultural diplomacy according to Caroline, goes through different dimensions and the outcomes are quiet innovative.

She analytically puts together:
Strategic Aim, Analysis, Plan, Action and evaluation as topical tenets of policy.

In the second part, She identifies:
Change, History, Method, Taking action, Agreement, Research, How to influence,
Regional stability, Budget Timescales,Immigration obstacles,Trade Risks and Channels.

The conclusive part constitutes:
workability, Delivery and Any lessons learnt.

To make the outcome effective and presentable to the audience,media engagements,events, expos and campaigns are the proponents to make a policy workable. The whole idea can however backfire as most audiences are suspicious of foreign influences.A test case of Pakistan's Waziristan region infamously associated with the Taliban. The Talibanization of this region is however in practical sense penetratingly viable if a more convincing Public and Cultural diplomacy is utilized as elaborated above.Expos and campaigns could target youth groups through cricket or hockey (a sport loved by all in Pakistan).

No matter how a society views Public and Cultural diplomacy,the dynamism of transformation it propels is evidently fascinating.