Why a blog about Consular and Public Diplomacies?

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Much has been written about the end of diplomacy and the surge of the new diplomacy, particularly in the 21st Century international affairs and foreign policy debate.
 
With the arrival of faster communications and transport as well as the popularity of summit diplomacy, there was a discussion about the end of diplomacy as we have known it.
 
However, even today, with even faster changes in the digital arena, time and again, diplomacy and diplomats have been able to survive, adapt, and remain relevant for the foreign policy of the countries around the world, large or small.
 
The latter does not mean that diplomacy and how countries instrument them have not changed with time.  As part of the new diplomacy, governments are engaging directly with the citizens of other nations, with a specific purpose, knows as Public Diplomacy.
 
Additionally, even though consular issues are intrinsically part of a country´s international affairs, just recently, it has been thrust to the main stage of a nation´s foreign policy, developing into Consular Diplomacy. This is particularly true as more demanding citizens travel, migrate and live abroad, expecting consular assistance from their government. And things are much more complicated now with dual or multiple citizenships.
 
Last but now least, Gastrodiplomacy is a term coined in 2002 by The Economist to refer to a country´s efforts “to conduct cultural diplomacy through the promotion of their cuisine”[i] Since then, there has been some studies and articles about it, including an exclusive issue of the Public Diplomacy magazine in 2014.
 
Are all these real types of diplomacies that foreign ministries across the world have at their disposal to achieve foreign policy and national interest goals? Or are they just ways to instrument some actions but are not a separate and particular way to do international affairs? These are some of the questions that I will discuss in this blog.

To learn more about the discussion whether Consular, Public and Gastronomic Diplomacies are the real deal or imposters, you can read the following posts:

"New" Diplomatic Tools: Imposter Diplomacy or the Real Deal? and
Consular Diplomacy: Cinderella no more, but not yet a princess.


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[i] Rockower, Paul “Recipes for gastrodiplomacy” in Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 2012, Vol. 8, No. 3, p. 235.

DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this blog are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of any other authority, agency, organization, employer or company.