Over the past two weeks, I have published two posts dealing with Russia's digital diplomacy apparatus. While the first post focused solely on Russia's digital diplomacy reach, the second post compared between the social media reach of the US and Russia. However, both posts dealt primarily with the extent to which the US and Russia... Continue Reading →
On Israeli Networked Diplomacy
When exploring digital diplomacy I am always surprised to learn that social media has augmented the practice of diplomacy, rather than revolutionize it. Indeed, many of the characteristics of digital diplomacy have been part of the diplomatic DNA for centuries. As Oxford University's Corneliu Bjola writes, the formation and maintenance of relationships with foreign governments... Continue Reading →
Can Brand NASA Aid Brand America?
There is a popular urban legend according to which during the space race of the 1960's, NASA spent substantial resources on developing a special pen for Astronauts that could work in a zero gravity environment. Instead of spending exorbitant amounts of money on a Cosmonaut's pen, the Russians simply used pencils. While this is more... Continue Reading →
The US’s LGBT Digital Diplomacy Blitz
The US and LGBT rights On the 26th of June 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the country's constitution guarantees the right to same-sex marriage thereby legalizing gay marriage across the United States. The ruling, seen as a major achievement for LGBT activist around the world, had both domestic and global implications. In recent... Continue Reading →
Real Time Diplomacy?
Philip Seib argues that the advent of social media and social networking sites have brought about a new form of diplomacy, one that must contends with global events taking place in real time. In an age when a single video documenting the brutal oppression of a demonstration circles the globe within hours, foreign ministries are... Continue Reading →
On Papal Digital Diplomacy
The Catholic Church is no stranger to diplomacy. Indeed since its formation the Church has been at the forefront of diplomatic activity, firs in Europe and then around the world. Popes often served as arbiters in European conflicts while Papal legates served as ambassadors to foreign courts. Even the first foreign ministry was founded by... Continue Reading →
How Should We Define Digital Diplomacy?
I recently came across an old blog post by the wonderful blogger Marco Recorder who asked his readers to offer definitions of the term digital diplomacy. While I have been researching digital diplomacy for more than two years, I too often find myself confronted by the dilemma of how to best define this novel form... Continue Reading →
Another Aspect of Digital Diplomacy: How the Smartphone Has Altered Diplomacy
When referring to the immerging field of digital diplomacy, many people place an emphasis on the manner in which social networking sites such as twitter and Facebook have altered the practice of diplomacy. Yet as I recently witnessed, the impact the digital age has had on diplomacy is far more reaching. Two weeks ago I... Continue Reading →
Great Expectations- what followers of diplomatic institutions expect to find online
Last week I had the opportunity to address a group of ambassadors to the UN Headquarters in Geneva. The topic of discussion was the current practice and potential of digital diplomacy at the embassy level. Following my presentation, the ambassadors asked me what are followers of digital diplomacy channels looking for? Why have they decided... Continue Reading →
The medium is NOT the message in Digital Diplomacy
I recently became interested in learning which language rules supreme in the world of twiplomacy. While English has long since replaced French as the Lingua franca in the physical world, I was not so sure it had done so in the digital one. I therefore compiled a sample of 84 countries analyzing the languages they... Continue Reading →