Public Diplomacy after the Cold War: A powerful spring or a downward spiral?

During the Cold War, the world experienced vast changes, with countries divided into two blocs either aligning with the Communist Soviet Union or the Capitalist USA. Although not certain, the dates for this era are commonly said to have started in 1947 and ended in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and nearly every country was impacted by this tense war. The political environment during the Cold War was extremely vulnerable to change, and the world of diplomacy definitely underwent some changes during this period, particularly in its branch of public diplomacy. Public diplomacy has no universal definition, however most academics do agree that it “deals with the influence of public attitudes on the formation and execution of foreign policies… (and) it encompasses dimensions of international relations beyond traditional diplomacy”1. It can be argued that this art of influencing foreign publics has been around since ancient history, however it was not until the Cold War that it was truly recognized in the political arena and the term ‘public diplomacy’ was coined in 1965 by Edmund Gullion. The style of Public Diplomacy during the Cold War was mainly under a heavily state controlled one way flow of information mainly controlled by either the USA or the Soviet Union at that time. Most of the American presidential administrations began to implement public diplomacy in their activities; the Carter Administration was very keen on influencing foreign publics while promoting democracy at the same time. However, it is important to note that it was not until the end of the war that PD was truly ‘rediscovered’, as democratization began to take center stage and the balance of power shifted in the world leaving America at the top. The tragic attacks of 9/11 undoubtedly forced politicians in the USA to reevaluate their diplomatic approaches especially as the worlds dislike for the superpower became much clearer following the attacks.

Today, not only in America but in a growing number of countries across the worlds, we see a lot of government work put into public diplomacy, from the tremendous efforts put into events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the controversial attempts of the US government to reach out to the Muslim World in an attempt to build better relationships. It is clear that this area of diplomacy is a growing trend and with increased focus on other factors such as soft power which is another persuasive approach that is closely linked to PD. “Public Diplomacy, along with traditional diplomacy, works hard to resist that hideous waste of life and resources called war, which is seldom as cheap or conclusive as habitual hawks would have us believe.”2 There are also new actors coming into the scene of public diplomacy with NGOs getting involved and arguably “anyone who challenges dominant assumptions in international relations and foreign policies of government”3 which proves how essential public diplomacy is becoming to everyday life. In todays world where change is constant and technology booming, public diplomacy has managed most times to relate to this ever changing world, which is one of its most powerful tools, as it is used even in social media today. Although it can be abused or misused at times, as long as it is being used for constructive and positive purposes, public diplomacy can have a bigger role to play in world politics and can be beneficial for all.

References:

1 – J. M. Waller, The Public Diplomacy Reader, The institute of world Press Politics, 2007, pg 23

2 – “Public Diplomacy: What It Is, Why It’s Needed and How It Could Work Well for America Again”, a look at world politcs and most everything else, http://whirledview.typepad.com/whirledview/2009/09/public-diplomacy-what-it-is-why-its-needed-and-how-it-could-work-well-for-america-again.html Accessed 20/03/13 at 19:22hrs

3 – T. L. McPhail, Global Communication: Theories, Stakeholders and Trends – Third Edition, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2010, pg 91