Colombian Ambassador met IHE Delft Rector

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Colombian Ambassador met IHE Delft Rector

Colombia IHE Delft Academic Research Partnership

The Ambassador of Colombia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Mr Fernando Antonio Grillo Rubiano, accompanied by Professor Leonardo Alfonso, Coordinator for Colombia at the IHE, and Laura Sánchez, Second Secretary of the Embassy, ​​held a meeting in Delft with the Rector of the IHE Delft Institute, Eddy Moors.

The purpose of the meeting was to celebrate IHE Delft’s ties with Colombia, and highlight the results achieved by IHE in water diplomacy, and management of water resources in Colombia.

The Colombian Ambassador, Fernando Grillo, stated that the Government of Colombia values ​​joint research initiatives, such as the course held in January 2021, on ‘Computer tools and citizen science to improve measurements of water sustainability and food security’ organized by IHE Delft and the Julio Garavito Colombian School of Engineering, with financial support from the Netherlands, through Nuffic and its Orange Knowledge Program (OKP).

For his part, the Rector of the IHE, Eddy Moors, indicated the interest in strengthening current alliances, such as the Memorandum of Understanding “Academic Research Partnership” between Colombia and the Netherlands; as well as in deepening the work of IHE Delf in education for Sustainable Management of Water and Food Production in Latin America.

The meeting concluded with the commitment to work together to further consolidate the links between the IHE Delf Institute and Colombia through the possible development of joint research and academic programs.

Riyadh hosts first UNWTO regional bureau

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Riyadh hosts first UNWTO regional bureau

Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili – Picture by UNWTO.

Wednesday, 26 May 2021, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: The World Tourism Organization announced the establishment of a regional bureau in Riyadh, during the tourism sector recovery summit held in Saudi Arabia. 

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism stated that the summit will discuss the most important issues facing the re-initiation and sustainability of the recovery of the tourism sector, while Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb stressed the need for cooperation to enable the tourism sector to recover and build a more sustainable and resilient future. 

Deputy Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al Saud – Picture by UNWTO.

At a ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili was joined by Her Royal Highness Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al Saud, Deputy Minister of Tourism for Strategy and Investment, and the Kingdom’s Minister for Tourism, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb to officially open the bureau. They were also joined by tourism ministers from across both Middle East and from every other global region, as well as by leaders from the private sector. The new office will serve as a hub for UNWTO to coordinate policy and initiatives across its 13 Member States in the region. This includes a number of tourism projects and products, among them the new “Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO”, launched on the occasion of the opening of the Regional Office. Alongside this, Riyadh will also be home to an expanded UNWTO International Tourism Academy, providing opportunities for people of all backgrounds from across the region, including women and youth.

United Nations’ Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated UNWTO on the occasion, saying “I believe that this Office will help the Middle East region recover its tourism sector as well as support the growth of rural tourism development worldwide.” 

Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Minister for Tourism, added: “We are thrilled to host the new Regional Office in Saudi Arabia. This demonstrates our commitment to working with our partners at the UNWTO to develop a strong industry based on the principles of sustainability and opportunities for all, across the region and globally.” 

For further information:  

https://www.unwto.org/news/unwto-makes-history-with-opening-of-first-regional-office-in-the-middle-east

Mauritius facilitates VAT registration

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Mauritius facilitates VAT registration

Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) informs the public that a new facility has been developed jointly by the MRA and the Corporate and Business Registration Department (CBRD) for online VAT Registration of a company on incorporation under a single process. 

While making an online application to the CBRD for incorporation of a company, the applicant will, henceforth, be required to provide details relating to VAT registration and will be registered by the MRA for VAT purposes, where applicable. Immediately after its registration as a company by the CBRD, the MRA will inform the company of its VAT registration status and the assigned VAT Registration Number.

Where a company has been VAT-Registered, the effective date of the VAT registration will be: i. the date the company will start business as declared in the application; or ii. the date of incorporation, whichever is the later.

Where a company has not been VAT-Registered on incorporation and thereafter: i. becomes liable for compulsory VAT registration: or ii. wishes to be voluntarily VAT-Registered, the company will have to apply for VAT registration directly to the MRA.

For further information 
https://www.mra.mu

Khaled bin Alwaleed joins Saudi Olympic Committee

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Khaled bin Alwaleed joins Saudi Olympic Committee

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed & Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Sports – Picture by Saudi Olympic Committee.


Sunday, 23 May 2021, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, has been elected to the Board of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC) at the latest general assembly meeting. 

The general assembly also served as elections to appoint its president, namely Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal Al Saud, the kingdom’s Minister of Sports, with is Vice President being HH Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. 

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed likewise serves as President of Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA). He was appointed to the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee (SAOC) board alongside other contemporaries and influential decision-makers in the field of sports. Furthermore he was renewed as the President of Sports for All Federation for the next four years.

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed is known for his promotion of a healthy lifestyle, of sports, as well as of sustainable and green investments. He is a son of tycoon, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and philanthropist Princess Dalal bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. 

For further information:

 
Khaled bin Alwaleed investments: https://kbw-investments.com/2021/05/24/prince-khaled-bin-alwaleed-elected-to-board-of-saudi-arabian-olympic-committee/?fbclid=IwAR1chm4e9cqqZCqW0GF_lotm4D3f0-ch-nvGXL7NENqdOcSbdTgq2jC7A8o

Saudi Ministry of Sports: https://www.mos.gov.sa/en/Pages/default.aspx

UAE-Netherlands Week to Strengthen Bilateral Exchange in Celebration of 50 Years of Partnership

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UAE-Netherlands Week to Strengthen Bilateral Exchange in Celebration of 50 Years of Partnership

In the picture, H.E. Ms Hissa Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the UAE in the Netherlands.

ABU DHABI, 26 May 2021 – The United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of the Netherlands are slated to jointly host the inaugural UAE-Netherlands Week from May 30th until June 5th, 2021, in an effort to promote cultural and knowledge exchange between the two countries.

The week comes against the backdrop of the two countries’ celebration of nearly fifty years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, as well as the UAE’s fiftieth anniversary since its founding as a nation.

H.E. Mr Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam.

Representatives of Emirati and Dutch governmental entities, cultural institutions, and youth organizations will take part in the daily online panel discussions.

Participants include HE Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Public and Cultural Diplomacy at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; HE Hissa Abdulla Alotaiba, UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands; HE Lody Embrechts, Dutch Ambassador to the UAE; HE Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam; and HE Hans Sandee, Netherlands Consul General in Dubai and Netherlands Commissioner General for Expo 2020 Dubai, amongst others.

H.E. Mr Lody Embrechts, Dutch Ambassador to the UAE.

Sessions will address diverse topics, including ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the arts and cultural sectors, promote food security and energy efficiency, empower women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and foster entrepreneurship and scientific innovation.

The Netherlands’ participation in the upcoming Expo 2020 Dubai and its state-of-the-art biotope pavilion where the connection of expertise in the fields of sustainable energy, water management, agriculture, circularity and civil engineering meet will also be addressed.

HE Omar Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Public and Cultural Diplomacy at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The week will also include a Youth Talk series held in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Youth Hub. Topics include starting a business in the UAE and the Netherlands, female empowerment, being an artist in both countries, youth hubs in the two countries, bilateral educational exchange, and a talk titled “My Next 50 Years.”

All talks will be streamed on the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s social media channels and available on the YouTube channel of the Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy.

UAE-Netherlands Week

Military diplomacy within the public diplomacy framework

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Military diplomacy within the public diplomacy framework

By Ms Alex Seagar, MAJOR | Australian Army Legal Corps | Ottawa, Canada

Winston Churchill allegedly said, ‘diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions’. Churchill was perhaps one of the most prominent diplomats of the modern era, effortlessly bridging the gap between public office and military dialogue. He was unapologetically pragmatic yet decidedly cordial in a way only the British tend to be.

Military diplomacy is, as demonstrated by Churchill, both an art and a science. Within the profession of arms, modern warfare is taught through doctrine: military techniques, tactics and procedures evolved over centuries. In fact, when it comes to the science of modern warfare, much is drawn from the conduct and experience of our adversaries. It was Sun Tzu who said, ‘the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting’.

That is the central feature of military diplomacy. Although we may be professional soldiers, this job is unique. Our core business, of breaking things and killing the enemy, may never actually be realised: it is possible to spend an entire career rehearsing for a moment that never eventuates. It can be a disappointing realisation for some, yet as a military legal officer, I would prefer if it stayed this way. War is an option of last resort: if it comes to that, diplomacy in all its forms has failed.

The operational environment in a warzone is an odd place. It’s a mixture of military personnel, civilian government employees, diplomats, NGO staff and of course, the local civilian population. I have a friend, Gigi, a civilian employee that I met on operations in Iraq in 2019, who represents the diversity of skills and backgrounds found in such an environment. I was deployed to Baghdad as a legal advisor with the Coalition operation to defeat Da’esh in Iraq and Syria. My friend, Gigi, is an American citizen, born in Iraq, who worked for the Coalition as an Arabic translator. Gigi left Iraq as a teenager and her perfect command of both Arabic and English made her indispensable to the mission. The striking feature about Gigi, besides her impressive language skillset, is her fierce, feminine and flawless demeanour. Not only were we in a warzone, but Iraq is unbearably hot for the majority of the year, which for most means you present as a sweaty mess. Besides doing my job, staying hydrated was about the extent of my ability over there. Gigi, however, came across as a woman on a mission, and the heat was certainly not holding her back.

Diplomacy in all its forms is multidimensional. Military diplomacy is just one means of advancing foreign policy interests under the broader framework of public diplomacy. The way one military interacts with another is very often predetermined, based on the relationship the respective forces have to one another. That relationship could be identified as partner force, fellow coalition force, strategic or geographic partner force, or the diametrically opposed relationship of enemy force. The reality of professional soldiers from backgrounds akin to my own – that is, western nations with largely peacetime armies – is the focus on collaboration rather than the pure conduct of hostilities.

Every day, soldiers from all over the world come together to train, strategize, and prepare for a range of scenarios, from peace keeping, peace building, prevention and intervention to the defence of each other. Militaries worldwide conduct a variety of engagements including daily exercises for the common goal of interoperability – the ability to function together successfully in any of the aforementioned scenarios. Military diplomacy may also be demonstrated through military-to-military discussions and key leadership engagements, particularly between senior ranking officers. While military diplomacy previously focused on conflict-centric concepts such as ‘winning hearts and minds’, these days it’s concentrated on alliance building and geographical partnerships in an age of major power competition.

Military diplomacy also involves a large element of personal diplomacy, illustrated by deep bonds of friendship and close personal networks that develop as a result of this interoperability. People you may never have crossed paths with become not only unlikely comrades, but your best mates.

It’s an unforgettable experience to be surrounded by a group of brave and selfless individuals, within a melting pot of nations, working together to bring about an end to hostilities in a country a million miles from home. I fell in love with the people around me – French, Canadian, Iraqi, American, Italian, Kiwi, British, Belgian, Spanish and Portuguese to name but a few. These relationships illuminated the strange feeling, the juxtaposition, that arises from the contrast between the unity within that team versus the disharmony of a destructive war just outside camp. It’s those relationships that begin to build international bridges, forming the network that encompasses both military diplomacy and strategic actions within the broader public diplomacy framework.

Which brings me back to Gigi. This woman was indeed on a mission. It is not the easiest thing to be a woman in uniform in a warzone. Despite your best efforts, you will stand out. For personal security reasons, I was advised to wear a wedding band: women do not serve in a uniformed capacity in Iraq. There is no such thing as a female officer; an unmarried, female officer is simply unheard of.    

Gigi, however, ignored this. She wasn’t in uniform but because of that, it meant her job was significantly more difficult than mine. She translated for a commander whose job it was to interact with Iraqi forces daily. She was surrounded by soldiers who did not understand her or her role. When I asked why she went to the trouble to present herself so impeccably, properly made up but conservatively dressed, she responded that she wasn’t going to stop, simply because it drew attention to her. In fact, she was adamant that the only way to generate change was to stand her ground and continue to show up, every day, to normalise her presence. This is particularly important in light of UNSCR 1325, and the vital need for women to be involved in all stages of the peace process. As soldiers and officers, we are taught that we must lead by example, to inspire and persuade; in essence, to command respect through doing. Gigi was the exemplifier.

Gigi still works in Iraq, her presence promoting both peacebuilding and women’s equality. While a Coalition force of thousands defended a rules based global order, Gigi was one woman standing in solidarity of the rights of women everywhere. My point is military diplomacy is a wonderful tool but so too is personal diplomacy, exhibited by Gigi. Gigi’s fierce attitude demands change from those around her: she can direct you to go to hell whilst giving you the bilingual directions to get there. Gigi will conquer more than I ever will in support of equality, peacebuilding and diplomacy. As Churchill championed, diplomacy works best in combination: the branches are not mutually exclusive, and we must employ all forms if we are to collaborate for peace.

__________________________

About the author: Alex Seagar LLB (UQ), LLM (Military Law) student (ANU); Major, Legal Officer, Australian Regular Army (now Army Reserves). Born in New Zealand, raised in Australia, living in Canada, citizen of the world.

The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the Australian Defence Force or the Government of Australia.

Essay assigned  to distinguished students. Dr. Eugenio Matos G., senior diplomat and lecturer of public diplomacy at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Mastering Public Diplomacy Certificate, May 2021 session. 

Public Diplomacy and Costa Rica’s Foreign Policy

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Public Diplomacy and Costa Rica’s Foreign Policy

By H.E. Mr Mauricio Ortiz, Ambassador of Costa Rica in Canada

Costa Rica carries out constant, clear, and coherent actions on issues related to the axes of foreign policy and public diplomacy through our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship and its Foreign Service.

What do we mean by public diplomacy? According to Claramunt and Sáenz (2020), public diplomacy today is something very different from the traditional concept of diplomacy, which  involved almost exclusively the relations between subjects of international law, particularly States, under the sign of power (political, military, economic, strategic…), within a classical conception of the State, and through communication and relationship channels that in good part passed almost exclusively under the key of secrecy of political and military elites.

While traditional diplomacy aims at a relationship between peers, governments and their official interlocutors, public diplomacy bets on broader networks of individuals or collectives, and tends to be more transparent and widely known. This vision of diplomacy is relational, bidirectional or multidirectional, democratizing, associative, symmetrical and promotes dialogue among equals.

In this sense, Joseph Nye distinguished between the concept of hard power based on the possession of economic, material and military resources and the concept of soft power based on skills or qualities that allow a change in the behavior of others, without inescapable pressures, to achieve certain results. In this way, soft power can always be an ally or complement to public diplomacy and is a fundamental instrument for countries that do not have a preeminence in other areas or do not wish to resort to a coercive policy, as is the case of Costa Rica.

Along these lines, Bátora (2005) argues that, in intelligent public diplomacy, small and medium-sized countries could reduce asymmetries and reexamine their accents from a dynamic of growing involvement of non-traditional sectors in diplomacy, such as civil society, academia, science, culture and the private sector. This approach has been progressively incorporated into the foreign policy of many countries.

Costa Rica positions through various types of Public Diplomacy actions, the Pillars of Foreign Policy, and therefore the great positioning of Costa Rica on issues such as sustainable development, peace, democracy, disarmament, human rights, and respect for international law. Likewise, with an integrated effort between diplomatic offices and our Ministry, we developed objectives, actions, indicators and goals in the areas of economic and cultural diplomatic activities. With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the headquarters developed activities within the strategic axes outlined each year and the priorities of the governing bodies, in the areas of tourism, culture, trade, science, among others.  

Moreover, the efforts in the pillar of Cultural Diplomacy are part of Public Diplomacy, promoting mutual comprehension and understanding, promoting the various expressions, such as film, music, literature, visual and performing arts. Dr Eugene Matos (2016), Dominican Republic diplomat states when talking about culture, “arts reach what diplomats, politicians and governments usually cannot”, and we fully identify with his words.

In Costa Rica there are some relevant experiences of state support for the internalization of cultural projects. One example has been the work with the Costa Rican Film Production Center, part of the Ministry of Culture and Youth, which has accompanied our embassies abroad in their cultural promotion functions, and has used this platform to internationalize the work of our country’s audiovisual creators. On the other hand, the efforts of our country brand (Essential), as a transversal strategy, position Costa Rica in the world for the benefit of trade and investment attraction, culture, and tourism, under the strategic axes of sustainability, excellence, innovation, social progress and Costa Rican linkage.

As Claramunt and Sáenz (2020) point out, in a fragmented world, public diplomacy tends to bring individuals and people closer together when politics, in some of its manifestations, can divide them. When hard politics tends to separate and alienate the parties, culture, science, sustainable development manage to offer the conditions for greater closeness and for the constitution of knowledge networks that often respond to their own ethics and needs.

Costa Rica promotes a public diplomacy aimed at dialogue between people, through different manifestations, which allows other levels of understanding, mutual recognition, and appreciation of the differences between societies and states. In the work of its embassies and consulates, Costa Rica and its institutionalism, in its public and private expression, can find the natural platform to strengthen those elements of soft power that our country has, which in 1949 decided to abolish the army and invest in education, health, infrastructure and in the protection of the environment.

Essay assigned  to distinguished students. Dr. Eugenio Matos G., senior diplomat and lecturer of public diplomacy at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Mastering Public Diplomacy Certificate, May 2021 session. 

A more intense cultural exchange in the Caribbean region would greatly benefit the Dominican Republic

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A more intense cultural exchange in the Caribbean region would greatly benefit the Dominican Republic

By Lucy Esther Díaz Rijo, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of the Dominican Republic To the Kingdom of Sweden

One of the many definitions of Cultural diplomacy is that it is “a course of actions, which are based on and utilize the exchange of ideas, values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-cultural cooperation, promote national interests, and beyond. Cultural diplomacy can be practiced by either the public sector, the private sector or civil society”1.  It has been called the “linchpin of public diplomacy” because cultural activities have the possibility to demonstrate the best of a nation2.

Cinema, dance, music, plastic arts, literature, sports, gastronomy, and language are all expressions of a country’s riches and contribute to a deeper understanding of the civilization in question.

Diffusion of national culture abroad is not a trivial subject for the more powerful nations. A proof of this can be seen in the global proliferation of cultural institutions from Western nations like:  Alliance Française (France),  the current Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (USA), Canadian Arts Coalition and Canada Council for the Arts (Canada), British Council (United Kingdom),  Goethe-Institut (Germany), or Instituto Cervantes (Spain); and even Israel is doing it through their Jewish Agency for Israel. The formerly mentioned countries, among many others, consider Cultural diplomacy an important tool for their Foreign Affairs management, with implications for National Security at times3.

Having said this, I believe the DR can benefit from a more widespread Cultural diplomacy in the Caribbean region. It can start by promoting a more intense dialogue with its neighbours, most importantly with Haiti, with whom it shares the island of Hispaniola and with the others island nations, members of Caricom4 (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago). Oftentimes the DR is not really embraced by the mentioned Island Nations.  There even was a big controversy in 2015, some Member States accused the country of xenophobia due to its complicated relationship with its neighbour, Haiti5. Another underlying reason for which some Caribbean Island nations feel a reluctancy toward the DR is due to the fact that the Dominican economic growth from the past four decades, and the modernization that it has undergone as a result of this, make the country more of a rival that an ally, in terms of competition for foreign direct investment, tourism resources, and exports of local products.  

Dominican cultural riches is undeniable, the first Spanish settlement in the Americas was founded at La Isabela, in the northern province of Puerto Plata, and the country’s capital, Santo Domingo, is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the Americas. It was the first seat of the Spanish colonial rule, headquarters of their power in the New World and therefore it was a site for diffusion of the Spanish language, culture and religion since its inception. Also, it was the site of many of the first institutions in the Americas, e.g. the first university, cathedral, hospital, monastery, museums and fortresses in the New World. Catholicism started spreading from this island, with the first Mass being celebrated on the 6th January 14946. The city’s Colonial Zone has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO7. In 2010 the Dominican capital was declared as Cultural Capital of the Americas8.

Quisqueya, the name given by the native Taíno people to this part of the island, is the homeland of famous writers, painters, poets, singers, dancers, baseball players, fashion designers, chefs, actors. Its rhythms have reached every corner of the world, and people from every country and religion have been delighted with musical notes of the Merengue and Bachata, both genres having been declared as Cultural Intangible Heritage of Humanity, by UNESCO9 10. Moreover, the notorious Cocolo dancing theatre in the province of San Pedro de Macorís11 (Guloya and Guloyita) and the Carnival in the province of La Vega12, also were declared “holy” by UNESCO, but all of this has not been enough to fuel an intense cultural exchange that leads to a deeper understanding with the surrounding Caribbean countries mentioned above.

According to the prominent Prof. Dr. Nicholas J. Cull, “it is surprising to see transnational regions using cultural diplomacy to advance their collective interest, because historically, Cultural Diplomacy has been so much about “my country is better than your country”, like some sort of “cultural Olympics”.  He argues that the Malmö – Copenhagen border region joint Film Festival (Swedish / Danish) has been successfully carried out. 

We perfectly understand that in the case of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, there is not such an overlap in the two cultures as there is between Sweden and Denmark, with language being the first barrier. Creole and French are the official languages of Haiti, and the French based Creole the most spoken one. However, that is not a good enough reason not to plan joint event of various nature, be it sports, music, dance, or theatre related.

Another example of good international cooperation can be found on Hispaniola itself, where there are two border region International Markets, which have been active in the last couple of decades without any major incidents13, but of course, this essay is not about economic cooperation. We are talking about anything but a utopia, and more about a project which could be the starting point for a greater cooperation between the two nations, and which hopefully would be mutually profitable.

In conclusion, Cultural diplomacy strengthens ties among nations, releases tensions and fosters peace on all levels. Capitalizing its cultural riches is in the best interest of the Dominican Republic, by adopting more incisive strategies for its foreign policy and boosting the cultural exchange in the Caribbean region, in order to improve its image and achieve a better understanding with its neighbouring countries.

References:

  1. Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) Berlin, Germany
  2. United States, Department of State, Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy, Diplomacy Report of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy, 3.
  3. Dr. Eugenio Matos G., lecturer of public diplomacy at the University of Ottawa and senior diplomat. 
  4. http://www.sice.oas.org/trade/ccdr/spanish/ccdrs.asp#:~:text=(ii)%20La%20Comunidad%20del%20Caribe,Suriname%20y%20Trinidad%20y%20Tobago.
  5. https://www.diariolibre.com/opinion/repensar-el-ingreso-a-caricom-BUDL1051451
  6. Floyd, Troy (1973). The Columbus Dynasty in the Caribbean, 1492-1526. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. p. 22.
  7. Colonial City of Santo Domingo – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  8. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/santo-domingo-dominican-republic-dr-2010-cultural-capital-of-the-americas-87164792.html
  9. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/music-and-dance-of-the-merengue-in-the-dominican-republic-01162
  10. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/music-and-dance-of-dominican-bachata-01514
  11. http://www.lacult.unesco.org/docc/guloyas_and_guloyitas.pdf
  12. https://www.godominicanrepublic.com/it/event/arte-e-cultura/la-vega-carnival-2020/
  13. https://eldinero.com.do/27483/comercio-binacional-entre-haiti-y-republica-dominicana/

Essay assigned  to distinguished students. Dr. Eugenio Matos G., senior diplomat and lecturer of public diplomacy at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Mastering Public Diplomacy Certificate, May 2021 session. 

The Role of Public Diplomacy in a Post-Covid World

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The Role of Public Diplomacy in a Post-Covid World

Nature, Concept & Goals

By Mr. David Gibbs, Consul of Barbados in Toronto

Public diplomacy is the processes by which international actors advance their ends abroad through engagement of publics.  It consists of political actors engaging in strategic communication with foreign audiences in an image and reputation management capacity to further their foreign policy and security interests.

Robert H. Gass and John S. Seiter sees Public diplomacy as a form of national image management, which includes efforts to capture the hearts and minds of others, through official or unofficial means.

Youmans and Powers adopt a theoretical lenses in which one actor uses a narrative that nudges the receiving audience to a worldview of the sending government. Public diplomacy seeks to generate positive outcomes in trade and investment, export promotion, tourism promotion and talent attraction.

Impact of Covid-19

The COVIDcan be easily shown from looking at a range of measurements:

  1. 3.3 million deaths and 163 million cases.
  2. Bloomberg News estimates a $19.5 trillion increase to global debt
  3. US $3.9 trillion in lost economic output
  4. The International Labour Organization estimates Global unemployment could increase by $25 million
  5. The World Trade Organization states that trade fell by 5. 3 percent.

A Climate of Distrust

Even more debilitating is the climate of distrust and suspicion that has overtaken the global narrative.

The world Economic Forum noted in January 2021 that the Edelman Trust barometer reflected that the earlier trust surge has given way to deep disappointment and a reshuffling of institutional trust. The disparate impact of the COVID-19 recession has prompted a record mass-class divide of 16 points with 25 of 28 markets showing double-digit trust gaps, triple the number of a decade ago.

There is brutal judgment accorded by other nations to the world’s two largest economies. China has endured the most precipitous decline (18 points) in trust from its citizens (from 90% trust to 72% in the past six months). The US, in the bottom quartile of countries as of November 2020, dropped a further five points post-election (43%).

Small States: Debt and Vulnerability index

COVID-19 has had an especially severe economic impacts on small states — these are 50 countries that comprise the Small States Forum and they face unique development challenges due to their small population and economic base. These countries are particularly vulnerable to external shocks, natural disasters and climate change.

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Minister for Economy and Climate Change of Fiji; and Chair, Small States Forum states “The COVID-19 pandemic shows how important concessional financing is for small states and other countries vulnerable to shocks.”

The World Bank has been the leading multilateral provider of concessional resources to small economies which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the Bank’s emergency COVID-19 response has reached more than 100 countries. Since the start of the outbreak, overall financial support to 30 small states has exceeded $1 billion of which $600 million has been geared toward the COVID-19 response.

Public Diplomacy the Rescue

We are witnessing the emergence of two categories of countries.

On one hand there are those countries whose public image has taken a battering as a result of their actions. Russia, China, Brazil, United States and India are example of countries whose leaders denied the consensus of the scientific community. Instead they traded in conspiracies theories and/or peddled disinformation to sully the reputations of their main international rivals.

On the other hand, are the smaller countries whose socio-economic circumstances have been pummeled almost to the precipice of collapse. They will need economic concessions and assistance of mammoth proportions from the international community. They success in extracting that level of assistance will in part depend on their ability to persuade the international community that they are making a credible case and that they have the political leadership, institutional capacity and national consensus to effectively manage the resources provided.

In both of these cases public diplomacy can play a critical role in repairing, restoring and retrofitting the national image and reputation thus making the international community more willing to respond favorably. Under these circumstances public diplomacy should promote an image of willingness to mend fences, build bridges, engender transparency and adhere to good governance.

This will make it much easier for diplomats and political leaders to enter into economic cooperation, trade agreements, debt forgiveness, provision of concessionary financing, technical assistance and other forms of bilateral and multilateral cooperation without fear of a domestic political backlash in national parliaments or at the ballot box.

Youngman and Powers point to five goals of public diplomacy:

  1. Support foreign policy priorities
  2. Provide economic benefit
  3. Build relationships and mutual understanding
  4. Project values and enhance image
  5. Manage crises

On this basis the Covid-19 pandemic may provide a useful test case for the efficacy of public diplomacy.

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen a diminishing of the national image of many countries. It has also resulted in smaller counties in dire need of unprecedented economic assistance. Both of these scenarios can best be fixed by the use of coordinated and well-crafted public diplomacy initiatives.

Even though traditional bi-lateral and multilateral forms of diplomacy will undoubtedly be the main methods used to restore relationships and provide economic assistance in a post Covid-19 world, public diplomacy will provide an enabling environment and nurturing climate to return both damaged international relationships and gloomy economic prospects to some form of equilibrium.

Essay assigned  to distinguished students. Dr. Eugenio Matos G., senior diplomat and lecturer of public diplomacy at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Mastering Public Diplomacy Certificate, May 2021 session. 

Soft Power in Diplomacy: An Ideal Strategy for Small Island Developing States

Diplomat Magazine
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Soft Power in Diplomacy: An Ideal Strategy for Small Island Developing States

By Ms. Sonia Marville-Carter, Consul General of Barbados in Toronto

The term “Soft Power in Diplomacy” is considered by some as new wrapping on an old practice. Since the term was coined by Joseph Nye back in the 1980s, it has birthed a conscious and deliberate expansion in the strategies of diplomacy which very much mirror the techniques, skill set and precision employed in the art of successful marketing campaigns. As it relates to diplomatic relations, the successful execution of soft power practices in diplomacy can often be seen as an acknowledgement of the age old adage that a ‘soft word can turneth away wrath’.

Diplomacy by its very definition is the art of managing international relations in a tactful, sensitive, subtle, delicate yet effective manner. And “Soft Power in Diplomacy” by extension is defined by Nye as “…the ability to affect others to obtain the outcome one wants through attraction rather than coercion or payment.” This for the small island developing state, is our most effective diplomatic strategy.

It is important at this stage I believe to qualify “Soft Power Diplomacy” as a process and not a product. As with anything else it is not what is done but how it is done. Some have asked, where does Cultural Diplomacy, a main pillar of Soft Power Diplomacy end, and Cultural Imperialism begin? I posit that there is a major difference between cultural diplomacy and cultural imperialism and the latter cannot be considered a factor in the discussion of soft power practices. The mere use of the word “impose” in the definition of cultural imperialism negates it as a soft power diplomacy practice, if we consider the definition of soft power diplomacy given by Nye.

Most Barbadian envoys engaged in diplomatic relations across the globe, though possessing diverse and often times specialized skill sets in areas of arbitration, trade, policy, sustainable development, technology and economics to name a few, all engage in forms of cultural diplomacy. When one considers the many facets of soft power diplomacy, some may question the overlap in the mandates of our Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Cultural Ministries. The sometimes blurred lines in responsibility of execution are however usually made clear by the fact that all government departments and agencies work together to achieve a common goal and whereas clear lines may be drawn for national duties, international or diplomatic duties cancel out any territorial demarcation that may have otherwise been called into question.

Enhanced by the digital and social media age, soft power diplomacy programs such as infomercials on the political practices and foreign policies of a country, as well as art exhibitions, concerts and other cultural showcases which once required large capital to execute, can now be accomplished with less financial investment and reach a much larger audience, all facilitated by technology.

A successful event is no longer solely dependent on the marketing, advertising, budget and promotional skill set, but also high on the list is a technology driven skill set, as the virtual component is crucial. The curiosity of the average human being is peaked when attracted by taste, experience, smell, sight or even information. They search to replicate that positive emotion and are then generally endeared or drawn to the source of that positive experience.

The same principle applies when navigating international relations. One must so well promote one’s country, its foreign policy, practices, culture and people that in effect a ‘brand’ is created; a positive reinforcement which becomes synonymous with one’s country and creates a ‘feel good’ effect with the mention of its name. As a representative of Barbados, it is my job to ensure that when you hear BARBADOS you automatically think of an island paradise with strong governmental structures, a wonderful place not just to vacation, but to invest, live and raise a family. And if you didn’t feel that way before at the mention of BARBADOS, I am sure it will pop into your mind from now on. That was definitely soft messaging, but hopefully powerful enough for you to stop and maybe google BARBADOS.

For diplomatic representatives of Small Island Developing States, navigating our way through international relations, constrained by the effects of climate change and more recently the economic devastation of the COVID 19 pandemic, it is imperative to find cost effective and innovative ways to carry out the mandates of our governments and therefore techniques and methods which may not have traditionally been employed within our diplomatic offices are rising to the fore.

There is not a tenet of Soft Power Diplomacy which exists that is not best managed and executed by a strong marketing campaign; may it be cultural, ideological or institutional. The ideological and institutional pillars of our soft power diplomacy practices have long been employed, the cultural pillar may now be emerging as the crucial stabilizing factor for small island developing states in this era.

Essay assigned  to distinguished students. Dr. Eugenio Matos G., senior diplomat and lecturer of public diplomacy at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Mastering Public Diplomacy Certificate, May 2021 session. 

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