Public Diplomacy: Diplomacy for 21st Century

The end of cold war and the 9/11 episode has transformed the international system completely and so does the nature and functions of a nation state. The foreign policy experts believe that the traditional diplomacy has become obsolete. The new diplomatic environment requires new tools and reforms to meet the challenges of 21st century. This becomes the entire uphill task for the developing countries like Pakistan’ facing the issues like, corruption, illiteracy, poverty, terrorism, human rights violations, environmental issues, and above all the international perception of Pakistan as terrorist and failed state. The question is how Pakistan adjusts its diplomacy to address foreign policy demands in the 21st century?

One of the major shifts in diplomatic environment is the concept from hard power (ability to coerce through military might and economic clout) to soft power (ability to attract by country’s culture, policies and political ideals). One of the elements of soft power is the public diplomacy, that is to communicate with the citizens of other societies in order to communicate in constructive way any country’s culture, values, policies and ideologies, because credibility, integrity and reputation do matter in international relations. At international level there is a noticeable decline in the use of hard power and the growing importance of soft power, few examples to cite are: VOA, Radio Free Europe, Russian Council of Foreign Affairs, Russia Today, China CCTV, Fulbright and the International Visitor Leadership programme (USA), educational and cultural exchange programmes, tourism, sports, seminars . Pamphlets’, media, music, and the use of the Internet and much more are all instruments used for practising public diplomacy.

Analysts and scholars always assess the India’s status as a shining star in term of its demography, democracy, military expansion and economic growth. However, what is overlooked by the experts is the effort by New Delhi to promote its soft power image by using its culture (a tool of public diplomacy), values and policies. Indian diplomat Shashi Tharoor in his book mentioned: ‘Today’s India truly enjoys soft power, and that may well be the most valuable way in which it can offer leadership to the twenty-first-century world.’ It is said that it’s not only Indian economic potential, growing IT industry, military muscles, nuclear power status but it’s mainly their Bollywood movies, music, colourful festivals, religious diversity and much more that contribute to India’s soft power status.

Nicolas Blarel mentioned in ‘India’s Soft Power: From Potential to Reality?’ that Bollywood with annually 1000 movies is the most effective medium to make the Indian culture and soft image popular across the globe. Now the entire world is familiar with Indian culture and society. Furthermore, India is successfully improving its relations with countries of South East Asia, Central Asia and Middle East by using its religious and cultural links with these regions. India is promoting Islam as an important aspect of its culture and history. To improve its relations with China, Indian Member of Parliament Jairam Ramesh, coined the term CHINDIA (refer to person of both China and Indian ancestry). The countries also share certain historical interactions ‘the spread of Buddhism from India to China and British-European trade on the Silk Road are few examples. While with Pakistan they are relying on cricket and media diplomacy and forums like the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy and Aman Ki Asha.  Thus, it’s the Indian ability to tell their story in attractive manners which enable them to stand in the queue of major world powers.

 Same goes for the China. In recent years Chinese are moving out from the sphere of hard power and turning towards the soft power image by using public diplomacy. In order to improve relations with India in 2005, a youth exchange programme was taken up by India and China. Under this programme, initially 100 youth delegation exchanges were taken up in 2005. While for the year 2011-12 the number was increased up to 500. Language programme for teaching Chinese in India was initiated and scholarships for Indian students to study in China are also successfully undertaken. Presently, 3000 Indian students are studying in China. Also the hosting of 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Shanghai World Expo and Guangzhou Asian Games 2010 are very successful demonstration of Chinese public diplomacy. To make people understand its ideology, China has established round about 350 Confucius Institutes throughout the world. China is utilising international media so as to portray the improved image of China in the world. It is said that China and Japan should give a chance to public diplomacy to resolve their conflict over the ownership of Diaoyu Islands. In 2012, China hosted a public diplomacy conference with the theme. ‘International Communication of Chinese Culture.’

Taking China and India as two examples let us come to Pakistan. Pakistan has an extensive and a large diplomatic network across the world, including Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and different international and regional organisations. Still with such a large diplomatic representation Pakistan is tagged as undemocratic, terrorist and failed state. In order to achieve a respectable place among the international community Pakistan has to pay attention to people-centric policies and activities and for this it has to concentrate on public diplomacy which will help masses overseas to adopt positive outlook about Pakistan. One of the tools of public diplomacy is culture. Pakistan being part of Indus valley civilisation (2800- 1800 B.C) has enriched culture greatly influenced by Aryans, Greeks, Sythians, Persians, Arabs, Turks, Central Asian and Eurasian groups.

Such historical, cultural and political ties can be employed by the diplomats in order to improve the relations with the countries of similar culture, heritage and history. Pakistan also has historical sites like temples, churches, shrines, tombs, palaces, forts, etc. Along with this it has literature not only in Urdu and English languages but enriched literature is existed in regional languages also.  Pakistan has its own music, folk dances, visual arts, sports, cuisine and festivals to be the part of ‘soft power.’ Now the question is why Pakistan is unable project its image to rest of the world?

 The answer to this question lies in a simple comparison: The Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Integration (Pakistan) with the Ministry of Culture (India)

The general perception of Pakistan as failed and terrorist sate can be shunned with the help of public diplomacy. The policy makers must review the old diplomatic styles or practices. The diplomats are supposed to come out from the fortress of their embassies and work for the people to people contact so that Pakistan should achieve its respectable position among the nations of the world. In addition to that Pakistan must establish a proper setup at government level for PD.