Diplomacy? What a boring topic! 2See? What is to be seen in this back room
business? We will contradict this!
Indeed, diplomacy is a very traditional profession. It means openness and
understanding, it requires empathy for your counterpart on the other side in order to
understand its culture and behaviour. Diplomacy means to keep channels open and,
finally, to find a mutual understanding. Diplomacy is optimism by definition.
Diplomacy is a truly modern profession, a public affair exercised by professional
diplomats every day. Diplomats are the first sales persons of their countries
presenting their specific culture and traditions. In this sense, we are all diplomats by
presenting our culture and traditions abroad, as traveller, as student, as business
people.
Can you imagine anything better to present your culture as by a wine tasting or a
concert? Or to deliver a taste of your literature, art or – even better – of your culinary
specialities? This is the smooth way of diplomacy. This is what diplomats do every
day to open your mind and your heart for the culture of their countries.
Thus, diplomacy crosses boarders by showing your own culture and, simultaneously,
finding the common interest. There is no better example imaginable than the recent
match of the newly established football club Embassy FC consisting of diplomats of
nearly a dozen embassies challenged by the well trained team of FC Deutscher
Bundestag. The diplomats had, in any sense, a common goal: to win – and to have
fun. Have a look here!
This example excellently summarizes my experience as Editor-in-Chief of the
publication BUSINESS & DIPLOMACY, supporter of Diplomacy2See that has led to
the idea to create this platform. This experience has taught that diplomacy is not
boring but vivid, not only an accumulation of stiff rules but spontaneous and, you may
believe it or not, really cool and open to the future. As diplomacy by definition lives on
communication, diplomacy has to present itself by the fast communication means of
the future generation as youtube, instragram etc.
By these means of communication Diplomacy2See collects all the activities of
professional diplomats with their Embassies and affiliated culture institutes, the
diplomacy we practice every day as students, as travellers as business people. It
means getting a sense and an understanding of a different way of life. And learning
more about different culture helps vice versa to boost the awareness of your own
culture. Diversity enriches!
Rainer Schubert
Editor-in-Chief BUSINESS & DIPLOMACY
Co-Founder Diplomacy2See
