The next chapter in diplomacy; how the modern diplomat remains relevant (original) (raw)

Allegedly, the U.S. president Thomas Jefferson once said: “For two years we have not heard from our ambassador in Spain; if we again do not hear from him this year, we should write him a letter” (Rosenthal, 2012). The paradigm shift between 18th century diplomacy and the modern day era could not be greater. New communication and technology innovations have had a vast impact on both velocity and space of diplomatic practices; and the situation which Jefferson describes would be unthinkable in the 21st century. What's more, the characterization of a modern diplomat has shifted from maintaining confidential relations with the foreign minister of the host country to a large reliance on public diplomacy i.e. canvassing support for the diplomatic objectives of its own government through soft power (Sucharipa, 2003, p. 182). Showcasing that –despite ceaseless conceptual changes– diplomacy as a profession continues to survive. Nevertheless, while we’re at the dawn of this hyper-connected era facilitated by rapidly expanding arsenal of different communication technologies, one must wonder where diplomacy is heading to? In this essay I will contextualize the role of the modern diplomat within current diplomatic policy, and argue that due to the rise and establishment of social media –inter alia– new challenges have ascended; and how these affected the framework in which diplomats are operative. I will mainly focus on the United States, due to their pioneering role in re-shaping the modern diplomat and conclude with the Netherlands; a midsized country whose diplomatic service is on the verge of being revolutionized.