‘Soft power’ is nothing more than influence
Diplo Wisdom Circle, Revisit Diplomatic theory and practice BlogsIs the term 'soft power' just a redundant buzzword in government and academic circles? Geoff R. Berridge examines its true meaning and how it's often misunderstood in the realm of international relations.
Zheng He (1371–1433): China’s masterful mariner and diplomat
Diplo Wisdom Circle, RevisitAdmiral Zheng He's fleet of 250 ships left an enduring mark on China's trade, diplomacy, and wealth. Uncover the secrets of this 14th-century genius.
Examining human destiny: Ancient Greece vs Judeo-Christianity
Diplo Wisdom Circle
For 2000 years, we have read the Greek classics. We have done so in a peculiar fashion. Their gods were central to their worldview. We discarded their gods, which we despised as mere idols. In doing so, we’ve lost much of the deeper meaning…
Why do crowds riot?
Diplo Wisdom CircleThis article discusses the moment when one's adherence to personal principles is outweighed by collective action's pull. Essentially, each individual's response to their environment varies. For instance, witnessing a single person rioting might not compel someone to join due to moral standpoints, fear of the police, or social stigma. However, seeing a mass engaging in such behavior can alter that viewpoint since the risk of individual consequence diminishes.
The author draws inspiration from Duncan J. Watts's "Everything is Obvious (Once You Know the Answer): How Common Sense Fails Us," which explains the historically complex phenomenon of riots and their explanations, and sociologist Mark Granovetter's mathematical model, "Threshold Models of Collective Behavior," which offers a novel perspective on the psychology of crowd behavior.
Diplomatic realism: Nixon, Kissinger, and Pakistan
Diplo Wisdom Circle, Revisit
Kissinger demanded that Nixon stand firm [in supporting Pakistan]. 'If the outcome of this war is that Pakistan is swallowed up by India, China is destroyed, defeated, humiliated by the Soviet Union, it will be a change in the world balance…
Gender equality in diplomacy: Chinese and other foreign ministries
Diplo Wisdom Circle Diplomatic functions and tools, Foreign ministries, Gender rights online, Public diplomacy Blogs
The Chinese Foreign Ministry made a welcome change in its external public outreach after 3 September 2021. While Chinese easily identify male and female names, foreigners lacking full mastery over the language (i.e., knowledge of ideogram…
The border-making process in Africa
Diplo Wisdom Circle, Revisit History of diplomacy Blogs
When I first mentioned to a diplomatic friend my intention of writing a blog entry on 'diplomats without borders', I was met with incredulity. 'Diplomats are the peacetime gate keepers at the border! You can’t have diplomats without borders.'
Are…
Humanising immigration: Taking the discussion further
Diplo Wisdom Circle Communication, Diplomatic theory and practice, Language (and) diplomacy, Migration Blogs
In this blog post, I want to respond to some of the questions that were raised during our recent WebDebate on humanising immigration. This is crucial for keeping the discussion going and doing justice to all the valuable questions and comments…
News, newsworthiness and ‘truths’
Diplo Wisdom Circle, Revisit Media Blogs
An Oxford Don (or Doña? – since my friend Bi is a lady) called me up the other day. She had been asked to participate in the seminar Translation and Language in the Media, and asked me for my three-penny worth of opinion. I laughed out…
Connected objects: Is there need for greater scrutiny?
Diplo Wisdom Circle Internet of things Blogs
What are connected objects? Consider home assistants, smart thermostats, fitness wearables and connected cars to name but a few which advocate the advantages of convenience, home efficiency, health monitoring, safety, and security. Collectively…
Language during COVID-19: UK case study
Diplo Wisdom Circle COVID-19 diplomacy, Diplomatic theory and practice, Language (and) diplomacy, Rhetoric Blogs
We all know that language changes over time, but we rarely have the chance to watch it mutate in real time, and few of us could have imagined that it would change as fast as it has in the last few weeks. From the coinage of new words ('social…
Two kinds of conversation: Dialectic and dialogic
Diplo Wisdom Circle, Revisit Diplomatic theory and practice, Negotiations Blogs
Ancient Greece developed a unique way of settling disagreements among cities: hoplites met in a plain, fought for a day and abided by the outcome. ‘For those men, the purpose was now to settle the entire business, if not fairly, then…