The new diplomacy is characterised mostly by new actors that operate on the international level, for instance, different kinds of NGOs (Green Peace, Oxfam etc.) but also multinational corporations. Diplomacy is not any more concentrated in hands of a few leaders but also in hands of ordinary citizens (1). Nowadays, we live in a freedom that allows us to become influential and it is the main reason, why there are so many NGOs in the world. Realists and pluralists would argue how influential those groups are, but the fact is that they operate on the international level and try to push forward their causes and try to influence governments. Realists would also argue that it is still states that have to sign new treaties or to change laws but NGOs have the role to influence the discussion that will later end up in signing a new treaty. NGOs have developed sophisticated and effective techniques, for example, Amnesty International has policies that members can lead campaigns only in deferent countries than their country of origin but it has also a security reason(2). NGOs are also influential, because they are often focus only on one issue and they have experts that work only on that issue, but states must deal with multiple issues. NGOs cooperate with other NGOs for the reason to become more influential or better reach their aims, for instance, European NGOs work through African NGOs in helping poor people or people affected by war.
The new diplomacy has to deal with very different issues which the old diplomacy did not deal with, for instance, international terrorism, nuclear weapons, global warming, human rights and many others and it demands a new kind of diplomacy (3).
(1) Pachios, Harold C. (2002) . The new diplomacy
(2) www.amnesty.org.uk
(3)Willian R. Moomaw, The New Diplomacy, http://fletcher.tufts.edu/ierp/pdfs/NewDiplomacy.2.pdf
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It is important to mention, as you say, that NGOs are able to push for one issue (at a time) while governments do not have that luxury. Therefore, governments will probably not push for issues that are about helping people in need but primarily those issues that serve the national interest. So the fact that NGOs are more influental today is a good thing - governments and NGOs can complement each other. And like you say, there are new and more global problems today than before, which requires new ways of solving them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you that NGOs are very important, especially when it comes to certain issues, as your example of poverty. However I think it is important to highlight that NGOs are themselves not always “neutral” actors in the international sphere. We often portray states foreign policy as biased much because states (might) often be motivated by their own domestic and economical interests. Therefore we polarize the NGOs as neutral and in a sense, noble. I do believe that NGOs and INGOs have accomplished tremendously as lobbyist and highlighters of certain issues which the state society wishes to neglect, however it is yet important that NGOs and INGOs have their set of agendas, which will impact which issues they bring up, and how they perceive these issues should be handled.
ReplyDeleteReading what you have said i can understant where you coming from having these organisations NGO trying their hardest to change the nature of the diplomacy in order to make change in countries or third worlcd countries that suffer with so much poverty and the abuse of human rights and without them how would be the path of the diplomacy today?
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