My understanding of diplomacy today

I have recently listened to a podcast of Professor Brian Hocking from 2009 delivered in the Governance and International Relations Research Seminar Series at London Metropolitan University in which he stated that “the essence of diplomacy is communications”. At the beginning of the module my view about the discipline was concentrated on the relations among states and their skills of negotiation.


Ten weeks later, my scope of view broadened including non-state actors taking part in the negotiations and in this way multiplying the number of people involved in the discipline. Not only their number increased but also the matters diplomacy is concerned with- the “globalization” of the trade, the widening scope of environmental disasters spreading beyond state borders, and the disrespect of human rights by numerous governments. With the democratization of the state system and the freedom of expression the expectation for openness of the international diplomatic relations was and still is just ostensibly true. Nevertheless, the citizens find another way of participating indirectly in the profession of diplomacy- through membership in non-governmental organizations, signing petitions or moratoriums etc.
Now, my opinion expanded to that

Diplomacy did not lose its essence; it won complexity of matters and actors cooperating and integrating themselves into the discipline.
Pictures borrowed from:
• www.blogs.worldbank.org/governance/page?page=1
• www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/02/shaking-hands.jpg