Aashish Mishra

Diplomacy is completely comprised of communication. Information gathering, compiling and disseminating are the backbone of diplomacy; be it at the local, national or international level. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that any advancement in the process and means of communication would also lead to changes in the field of diplomacy. We can take the example of the telegraph which revolutionised diplomacy by speeding up communication. The invention of the telegraph allowed messages to be sent across nations and continents almost instantly. Heads of states could now communicate directly and efficiently and dignitaries could talk with each other without having to rely on unreliable postal services. Basically, it “accelerated” the way in which international relations were maintained.
The means of communication has changed a lot since then and consequently, so has the practice of diplomacy. We now have smartphones, internet and social networking platforms that allow us to send and receive not just texts but also audio, video or a mix of all three. The internet of things and wearable media have also enhanced the capabilities of the message, and therefore, of the messenger, to reach into the intimate spheres of people’s lives and target specific psychographic or lifestyle indicators.
The ubiquity of information, ease of storage and the possibility of transferring it digitally to a potentially global audience at next to no cost are redesigning the scope and patterns of social interactions as well as of political processes. The potential of big data and big data mining and targeted advertising for “public” diplomacy is a sector that is emerging fast. Traditional media is slowly giving way to new media, changing the way countries keep relationships with each other so rapidly and so vastly that developing countries like Nepal have not had the chance to catch up.
While people do use buzzwords like “virtual diplomacy,” “cyber diplomacy” and “mediated diplomacy,” they rarely understand the weight and meaning these words carry. Many also herald the arrival of an era of “democratised diplomacy,” referring to the growing influence of non-state actors, the increasing leverage of the ordinary public and the unprecedented transparency brought about by the internet-based tools in the field of international diplomacy. But this view again is simply a restatement of western perspectives which describe how different social media platforms have become tools for the likes of civil society, non-government organisations and the bureaucracy – which have not been traditionally considered big players in diplomatic endeavours – to have a say in international relations and policies.
However, the problem with the western perspectives is that they are only western perspectives. They do not factor in the contexts of individual countries and seek to paint the whole world with a broad brush – a Euro-American brush. Because while social media may bring in unprecedented transparency when coupled with the strict laws and technologically proficient governance structures of the first world, activities like data mining, targeted advertising, psychological and emotional manipulation, dark posts etc. implemented on unaware and defenceless governments and populations can make diplomatic practices opaquer than ever in the third world.
However, we cannot expect any country to refrain from using the resources at their disposal to further their interests just because we are not at the same level. Therefore, the onus is on us to build our capacity. Information and Communication Technologies are growing in relevance every day and it is high time that we incorporate them into the way we conduct diplomacy. We may not have all the skills and tools necessary right now but must still not hesitate to start. We can learn by doing. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of Foreign Affairs must take the lead in this. We have already fallen behind many countries and we will fall behind many others if we do not begin e-Diplomacy soon.