Independent Diplomat

‘Public diplomacy’ is described by our readings in a variety of ways. According to Gregory, “Public diplomacy is a political instrument with analytical boundaries and distinguishing characteristics”. Gilboa states that public diplomacy is “the way in which both government and private individuals and groups influence directly or indirectly those public attitudes and opinions which bear directly on another government’s foreign policy decisions” And according to John Brown, the state department defines it as "engaging, informing, and influencing key international audiences".

Under each of these definitions, Carne Ross’s work, through Independent Diplomat (http://www.independentdiplomat.org), would be considered ‘public diplomacy’. Ross was a member of the British Foreign Office and worked as a British diplomat from 1997 to June 2002. He also served as the UK delegation's expert on the Middle East at the United Nations and specifically on the U.N. Security Council. However, in while working at the U.N. Ross recognized the organization works primarily with Nation States and that there was a lack of dialogue between the United Nations and various sub-national groups in troubled nations. In other words, often those individuals who are most effected by the actions of the Security Council were not invited or heard by Security Council members. In order to help remedy this problem, Ross founded Independent Diplomat, with the goal of creating an exchange, where interested parties in troubled areas could meet with U.N. members, “to sit down” and “explain what they both want”. (For more information: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/951)

It seems that in contract to the Untied Nations usual approach to addressing security concerns, Ross’ organization seeks to create at least a dialogue, or perhaps even a collaboration between these parties. By bringing effected parties face to face with U.N. Security Council members, Ross hopes uses ‘public diplomacy’ to "engage, inform, and influence” both parties, in order to reach a better more complete understanding of their situations.