#Domainer elite basics professional#

The purpose of this article is to define the concept of public diplomacy in their diverse, often paradoxical comprehensions, to at least slightly introduce approaches to understanding of public diplomacy, while at the same time indicating modern trends in the r/evolution of public diplomacy. Only answers of such kind can represent an appropriate foundation for suitable recommendations and strategies for modern operation of Slovenian public diplomacy. Understanding what public diplomacy basically is or isn't can bring to answers on the questions what it in the existing conditions can do and what can we reasonably expect from it.

Therefore, it is first of all necessary to establish a minimal definition or joint denominator on the concept of public diplomacy. These debates and various statements have brought certain confusion about the meaning of public diplomacy, its goals and ways of activity. In his opinion Slovene diplomats should be active, proving their efficiency also on the basis of numerous published articles in foreign media and diverse mentioning of Slovenia by foreign publics (2005).

In this sense Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel pointed to the responsibility of ambassadors to show how the image of Slovenia improved around the world.

#Domainer elite basics professional#

Public diplomacy was also a central theme of the professional debate in the Slovenian Association for International Relations (2004), where joint conclusions and recommendations about the future activities of Slovenia in this area were presented.įurthermore, the new Slovene government, formed in December 2004, stated in its Coalition agreement under special title on public diplomacy (Chapter 9, Paragraph 16) that »informing of publics on international questions and Slovene foreign policy tasks would improve« and that »the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would strengthen its »public diplomacy«. In their recommendations for the future Slovenian foreign policy they emphasized: »It is of utmost importance to thoughtfully plan and lead the foreign policy of relations with foreign publics with a goal of strengthening the reputation and recognizability of Slovenia, Slovenian companies, our values and possibilities of specific state or civil initiatives in the international environment.« Similar were the thoughts of former Slovenian Prime Minister Anton Rop and the Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel at the Consultations of the Slovenian diplomacy by saying that with the membership in the European Union it was necessary to pay more attention to public and parliamentary diplomacy, foreign politics, economic diplomacy and scientific cooperation (STA, 2004). Thus respectable participants of the first set of discussions about the future of Slovenia with the President of the Republic on the subject of »Globally Active and Recognizable Slovenia« (2003) recommended that »now more than ever the economic and public diplomacy should become integral parts of foreign policy implementation«. In the period just before entering the European Union it has been also the Slovenian professional and political space that has been recognizing the need for the so-called public diplomacy. Key words: public diplomacy, secret diplomacy, persuasion, propaganda, public relations, media, branding states, foreign cultural policy. Therefore, the article first defines the concept of public diplomacy in its diverse, often contradictory conceptions, then it brings together different approaches to public diplomacy's understanding and finally, points to contemporary trends of r/evolution in public diplomacy.

Such answers can build firm grounds for relevant recommendations and strategies for contemporary functioning of public diplomacy, nationally and internationally. Fundamental understanding about what public diplomacy stands for, should further lead to answering questions on public diplomacy's potentials and expectations. Hereby the article is brought to you in full, with an updated introduction (2005).Ībstract: While opening current debates on public diplomacy in Slovenia - like in many countries around the world - focusing in particular on its relevance, aims and functioning modes, one should initially find a basic definition or rather a common denominator on the concept. Kristina Plavšak Krajnc, M.I.A, (Master of International Relations, Columbia University) a member of the International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) from Ljubljana, published her article »Public Diplomacy: basic Concepts and Trends« in a Slovene scholarly journal Teorija in praksa – Theory and Practice in March 2004 - 2004 (41), 3-4: 643-658.