Digital Diplomacy Coalition

Sharing ideas & best practices for leveraging digital for diplomacy.

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The High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation was convened by UN Secretary-General António Gutteres out of the recognition that cooperation across domains and across borders is critical to realizing the incredible benefits of digital technologies, while safeguarding against risks and unintended consequences.

In September, the Panel held its first in-person meeting and agreed to focus on three tracks: 1) Values & Principles which should underpin digital cooperation, 2) Methods & Mechanisms of digital cooperation, and 3) Illustrative action areas where cooperation is working well, and areas where it could be strengthened.

Stakeholder communities around the world are invited to participate and provide input that will help the Panel’s deliberations, and spark thoughtful dialogue on these important issues.

Here are 4 ways to contribute:

Complete a short survey: share your opinions, and stories of cooperation around digital issues

Submit a written contribution: reflect on a series of key question (submit by 19 November)

Host your own discussion: gather insights from your community by hosting a discussion locally

Attend an in-person or virtual event: engage at events worldwide.

For more information, visit www.digitalcooperation.com/get-involved

Please share with with colleagues and networks.

And of course, use the hashtag #DigitalCooperation or tag @UNSGDigiCoop to engage in the conversation online.

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Fake News and Diplomacy

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We were named "Best Professional Group of the Year" in Diplomacy.Live's State of Digital Diplomacy 2016! 

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Join us to discuss the changing nature of foreign policy, trends in digital diplomacy, and the results of the world’s most comprehensive assessment and comparison of global soft power – The Soft Power 30.

Details here.

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What is a digital passport and how is it changing travel? (via Seeker Daily)

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In partnership with the United Nations Information Center, Digital Diplomacy Coalition, and the United Nations Foundation, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) hosted a forum in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 12, 2016. The forum explored the vital role of public diplomacy in engaging a broad array of stakeholders to implement the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The program featured a variety of perspectives, including case discussions by Canada and Mexico.

More here.

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ICYMI - Recap of SMWNYC innovations from the Netherlands session

  In coordination with the Digital Diplomacy Coalition, Dutch officials and social media experts hosted a presentation and discussion during Social Media Week New York on the power of social media to engage users at the national and local levels for international gain. 

Rob de Vos, Consul General of the Netherlands in New York, members of the Dutch government-wide Social Media Network, representatives from digital companies in the Netherlands, the City of Rotterdam, the embassy and more came together to share their insights and experience. 

Top digital diplomacy take-aways included:

Rotterdam Learning about how the City of Rotterdam engages residents through social media be promoting the city via user generated and curated content. By upcycling and sharing citizen content, the people of Rotterdam help to their their cities story online.This has led to positive responses and great digital interaction among the people of Rotterdam, and beyond.

Dutch in DC Jacquelien Nienhuis, Deputy Head of Public Diplomacy, Press and Culture at the Netherlands Embassy in Washington, DC presented the social media strategy of the Dutch embassy in Washington. 

@NLintheUSA engages in DC and across the US. She used real-life examples of how the embassy has stood-out in their use of digital tools, including how the embassy successfully countered criticism about Dutch drug policies last year. 

Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser discussed with media the city’s plan to legalize marijuana under certain circumstances, she said Washington “wouldn’t become like Amsterdam,” implying that the Dutch capital sets a bad example of tolerant drug policies. The embassy responded on social media. 

The embassy’s communications team created an infographic that compared Washington, DC to Amsterdam in several ways. Amsterdam stood out in terms of the number museums,canals and bikes. But Washington, D.C. stood out for one thing: the amount of marijuana a resident can carry around. (see the graphic below!)

Headed to the Netherlands this fall? Be sure to check out Social Media Week Rotterdam #SMWRDAM, November 14-18, 2016.

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Social Media Week in NYC is fast approaching and we’re excited to be involved in two key Digital Diplomacy events on 23 February!  @CanadaNY & @QuebecNewYork Present: Brand management, metrics and trends

As part of Social Media Week in NYC, the Consulate General of Canada and the Quebec Government Office in New York in partnership with the Digital Diplomacy Coalition invite you to a breakout discussion on brand management, metrics and trends.  Click to learn more

#SMWRDAM at #SMWNYC: Engaging Citizens – Social media innovation from the Netherlands

Join us for an interactive discussion on best practices and digital learnings from the Netherlands and the power of social media for national and local citizen engagement. An official Social Media Week NYC side event, hosted by the Dutch Consulate General in New York in partnership with the Digital Diplomacy Coalition.  Click to learn more

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New Year's Happy Hour - Washington DC

January 7, 2016 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Teddy & The Bully Bar 1200 19th St. NW Washington, DC 20036

You are invited to the Digital Diplomacy Coalition's first happy hour of 2016! Join your fellow digital diplomats and friends, as we celebrate the new year and introduce the new DDC Washington Chapter leadership team. Don't forget to RSVP if you haven't done already! CLICK TO RSVP *This is a cash bar event.

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In case you missed it

Full video from our Global Leadership in Public Diplomacy Forum with the USC Center on Public Diplomacy in Washington DC at the United States Institute of Peace on 14 October 2015. 

Exactly 50 years ago, distinguished American diplomat Edmund Gullion coined the term “public diplomacy” to specifically denote coordinated governmental engagement with foreign publics. Since then, the concept of public diplomacy has become broadened and more expansive.

Established in 2003 to serve as a leading resource for public diplomacy scholars and practitioners, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy has continued to contribute significantly through its research, analysis, training and public programming to discussions about the future of this ever-evolving, increasingly relevant form of global engagement.

Program Agenda

Welcome Remarks

William B. Taylor Executive Vice President, United States Institute of Peace

Jay WangDirector, USC Center on Public Diplomacy

Ernest J. Wilson III Dean & Walter Annenberg Chair in Communication, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California

Keynote Address

Richard Stengel Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Advancing International Advocacy in the Digital Age

Alejandro Estivill Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Mexico in the United States

​Moez Mahmoudi Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Tunisia in the United States

Ilse van Overveld Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Press & Culture, Embassy of the Netherlands in the United States

Philip Seib (moderator) Vice Dean, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California

Cultural Diplomacy: What Next?

Jennifer Clinton President & CEO, Global Ties U.S.

Sarah J. Hillyer Director, Center for Sport, Peace & Society, University of Tennessee ​

Viet Thanh NguyenProfessor, Scholar & Writer, University of Southern California

Martin Perschler Program Director, U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, U.S. Department of State

Katherine Brown (moderator) Executive Director, U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

Conversation: Congressional Spotlight

Kathy R. Fitzpatrick (introductions) Senior Associate Dean, School of Communication, American University

Howard Berman U.S. House of Representatives [D-CA, 1983-2013] Senior Advisor, Covington

James Kolbe U.S. House of Representatives [R-AZ, 1985-2007] Senior Transatlantic Fellow, The German Marshall Fund

Mel Levine (moderator) U.S. House of Representatives [D-CA, 1983-1993] Chair, CPD Advisory Board

Bridging the Study-Practice Gap

Nicholas J. Cull Professor & Director, Master of Public Diplomacy Program, University of Southern California

Shannon N. Green Senior Fellow & Co-director, Human Rights Initiative, Center for Strategic & International Studies

Richard Wike Director, Global Attitudes Research, Pew Research Center

Kristin Lord (moderator) President & CEO, IREX

Next Frontiers of Public Diplomacy: Technology & Talent

R. Rebecca Donatelli President & Founder, Campaign Solutions

Matt Higginson Politics, Government & Advocacy Lead, Medium

Alexander Howard Senior Editor for Technology & Society, The Huffington Post

Arturo Sarukhan Former Mexican Ambassador to the United States (2007-2013) CPD Distinguished Fellow

**Jed Shein **(moderator) Digital Director, Embassy of Israel in the United States ​Co-founder, Digital Diplomacy Coalition

Closing Remarks

Jay Wang Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy

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CPD Forum: Global Leadership in Public DiplomacyCPD Forum on Public Diplomacy

Exactly 50 years ago, distinguished American diplomat Edmund Gullion coined the term “public diplomacy” to specifically denote coordinated governmental engagement with foreign publics. Since then, the concept of public diplomacy has become broadened and more expansive.

Established in 2003 to serve as a leading resource for public diplomacy scholars and practitioners, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy has continued to contribute significantly through its research, analysis, training and public programming to discussions about the future of this ever-evolving, increasingly relevant form of global engagement. 

RSVP HERE

Wednesday, October 14, 2015 - 8:30am

United States Institute of Peace 2301 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20037

Program Agenda

Welcome Remarks

William B. Taylor Executive Vice President, United States Institute of Peace

Jay Wang Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy

Ernest J. Wilson III Dean & Walter Annenberg Chair in Communication, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California

Keynote Address

Richard Stengel Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Advancing International Advocacy in the Digital Age

Alejandro Estivill Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Mexico in the United States

​Moez Mahmoudi Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Tunisia in the United States

Ilse van Overveld Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Press & Culture, Embassy of the Netherlands in the United States

Philip Seib (moderator) Vice Dean, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California

Cultural Diplomacy: What Next?

Jennifer Clinton President & CEO, Global Ties U.S.

Sarah J. Hillyer Director, Center for Sport, Peace & Society, University of Tennessee ​

Viet Thanh Nguyen Professor, Scholar & Writer, University of Southern California

Martin Perschler Program Director, U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, U.S. Department of State

Katherine Brown (moderator) Executive Director, U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

Conversation: Congressional Spotlight

Kathy R. Fitzpatrick (introductions) Senior Associate Dean, School of Communication, American University

Howard Berman U.S. House of Representatives [D-CA, 1983-2013] Senior Advisor, Covington

James Kolbe U.S. House of Representatives [R-AZ, 1985-2007] Senior Transatlantic Fellow, The German Marshall Fund

Mel Levine (moderator) U.S. House of Representatives [D-CA, 1983-1993] Chair, CPD Advisory Board

Bridging the Study-Practice Gap

Nicholas J. Cull Professor & Director, Master of Public Diplomacy Program, University of Southern California

Shannon N. Green Senior Fellow & Co-director, Human Rights Initiative, Center for Strategic & International Studies

Richard Wike Director, Global Attitudes Research, Pew Research Center

Kristin Lord (moderator) President & CEO, IREX

Next Frontiers of Public Diplomacy: Technology & Talent

R. Rebecca Donatelli President & Founder, Campaign Solutions

Matt Higginson Politics, Government & Advocacy Lead, Medium

Alexander Howard Senior Editor for Technology & Society, The Huffington Post

Arturo Sarukhan Former Mexican Ambassador to the United States (2007-2013) CPD Distinguished Fellow

Jed Shein (moderator) Digital Director, Embassy of Israel in the United States ​Co-founder, Digital Diplomacy Coalition

Closing Remarks

Jay Wang Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy

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JOIN PORTLAND, FACEBOOK, AND THE DIGITAL DIPLOMACY COALITION IN NEW YORK TO DISCUSS THE MOST ACCURATE INDEX OF NATIONAL SOFT POWER EVER PRODUCED. 

We are delighted to invite you to a panel event to discuss The Soft Power 30, which Joseph Nye described as "The clearest picture to date of global soft power".

The nature of global power is rapidly evolving, precipitating far-reaching economic and political changes affecting nations of every size and standing. Today’s multipolar world is punctuated by challenges that are inherently trans-national, where unilateral action rarely succeeds in delivering favourable outcomes of consequence.

In this new and evolving context, soft power – the ability to achieve objectives through attraction, and persuasion – is ever more crucial to the effective conduct of foreign policy and ultimately shaping global events.

RSVP HERE

September 23, 2015 - 6:00pm Gary’s Loft - 28 West 36th Street, New York City, NY

Speakers

Matthew Rycroft, Ambassador and Permanent Representative at UK Mission to the UN

Moira Whelan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Digital Strategy, U.S. Department of State

Giorgio Pompilio, Deputy Consul General of Switzerland

Katherine Brown, Executive Director of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

Jonathan McClory, Partner at Portland, author of The Soft Power 30 and one of the world's leading experts on soft power

Katie Harbath, Global Politics and Government Outreach Director, Facebook

Visit the Soft Power 30 website to view the full results, including a detailed analysis from Soft Power expert Jonathan McClory. Check out the Soft Power 30 Facebook page for ongoing information and insight.

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Interactive panel discussion: “An exit for extremists: Digital solutions for online counter-radicalization”

Tuesday 16 June from 6:30 to 8 pm ECOSOC Chamber United Nations Headquarters New York City

Featuring

Mr. Mubin Shaikh, Co-author of the book Undercover Jihadi 

Ms. Yasmin Green, Head of Strategy and Operations, Google Ideas 

Ms. Sarah Wynn-Williams, Director of Global Public Policy, Facebook 

Ms. Atefeh Riazi, Chief Information Technology Officer, Office of Information and Communications Technology, United Nations 

Moderated by: Mr. Jehangir Khan, Director, UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (UN CTITF)/UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) 

This event is organized by the Digital Diplomacy Coalition and the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) with the support of the Consulate General of Denmark.

The international community is mobilized to counter the scourge of terrorism, which is considered one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. The response is challenged by rapidly evolving tactics of terrorist groups, which have increasingly become adept at social media. The panel will discuss how to address the extremist narrative online without limiting the basic rights of freedom of speech and access to information. Experts from the United Nations, digital media, communications and technology companies will look at innovative and constructive solutions to effectively counter and prevent the destructive violent extremist narratives of hatred and fear, while strengthening positive values of peace, justice, tolerance and human dignity.

The event will be live streamed on UN Web TV ›

Ask questions: Tweet at @DigiDiplomats using #ExitExtremism. 

Join the conversation and follow: @UN_DPA @DigiDiplomats #PreventVE #ExitExtremism and #DigitalDiplomacy

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How to Ensure Digital Campaigns Create Actual Change

By Emilia Honkasaari

Engagement. Impact. Futuristic. Needed. – These are the words experts used when asked to say what word first comes to mind when discussing digital campaigns for social change.

The Washington, DC Chapter of the Digital Diplomacy Coalition (DDC), in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden brought together leaders in digital campaigning to discuss the challenge of inspiring physical action through digital campaigning and share ideas for attaining success.

The interactive discussion held 28 April was guided by MSNBC’s Richard Lui, and featured:

Erik Wirkensjö, Project Manager for Midwives4All

Dayna Geldwert, Digital Producer for Girl Up

Maggie Forster Schmitz, President of the US National Committee for UN Women

Sam Huxley, Global Lead for Digital Crisis & Senior VP at FleishmanHillard

Digital campaigns are fascinating even if one does not run an online campaign for his or her organization.  By now, millions of people are aware of the UN Women’s HeForShe campaign. Nearly 7 million people have watched Emma Watson’s powerful speech on YouTube and close to 300,000 men around the world have committed to stand up for women’s rights via the campaign’s webpage.  

As individuals who frequent the Internet, we regularly see campaigns and organized hashtags trending on Twitter or other platforms.  Upon seeing these we might stop for a moment to figure out what the campaign is all about. We might click the link and maybe even sign an online petition if the topic seems important or re-share the content with our friends or followers. But for most people that is as far as the engagement goes.

Even if close to 300,000 men have committed to HeForShe, how does UN Women get men to actually stand up for women’s rights in their everyday life? The biggest challenge to successful social change driven by social media is to get people to act, to do more than merely retweet or re-share.

A core focus of the discussion was the involvement curve. It is great that people are aware of campaigns and choose to Tweet or post but the challenge is to foster and inspire direct engagement. Perhaps engagement leads one to write their representative in Congress to raise awareness or drive potential impact. The abundance of noise in social media makes it increasingly difficult to keep people engaged beyond a click here or a share there, but successful campaigns aim to do just that – drive actions which make change.

How do you measure the success of a digital campaign? The panelist agreed it is dangerous to have just a single metric measuring engagement. Number of followers or retweets gives you some indication of the direction you are headed, but it is not the whole story.

Erik Wirkensjö, citing his experience working on Midwives4All, explained it is important to have a full range of supporters including high level commitment. Having one visible and active supporter of the campaign might be more impactful than thousands of latent followers on Twitter. In addition, sometimes the most important discussion could happen around a kitchen table instead of a town hall meeting or on social media. The conversation cannot exist in a digital vacuum.

For UN Women the actual goal and most important measurement of HeForShe’s success is achieving gender equality, noted Maggie Forster Schmitz At first this sounds almost too colossal to be true, but then again what is the point of mobilizing millions of people if you do not have high hopes for the future.

HeForShe is a solidarity movement that urges people who are outside the system to speak up. On the other hand UN Foundation’s Girl Up focuses on engaging girls to become youth advocates. The girls are encouraged to become, what the panel called, “philantroteens” meaning teens who drive a cause, raise funds and awareness about issues they care about.

In order to create social change you need to get many different kinds of people engaged. You need the active social media users, the people who are outside the system so you are not just preaching to your own choir, the ‘philantroteens’ and those who sit across the commitment curve – those who Tweet and share, and those who are willing to step-up on the commitment curve and commit to physical action.

As we have already seen, digital campaigns can be hugely popular and raise both awareness and funds. But to create substantial social change we all need to step-up our game and do more than just retweet. When we come across topics we really care about, we need to mobilize and take action – take the digital cause into the real world.

 About Emilia Honkasaari

Emilia is the Communications Coordinator at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, DC and a member of the Digital Diplomacy Coalition - Washington, DC Chapter planning committee. 

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Digital Campaigns for Social Change

How can digital media instigate societal change - or at least provoke action? Come, listen and discuss some of the latest dynamic digital campaigns which have inspired people to take action! Embassy of Sweden and the Digital Diplomacy Coalition invite you to participate in an interactive event featuring:

Erik Wirkensjö, Project Manager for Midwives4All, Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs - @midwives4all

Dayna Geldwert, Digital Producer for Girl Up, UN Foundation - @GirlUp

Antonie DeJong, Director of Resource Mobilization, HeForShe, UN Women - @HeforShe

Sam Huxley, Global Lead, Digital Crisis & Senior VP, FleishmanHillard

Moderator:  Richard Lui, MSNBC Anchor

Tuesday April 28, 2015 - 6:30 pm

RSVP HERE

House of Sweden 2900 K St NW Washington, DC, 20007 

Ask your questions via Twitter using hashtag #SocialChange, and follow the conversation on @DigiDiplomats & @SwedeninUSA.

Event Partners 

This event is brought to you by the Digital Diplomacy Coalition and the Embassy of Sweden, in partnership with FleishmanHillard and GlobeScope.

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The first UN Social Media Day will take place at UN Headquarters on Friday, January 30, 2015. UN grounds pass holders are welcome to attend the event, featuring panel discussions and briefings by high-profile experts about the constantly changing social media landscape. 

Social media professionals, digital diplomacy practitioners and academics will share their experience, discuss trends and provide interesting insights into their work.

The event will be opened by Maher Nasser, Acting Head of the UN Department of Public Information, followed by a keynote speech delivered by Adam Snyder of Burson-Marsteller on the latest “Twiplomacy” study.

The event will be divided into three panels:

Tweeting from the Top: Ambassadors and Digital Diplomacy

Making the Most of Social Media Platforms

Social Media Trends for 2015

Three short “TED” style talks will also showcase how three different organizations have used the power of digital media to create online movements through strategic storytelling, community-generated content and amplifying action. 

  All are invited to join the conversation online by using the hashtag #SocialUN. The day will also be webcast live via the UN Webcast and on the UN YouTube channel.

This one-day event is jointly organised by the UN Department of Public Information’s Social Media Team, the Digital Diplomacy Coalition, the Consulate General of Canada, the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations, the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations, and the Consulate General of Switzerland. 

More details here.

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Exciting times for the Digital Diplomacy Coalition

Goodbye 2014 ... Hello 2015! We look back at what we achieved in 2014 and look ahead to 2015.

Wow. What an incredible year 2014 has been for the Coalition. We grew from one chapter in Washington, DC to three, having launched chapters in Ottawa and New York City. We welcomed a Deputy Foreign Minister, senior government advisors, as well as dozens more diplomats driving innovation from within government and key private sector individuals integrating outside technologies and expertise into the public sector. 

We partnered with leading international affairs organizations, think tanks, governments, and universities from the UN Foundation to Georgetown University, Brookings Institution to the Meridian International Center, and many more. We garnered insights from many of the tech companies who have redefined how the public consumes media including Facebook, Buzzfeed, Tumblr, Instagram and Google.

Most importantly, we sought to reach out to you, our community. The Coalition engaged with thousands of individuals in person and online around the globe.

We’re excited about our future. 2015 will be a year of more growth, unique events and further partnerships - including joining our friends at Fosterly for Collaborate DC. Collaborate will be held in January and brings together innovators in entrepreneurship, government, and technology. We will be there to highlight tech’s ongoing impact on diplomacy. 

2015 is going to be great! Join us in-person in DC, Ottawa, or NYC, and follow us on Twitter @DigiDiplomats. Interested in partnering with us for a future event or launching a chapter in your local community? Shoot us an email.

- Happy Holidays from the DDC Team -