Public Diplomacy 2.0: A Virtual Proposal for a Real World

The Internet has become a platform for information sharing and collaboration, a meeting point for a global community whose interaction creates content for user-centered applications. These so-called Web 2.0 applications have evolved into a mass social experiment that has a direct impact on the daily lives of millions of people, regardless of their nationality or geographic location. Social networking and similar Web 2.0 technologies have made it possible to create, reach out to and be a part of entire communities of voters, consumers, activists, etcetera, and this is what has made them such an invaluable tool for civil society, corporations and government, who have ventured into a brave new virtual world to further their realworld interests. In terms of foreign policy, Web 2.0 applications allow chancelleries to better exert their influence on other governments and influence their decisions and actions by mobilizing citizens or groups close to power nuclei, in addition to facilitating direct dialog with individuals and target audiences. In this essay, Gabriel Terrés mentions certain countries that have discovered way of incorporating Web 2.0 applications into their diplomatic practices. Progress in this area, he argues, has created a fertile “virtual field” for chancelleries to forge online connections with a wide range of sectors in countries all over the world, just as civil society and the private sector have been doing. Like every innovation, these applications are not risk free, he admits, but chancelleries should not use this as an excuse to sit expectantly on the sidelines while other government agencies take the plunge and experiment with innovative online projects. Following a brief discussion of the possibilities of these applications and their social, economic and political impact, the author refers to the transition from telegraphic to cyber diplomacy and concludes with the issue of public diplomacy 2.0.