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𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰? Emperor Ashoka’s envoys carried Buddhist teachings to Egypt, Syria, and Greece - a 3rd-century BCE version of soft power. After the Kalinga War, 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚-𝐯𝐢𝐣𝐚𝐲𝐚 - 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. He sent envoys westward to Hellenistic rulers, including Ptolemy II and Antiochus II, bearing messages of peace and Buddhist teachings. These missions were 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲, using moral influence instead of military force. Today’s cultural diplomacy echoes this ancient strategy of shaping global narratives. From 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 by Jovan Kurbalija, now available on Amazon Kindle: https://a.co/d/dv5L2Qk #Ashoka #Softpower #Diplomacy #India

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞? AI won't replace diplomats but redefine their craft: it creates '𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲', automating data tasks to free humans for empathy, strategy, and compromise.  The ultimate impact of AI on diplomacy is the introduction of 'cognitive proximity,' the symbiotic collaboration between human and artificial intelligence. AI excels at analysing vast datasets, flagging patterns, and drafting initial reports - tasks that once consumed diplomatic energy. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬: building trust, interpreting emotion, and brokering the final, creative compromise. The future is an augmented diplomat, not an automated one. From 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 by Jovan Kurbalija, now available on Amazon Kindle: https://lnkd.in/dGWCQyKX

DW Weekly #235 is out! ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dkKWZ8dG Beyond the blip: the AWS outage exposes cloud resilience challenges. Global attention intensifies on protecting children online. AI browsers debut, reshaping search and content. F5 breach, US-China cyber clash over China’s time service, and NSO blocked from WhatsApp—digital security never sleeps. Plus, updates from Geneva and a look at the week ahead. . . #CloudResilience #AWS #Amazon #ChildSafetyOnline #AI #AIBrowsers #CyberSecurity #F5Breach #USChinaCyber #NSO #DigitalSafety #TechNews

🇿🇲 Happy Independence Day, Zambia! 🇿🇲 Who’d guess a landlocked country is racing ahead on next-gen tech? 🇿🇲 Did you know Zambia rolled out 5G early, licensed Starlink, and runs an interoperable National Financial Switch that lets money hop between banks and mobile wallets across providers? Behind the scenes, in-country Tier III data centres and steadily growing mobile & internet subscriptions are pushing real-world adoption, think faster networks, broader reach, and smoother payments. Short story: Zambia isn’t the continent’s biggest market, but on practical enablers, 5G readiness, LEO satellite access, interoperable instant payments, and government-grade local hosting, it’s punching above its weight. Explore more: https://lnkd.in/dRK7W9NH What you’ll find: 🌐 Insights into Zambia’s digital strategies and initiatives 🤖 An interactive AI assistant to delve into the country's digital policies 🗺️ A comprehensive look at its digital infrastructure through our interactive map . . #Zambia #DigitalZambia #AfricaTech #5G #Connectivity #Starlink #LEOsatellites #MobileMoney #Interoperability #NationalFinancialSwitch #Fintech #DataCenters #TierIII #CloudAfrica #DigitalInfrastructure #eGovernment

Is green hydrogen a 'silver bullet' for decarbonisation or a new arena for geopolitical competition? In a new post for the Diplo blog, Bogdan Stojanovic looks beyond the science (the 'colours' of hydrogen, the storage challenges) and into the international relations of it all. Who will be the new energy exporters? How are the EU and China positioning themselves? This new diplomatic field is a good case study in how global challenges are creating new, specialised forms of diplomacy. It's a topic very close to our work at DiploFoundation and, fittingly, it's one of many topics covered in the new book, 'Diplomacy decoded: 300+ types of diplomacy explained'. Check out the blog to see how the future of energy is being defined by diplomacy today. https://lnkd.in/dreT8e43 The Diplomacy Decoded book is coming soon. Be the first to know when it is available: https://lnkd.in/dMk3CR53 #GreenHydrogen #EnergySecurity #InternationalRelations #Diplo #300TypesOfDiplomacy #DiplomacyDecoded #Diplomacy #FutureOfEnergy

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰? 🐟 Just like 19th-century empires fought over telegraph cables, modern global powers now contest the flow of data via 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬, which carry over 90% of global internet traffic. The geopolitical significance of communications infrastructure remains a constant. The contest for control over submarine fibre-optic cables, the "nervous system" of the internet, mirrors the 19th-century Great Power rivalries over telegraph cables. These 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 (𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐞𝐳 𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐚) 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬, making their protection a critical topic of digital diplomacy and international security. This persistence shows that the map of power is still, in part, drawn by who controls the most vital lines of communication. From 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 by Jovan Kurbalija, now available on Amazon Kindle: https://lnkd.in/dGWCQyKX

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰? 📺 The 'CNN effect' proves that 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞. Images of crises, from Somalia to Bosnia, can compel intervention when political will might otherwise be lacking. Before television, conflict was mediated by the slow image or written word. The rise of 24/7 cable news, giving live, unedited access to conflict zones, created the controversial 'CNN effect', where dramatic visuals push foreign policy up the diplomatic agenda. This demonstrated 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 and force governments to address humanitarian crises that may not directly threaten their national interest. Today, mobile video and social media amplify this effect exponentially. From 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 by Jovan Kurbalija, now available on Amazon Kindle: https://lnkd.in/dkfyr6jv #CNNeffect #diplomacy #humanitariancrisis #liveTV

#NEW 🌎 Multilateral Diplomacy Institutional Aspects online course! Scholarships available! 🚨 📢 APPLY NOW: https://lnkd.in/dazGuz8z Gain the skills to navigate the UN system, engage key actors, and operate effectively in today’s multilateral environment. The course explores: ✓ The institutional framework of multilateral diplomacy ✓ The UN system’s growing complexity ✓ Roles of member states and emerging stakeholders ✓ Cooperation between global and regional organisations ✓ Responses to geopolitical shifts and non-state actors ✓ Practical ways to apply the multilateral diplomacy framework to global initiatives Course lecturer Amb. Petru Dumitriu. . . #DiploAcademy #Diplomacy #MultilateralDiplomacy #OnlineCourses #ProfessionalDevelopment #ForeignPolicy #InternationalRelations

🇭🇺 Honouring and commemorating the 1956 Revolution Memorial Day in Hungary! 🇭🇺 What if a country with no coastline surfed the internet faster than many that do? 🇭🇺 Did you know Hungary ranks among Europe’s leaders for gigabit coverage, thanks to extensive fibre-to-the-home, and runs a 24/7 instant payments system that’s been live since 2020? Behind the scenes, Budapest’s BIX peering hub moves over a terabit per second at peak, linking over a hundred networks and plugging Hungary straight into Europe’s digital bloodstream. Not bad for a landlocked nation—proof that smart infrastructure choices beat geography every time. Explore more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/demK8HdM What you’ll find: 🌐 Insights into Equatorial Hungary’s digital strategies and initiatives 🤖 An interactive AI assistant to delve into the country's digital policies 🗺️ A comprehensive look at its digital infrastructure through our interactive map . . #Hungary #DigitalHungary #Gigabit #Fiber #FTTH #InstantPayments #Fintech #Connectivity #Broadband #BIX #Budapest #Peering #EUDigital #CEE #DigitalInfrastructure

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰? 𓂀 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞 discovered isn't in Europe, but Egypt! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 (c. 14th century BCE) are clay tablets showing Egyptian Pharaohs negotiating trade and alliances. The diplomatic archive is one of technology's first gifts to statecraft. The 3,300-year-old Amarna Letters show that 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧, 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥. This systematic record-keeping created institutional memory, allowing rulers to track old agreements - a function later perfected by the Venetians and now being redefined by AI-powered databases. From clay to cloud: the need to preserve diplomatic knowledge is a constant. From 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 by Jovan Kurbalija, now available on Amazon Kindle: https://a.co/d/6FaZa2l #Diplomacy #InternationalRelations #HistoryOfDiplomacy #GlobalAffairs #InternationalLaw #AmazonKindle