THE ROLE OF CITIZENS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CITIZEN CULTURAL DIPLOMACY
PDF (Українська)

Keywords

public diplomacy
cultural diplomacy
national interests
civil society
non-state actors

How to Cite

Holoborodko, O. (2025). THE ROLE OF CITIZENS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CITIZEN CULTURAL DIPLOMACY. Public Management and Policy, (4(8). https://doi.org/10.70651/3041-2498/2025.4.14

Abstract

The article is devoted to the current issues of the transformation of public cultural diplomacy in the modern global context, where citizens and civil society organizations are acquiring a decisive role in international cultural communications. The study analyzes the approaches of cultural diplomacy from traditional state-centric models to decentralized, networked forms of interaction. It is noted that the digital revolution has radically changed the mechanisms of international communication, democratizing the space of cultural exchange. The research methodology includes a comprehensive analysis of scientific sources, systematization of modern scientific approaches to the study of public cultural diplomacy with a special emphasis on the analysis of the role of non-state actors in the formation of international cultural narratives. The study revealed transformational processes in the field of cultural diplomacy. A comparative analysis of various non-state actors of cultural diplomacy is presented. The potential of citizens and civil society organizations as key actors of international communication is revealed. An analysis of the impact of popular digital platforms on cultural exchange is conducted. Recommendations are provided for improving diplomatic practices by creating adaptive institutional structures, developing digital skills, and implementing flexible mechanisms for assessing cultural impact. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the change in the paradigm of cultural diplomacy, where vertical communications are replaced by network forms of interaction. The study proves that modern cultural diplomacy is a complex area where citizens can act as carriers of intercultural dialogue. The transition from state-controlled communications to authentic, emotionally rich interpersonal interactions is important in modern conditions. The prospects for further research in this area should be considered the study of ethical aspects of global communication based on the activities of citizens and citizen society organizations.

https://doi.org/10.70651/3041-2498/2025.4.14
PDF (Українська)

References

1. Scott-Smith, G. (2016). Cultural diplomacy. In Global diplomacy: Theories, types, and models (pp. 176–190). Boulder, CO: Westview Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429493799

2. Rashid, I., & Simpson, S. (2019). Civil society activism, strategic alignment and international public policy making for spectrum. Journal of Civil Society, 15(1), 62–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/17448689.2019.1565181

3. Wei, H. (2024). Exploring the influence and potential of new media on traditional cultural communication. SHS Web of Conferences, (185), 02016. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202418502016

4. Stanzel, V. (2018). New realities in foreign affairs: Diplomacy in the 21st century. Nomos. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783845299501

5. Šešić, M. D., Mijatović, L. R., & Mihaljinac, N. (2017). Cultural diplomacy: Arts, festivals and geopolitics. Belgrade. https://www.confluxcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Cultural_Diplomacy.pdf

6. Enaim, R., & El Alamy, Y. A. (2023). Cultural diplomacy’s effectiveness in boosting mutual understanding. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 6(12), 108–113. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2023.6.12.14

7. Isar, Y. R., & Triandafyllidou, A. (2021). Introduction to this special issue: Cultural diplomacy–What role for cities and civil society actors? International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, (34), 393–402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-020-09385-1

8. Lee, G., & Ayhan, K. (2015). Why do we need non-state actors in public diplomacy?: Theoretical discussion of relational, networked and collaborative public diplomacy. Journal of International and Area Studies, (22), 57–77. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43490280

9. Ghosh, S. (2025). Beyond borders: A comparative analysis of non-state actors’ impact on contemporary diplomacy – The roles of MNCs, NGOs, terrorist groups. In M. Zreik (Ed.), Innovations and tactics for 21st century diplomacy (pp. 119–146). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-6074-3.ch006

10. Antonova, L., & Shevchenko, L. (2023). The place and role of cultural diplomacy in the process of consolidating the country’s image on the international arena. Public Administration and Regional Development, (22), 1043–1062. https://doi.org/10.34132/pard2023.22.07

11. Dubovyk, N., & Shylo, O. (2023). Cultural diplomacy as a tool of international communication of Ukraine. Young Scientist, 4(116), 72–76. https://doi.org/10.32839/2304-5809/2023-4-116-14

12. Shtyrov, O. M. (2024). Cultural diplomacy as a tool of state policy. Investytsiyi: Praktyka ta Dosvid, (4), 214–218. https://doi.org/10.32702/2306-6814.2024.4.214

13. Frey, C. (2024). Digital diplomacy: The impact of technology on modern diplomacy and foreign policy. Current realities and future prospects. Romanian Journal of European Affairs, 24(1), 107–126. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4864962

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2025 Oleh Holoborodko