The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2020

44 JULY-AUGUST 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL and unleashing their value all require a solid understanding of the nature and performance of these networks. This is both a strategic and an empirical question. A comprehensive mapping and reevaluation of these relationships using social network analysis is the first step. Integrate the digital and the physical. As one’s digital life interacts ever more with the physical realm, we must not only build a distinct digital voice and digital identity into PD programs, but also maintain the human touch through direct person-to-person contact. The COVID-19 pandemic makes it apparent to us that, despite the ease of communication through digital tools, something fundamental is missing when we are removed from our physical environment. In our tech-infused world, there seems to be a craving for a sense of place and a sense of conviviality that an in-person event like the World Expo provides, for instance. After all, physical presence still represents a more elemental form of communica- tion and a transcultural human experience. As a major public diplomacy program, the World Expo begins as a place-based attraction; but, at the same time, advancements in digital tech- nology are upending how people experience and enjoy the event. The fairground is no longer a controlled physical space, but a fluid, expansive one where visitor experiences are transmedia and can be instantaneously shared beyond Expo grounds. So, we need to seek a balance between the digital and the physical to ensure effective PD engagement and prepare for the integra- tion of digital and in-person strategies when social distancing requirements are loosened. Expand city diplomacy. City diplomacy is a powerful tool for international engagement at the local level. It provides a much-needed anchoring mechanism to generate goodwill and reciprocity between cities and peoples across national bound- aries. Its value has risen steeply at a time when national-level actors face or create political and bureaucratic gridlocks. City leaders around the world are embracing international relations as it relates to a host of urban priorities, from economic develop- ment and cultural engagement to addressing mounting, shared challenges such as climate change, migration and emergency preparedness. A prime example is C40 cities, a network of megacities committed to addressing climate change. During the COVID-19 pandemic, cities are on the front lines of crisis response. Their international networks provide a platform for sharing knowledge and practices, obtaining critical resources, forging collaborations and partnerships, and demonstrating solidarity and a sense of community. To thrive in a globalized society, our citizens and local com- munities must understand the necessity of a city’s—and, indeed, a nation’s—international engagement to advance their interests and to enhance national security. In an increasingly networked world system, trust between nations may best be built from the ground up at the local level. U.S. cities play a consequential role in building bridges between America and other nations, and in sharing with the world facets of American life and core values. Invest in PD reskilling and upskilling. Capacity-building is essential to advance public diplomacy, especially in key functional areas such as audience analysis, visual and social storytelling, integrative community management, and analytics and impact. Contemporary PD demands communication approaches on a range of platforms that are compelling in content, style and placement. In this age of information abundance and mobility, communication attributes, such as transparency, authenticity, exclusivity and convenience, have greater prominence. Cultivated capability in understanding PD problems in computing terms and through data science not only enables strategy planning but also facilitates implementation with agility and versatility. Indeed, the COVID-19 crisis has accentuated the need for practitioners to acquire broad-based digital skills and to learn new models of engagement. Based on the evolving and continu- ous assessment of current and future practices, the skills and capabilities required for effective global engagement need to be constantly reexamined and refreshed. Public diplomacy provides collective linkages between national self-interest and the international common good. Reflect- ing a nation’s enlightened self-interest, it is a vehicle for building coalitions and demonstrating leadership to advance policies. It moderates extreme tendencies and fosters empathy and restraint in dealing with other nations and societies. Today profound, influ- ential societal shifts are reshaping public diplomacy. They compel us to rethink the fundamental assumptions underlying current practices, creating new openings and possibilities. n While we may be humbled by our own fragilities in the face of a pandemic, this crisis has also revealed the weakness of our imagination to transcend the politics of negativity and to expand social cooperation.