My Understanding of diplomacy today

Reflecting on my readings from the previous seminars and discussions my opinion of diplomacy has changed as my understanding has grown.At the start of the module i thought diplomacy was simply the way countries related with each other in terms of their foreign policies. I assumed it was relatively modern in international relations and not dating back to the earliest civilisations. Diplomacy has always been present and has simply evolved over time.The first evidence of diplomacy dates back to around 2500 BC letter inscribed on a cuneiform tablet, sent from the kingdom of Ebla to the kingdom of Hamazi (Malissen 1999:3).These findings about the ancient origins of diplomacy fascinated me quiet frankly.The aspects that i found most intriguing about diplomatic relations where those about cultural diplomacy, religion and the roles of non state actors.

The emergence of new actors in state affairs is one of the most significant aspects of the new diplomacy as negotiations bilateral or multilateral are heavily influenced by these actors.In cases likes environmental summits taking place most developing states are faced with bigger burdens and are not able to send representatives to these summits and the ability of NGO's, to take precedence on behalf of states demonstrates their importance in the new diplomacy.

Religion and culture are aspects of diplomacy that we have found to be very important in the new diplomacy especially in the periods after the Cold War when different ideologies have surfaced through globalisation and the interconnectedness of the international system and the advancement of technology.