Public diplomacy
The Swedish Institute runs its operations within the framework of public diplomacy – understanding, informing, influencing and developing relations with people in other countries. The intention is to increase awareness about Sweden and create a positive environment through strategic communication and relationship-building activities in order to achieve Swedish economic, political and cultural objectives.
Unlike traditional diplomacy, which mainly involves communication and relations between the governments of different countries, public diplomacy is aimed primarily at communicating and developing relations directly with the general public and civil societies abroad. This has taken on increased importance in an era of democracy, mass communication and mass consumption where borders are erased and individuals, through their choices and opinions, are to an ever greater extent the ones who set the agenda.
- Examples of political objectives are the goals that a country has in the promotion of its international interests or the objectives it has in international development cooperation. It can also be security policy objectives, eliminating threats to national security (the primary aim of American public diplomacy since 2001) or ensuring that the rest of the world is willing to come to the rescue in a national crisis. Moreover, one of the British government’s objectives that have been given priority in foreign policy is supporting international public opinion on sustainability and climate issues.
- Examples of economic objectives include increasing growth and employment by increasing the country’s attractiveness internationally and demand for its goods and services in different areas. This may include increasing foreign investment and the country’s exports as well as attracting talented individuals, students, researchers, labour and tourists.
- Examples of cultural objectives for a country can be stimulating an active creative exchange with the rest of the world in order to stimulate cultural and intellectual development.
Successful public diplomacy is ultimately based on listening, getting to know one’s collaborative partners/target groups and creating conditions for meetings. As in all lasting relations, openness, dialogue and reciprocity are needed to succeed. But relations presume that there is awareness, confidence and interest in Sweden among those who are targeted. There is a strong connection between low confidence/interest and low awareness. So clarity and presence are required to attract attention and reach others. As a result, public diplomacy works in different stages, from more focused strategic communication, which aims to put the country on the map, to more dialogue-based meetings for subsequently creating strong, long-term relations and collaborations.
Cultural diplomacy is also included as a natural, highly effective component in this approach to public diplomacy, both by putting Sweden on the map through its culture and by influencing target groups or collaborative partners in a given direction. This might be getting them to start studying in Sweden, studying the Swedish language, becoming acquainted with Swedish culture, travelling to Sweden, buying Swedish products, sympathising with Swedish values etc. just as it might be increasing knowledge about and respect for democracy and human rights within the framework of development cooperation.
Included in the concept of public diplomacy are the promotion of Sweden and development cooperation as well as nation branding (strategic communication) and activities promoting dialogue and cooperation (relation-building activities).