All predictions about the "end of history" or a gradual withering away of the state so far proved wrong. International affairs are there to stay in the foreseeable future. The relations between the states are still crucial for the future of each one of us and all of humankind.
However, how the states interact has changed. Classic diplomacy can no longer satisfy the states' needs and promote their interests. The impact of international organizations, sub-state players, corporations, and even individuals is growing and challenging the whole system of international relations. One of the primary reasons behind this change is a mix of technology and a new form of mass media, which we call social media.
For the last 19 years, I have been a practitioner of international relations, a member of Israel's foreign service, and have worked in Moscow, Los Angeles, Paris, and Washington. From the beginning of my diplomatic career, I paid special attention to the Internet. At my first assignment in Moscow, between 2000 and 2003, as a spokesperson, I worked with traditional media, dedicated a lot of time to internet news sites, and participated in internet press conferences. One of my best interviews (from my point of view) I gave to the website jewish.ru: unlike the newspaper, on the website, the physical place is not limited, and I could answer all the questions without any concern for space (http://jewish.ru/ru/events/israel/181311/).
However, the invention of social networks was an even more significant game changer, even though, at that time, it was not so obvious. I consider myself an early adapter and enthusiast of Diplomacy 2.0: I initiated a training program on digital diplomacy that became mandatory for all diplomats within the Israeli Foreign Service, was intensely involved in international initiatives promoting Digital Government like Govloop.com, and was invited to speak at the O’Reilly GOV 2.0 online conference. With the development of Artificial Intelligence, the world entered a completely new development phase.
In this blog, which I originally created in 2009, I continue to analyze and discuss international relations, central topics of the global diplomatic agenda, and the impact of technology on it.
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