Why understanding the algorithms which underpin our digital world unlocks understanding of the impact of the internet on our physical world. In the fall of 2014, Hong Kong saw the power and force by which online social media contains to disrupt the status quo. By leveraging social media, the average citizen has the ability to speak out against policy and diplomacy on a level far greater than one’s immediate professional or…

A COLLABORATIVE ESSAY BY GLOBAL DIPLOMATIC FORUM AND WRIGHT THOMAS INTERNATIONAL (SEPTEMBER 13, 2017) In my November 2015 essay, “Smart Diplomacy and the Future of Diplomatic Undertaking,” published in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, I introduced a new form of diplomacy combining the soft and hard power ideas of smart power with the “employment of new technologies, public and private partnerships, as well…

21ST APRIL 2016 The United States (US) continued keenness on the continuity of the EU is due to a combination of economic, security interests and shared values. The EU is the biggest single market for US export which accounts for more than 20% of total US exports, of which around 20% goes to…

On the 23rd of June, the British people will vote in a referendum deciding to either remain or leave the European Union. In the event that the British public vote to leave the EU (Brexit), changes will be inevitable, which may impact the international influence the UK and the EU…

2016 is set to be yet another challenging year for the International Community. We have listed our top 8 issues that we think will mark the 2016 Global Affairs Agenda and highlight their development and impact they may have on the coming years. 1. WAR ON ISLAMIC STATE (IS): Despite its biggest breakthrough in 2014, IS…

Professor Joseph Nye introduced the concept of Smart Power as a combination of coercive and soft power to achieve goals in international relations, arguing that neither soft nor hard power alone could produce effective foreign policy. Nye defined soft power as “the ability to affect others through the co-optive means…

UK- EU In addition to the saga of the UK’s Membership to the EU, there is a steady decline in the UK’s representation at senior levels in EU institutions. This has undermined London’s influence in Europe and its traditional role as a bridge between the US and Europe. In relation…

The Ukraine Crisis Current Situation (2015) The annexation of Crimea stands as “fait accompli”- no one is challenging it Eastern Ukraine isolated by rebels from the rest of the country Minsk Agreement II is active with heavy weaponry withdrawn and less violations of the cease fire Although the withdrawal lines…

THE UK’S RESOURCES The diminishing influence of UK in matters of international security can be seen especially in the Middle East with the lack of propositional role in Middle East peace process, the backlash of the controversial invasion of Iraq, lack of resources. According to John Baron MP, a member of the…