VasGk | Κοινωνικό Νερό

John Kerry delivered his first remarks as the new U.S. Secretary of State. In his first speech at the State Department, he noted :  "...We get to talk about empowering people through our ideals, and through those ideals hopefully they can change their lives..." This is really important to underline;  given that public diplomacy now has a much more crucial role to play. In utilising new and social media, people now have the opportunity to engage through digital diplomacy.  As Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine has said :  "...we have to introduce more and more virtual exchanges and the use of social media particularly to reach young people where they are..." Secretary Kerry Tours the Ops Center Also, I came across a tweet from the State Department which informed that #SecKerry will be tweeting from the  +U.S. Department of State  twitter account . #SecKerry will start tweeting fr...

Message by Dr. Stefanie Babst (NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy). A new initiative from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, part of a public, or better framed, digital diplomacy. As stated, the WE-NATO platform is:  "... A n interactive social media platform which will enable NATO officials to engage directly with the global public and netizens in an open and transparent dialogue on issues related to NATO’s current agenda." Although I do applaud this new communication and outreach campaign, I must say that this could have been done from the current website of the organization, without having to create a new online presence or introduce the public to a new name (WE-NATO).  At the same time, just to add a bit of constructive criticism, I must point out that throughout the website comments are encouraged,   WE want to listen to what YOU have to say!  however at the bottom of each page its states:  Comments are clos...

Credit: OSCE/Igor Schimbator In a recent article on NPR  by Michele Kelemen, one can read how Social Media have affected Public Diplomacy. The Arab spring has been used as a bedrock for people arguing about the role of the Internet in regime change and public diplomacy. It is not just Social Media, but the Internet as a whole. Some people consider Social Media to be websites such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube, flickr, Blogs and more. That is not the case. These tools are just Internet applications. The Internet as a whole is a Social Medium! Today if somebody is lying about you in the media ... we now have the tools to get the real facts out there. - Alec Ross , State Department social media adviser Alec Ross is right. However with the correct use of Social Media, one should not only get the word out, or set the record strait; but actually listen to citizens and social groups, engage with the public and create a two-way communications stream between the diplomat...

I always try to find new ways to talk and engage with people on twitter. Although I maintain what I consider to be a very modest account ; I know I need to put more time and effort in my personal tweeting. At the moment, I mostly tweet through the corporate accounts I manage. In a Blog post back in 2009.. " Twitter as a public SMS pool " I wrote that: "I think twitter as being, not just a mini-blogging platform, but an open SMS pool" Through twitter, you have the opportunity to create context between relationships and interact with people.  An excellent recent example comes from the account of Kevin Spacey . One of Kevin's fans, Danielle Luttrell , tweeted: "I had a dream that @KevinSpacey called me to say happy birthday. I cried. #biggestfan" to which Kevin Spacey replied " @DanielleLutt how about a tweet? Happy bday! " I find this amazing! A Hollywood star like Kevin Spacey with over 2million followers on twitter repl...

I really want to commend Benjamin Netanyahu on his initiative to engage with people online. It is truly remarkable that a head of state is coming out openly and accepting questions from a global audience! The office of the Israeli PM states that: This will be a unique project since Prime Minister Netanyahu will be the first head of government to be in continuous contact will (with) websurfers, and will not suffice with isolated interviews only. ( small misprint there ) I have previously blogged on Israeli politics and social media, and the overall theme is that is clear, straightforward and open. Just like social media needs to be; especially when dealing with global political communications, or international political leaders being active in New Media. It's about being clear, honest and fully transparent. I am planning to address a question Benjamin Netanyahu soon, and hopefully he will respond. On a last note, I want to suggest a bit of housekeeping. ...