Saner, R. ; Yiu, L., “Developing Sustainable Trans-border Regions: The Need for Business Diplomats, Entrepreneurial Politicians and Cultural Ambassadors”, in Trappe, P. Social Strategies: Monographs on Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 30, pp 2000.
publication_category: Cultural Diplomacy
Organisational Culture of UN Agencies: The Need for Diplomats to Manage Porous Boundary Phenomena
Diplomats responsible for interfacing with UN Agencies need to recognise and manage overt and covert aspects of the Organisational Culture of UN Agencies, which are distinct from mainstream public and private sector organisations. Particular features of UN organisational cultures for instance often consist of complex informal organisational structures, multiple political interference’s (external and internal), inter-cultural value differences of staff and different management practices. Porous Boundary Phenomena from the authors’ point of view is one of the major factors which impose constraints on the performance of UN and in itself mirrors the client system that the UN is serving.
While diplomats use the UN system as one of the major fora for negotiations and coordination, they also monitor and try to guide the direction of the UN system. Hence, diplomats need to understand the specific organisational characteristics of the UN Agencies, i.e., the porous boundary phenomenon, and learn how to manage the interface with UN organisational culture in a mutually beneficial manner.
Cultural Tourism Development in Lake of Geneva region
This presentation focuses on the cultural entrepreneurship in the lake of Geneva region. Two musical festivals are described namely the Jazz Festival of Montreux and the Music Festival Paléo near Nyon. Both music festivals were created by founders who had the initial creative concepts, implemented them and found a way to make their success sustainable through constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation with the communities and authorities of the locations where the two festivals are being held on an annual basis.
Hierarchies of failures and solutions : Need for Cultural Diplomacy!
Raymond Saner, presentation given at DAW Singapore, 10th May 2013
Sustainability is often simplified to mean achieving “Triple E” (sustained economic, environmental and equitable social development” but little has been suggested as to how communities can harmonize the triple “Es” and find constructive solutions to the inevitable occasional tensions between the three sectors of social reality. There needs to be an overarching strategy that ensures ways to nurture a social culture which supports, protects, leads, cajoles communities towards orienting their respective activities and roles towards an overall balance of their multiple interests and desires which at times are in opposition with each other and at other times coalesce towards the achieving of a sustained well being for all.
Cultural Diplomacy can nurture a culture of sustainability. Cultural Diplomacy pertains to the use of the arts and cultural events by state and non-state actors to bring about international cultural understanding, co-existence and mutual acceptance. Cultural diplomats can be government officials as well as representatives of civil society with strong links or background in the arts and background in the arts and culture. Sustainability in its multi-sector reality needs cultural diplomats who can offer solutions to the inevitable disagreements over priorities of how to achieve the “Triple Es” and how to ensure constructive and harmonious relations between the many actors involved in making sustainability a reality. The Digital Art Weeks (DAW) is a unique opportunity to bring to life a culture of sustainability encompassing the three pillars of sustainability supported by mutually enriching interactions between the arts and sciences.