Niche Diplomacy

An examination of the nature of middle power diplomacy in the post-Cold War era. As the rigid hierarchy of the bipolar era wanes, the potential ability of middle powers to open segmented niches opens up. This volume indicates the form and scope of this niche-building diplomatic activity from a bottom up perspective to provide an alternative to the dominant apex-dominated image in international relations.

An analysis of the ever-evolving nexus of ethics, security and international relations. Organized thematically, the chapters include theoretical and policy-relevant commentaries on Canadian nuclear policy, democratization, human rights, economic development, peacekeeping, and more.

This volume highlights unique contributions of Asian middle powers to promoting of peace, development, human security, and democracy in Southeast Asia. Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have pursued variations on the normative theme of "new Southern policies," while Thailand is a major subregional actor.

Nicolas Fromm explores norm-based strategies small states can use to distinguish themselves internationally in order to compensate for their lesser geopolitical weight. Using the example of Qatar, the author shows that such strategies might include a sort of norm entrepreneurship which goes beyond the advocacy of universal norms and implies the development of genuinely new norms (‘norm crafting’) in pursuit of regional political influence. To shed light on the stunning rise of Qatar from a background actor to a protagonist in international diplomacy, the case study analyses the distinctive use of norm crafting in the country’s Middle East diplomacy under the reign of Emir Hamad (1995-2013). To unfold the potential of strategic normative innovation, Qatar seems to have imitated the attitudes and attributes of established norm entrepreneurs such as international organizations.

After 9/11, which triggered a global debate on public diplomacy, 'PD' has become an issue in most countries. This book joins the debate. Experts from different countries and from a variety of fields analyze the theory and practice of public diplomacy. They also evaluate how public diplomacy can be successfully used to support foreign policy.

The post-cold war era presented security challenges that at one level are a continuation of the cold war era; at another level, these phenomena manifested in new forms. Whether the issues of economics and trade, transfer of technologies, challenges of intervention, or humanitarian crisis, the countries of the South (previously pejoratively labelled “Third World” or “developing” countries) have continued to address these challenges within the framework of their capabilities and concerns. The volume explores defence diplomacies, national security challenges and strategies, dynamics of diplomatic manoeuvers and strategic resource management of Latin American, southern African and Asian countries.

This volume explores the foreign policy environment facing developing nations and their particular foreign policy-making structures and processes. By defining foreign policy broadly to incorporate the activities of a range of state actors and non-state actors, the book broadens the range of analytical frameworks for studying foreign policy-making in developing nations. Thus, the actions of small groups of elites, international institutions and transnational networks are seen to be part of foreign policy-making, as well as the traditional operations of foreign ministries. The volume is comprised of an extensive introduction, four thematic chapters, six country studies and a conclusion that ties together common themes. These serve as a useful contribution to the analysis of foreign policy-making in developing nations, a neglected area in the comparative study of foreign policy.

In The Diplomat in the Corner Office, Timothy L. Fort, one of the founders of the business and peace movement, reflects on the progress of the movement over the past 15 years—from a niche position into a mainstream economic and international relations perspective. In the 21st century global business environment, says Fort, businesses can and should play a central role in peace-building, and he demonstrates that it is to companies' strategic advantage to do so. Anchoring his arguments in theories from economics and international relations, Fort makes the case that businesses must augment familiar notions of corporate responsibility and ethical behavior with the concept of corporate foreign policy in order to thrive in today's world. He presents a series of case studies focusing on companies that have made peace a goal, either as an end in itself or because of its instrumental value in building their companies, to articulate three different approaches that businesses can use to quell international conflict— peace making, peace keeping, and peace building. He then demonstrates their effectiveness and proposes policies that can be utilized by business, civil society, and government to increase the likelihood of business playing a constructive role in the conciliatory process. This book will be of enormous use not only to students and scholars but also to leaders in NGOs, government, and business.