Following up on the Impact Lab, the project has been continued in the format of three “Brain Trust Sessions”. These online sessions were used to develop concrete ideas for activities that would help the Federal Foreign Ministry’s department “Diplomacy by Networking” use the full potential of their alumni network and create a bigger impact within and outside of the Ministry. The Members also looked into how the GDL could be incorporated in this process and designed different activity formats.
One of the standout ideas that emerged from the Brain Trust Sessions was the creation of the “Monday on the Couch” format. This format envisions informal, yet insightful, online discussions where experts and diplomats can engage in meaningful dialogue. The flexible and low-operational nature of these sessions makes them accessible and impactful. Potential topics for these sessions include water diplomacy, climate change, and sustainability, and they aim to involve foreign diplomats and professionals from related fields. These sessions would not only enhance visibility for the GDL and the Federal Foreign Ministry’s initiatives but also foster deeper engagement from the GDL community.
Additionally, the idea of intercultural training was explored, highlighting the need for specialized training sessions tailored to diplomats at various career stages. These trainings would focus on navigating intercultural fields and could potentially be expanded into a professionalized, income-generating model for the GDL.
These ideas underscore the innovative approaches that are central to the “Realigning Diplomacy by Networking” project. The online sessions have provided new impulses, building on ideas that were already implemented by Diplomacy by Networking following the initial Lab.
