For the first-ever GDL Festival, hosted in Tunis and Utique, Tunisia, GDL Members, Leading Partners and the Secretariat reflected on the past 10 years of hosting over 40 Labs with topics including feminist policy, water diplomacy, climate change and inclusive cities with the aim of achieving its goal to advance Diplomacy 4.0.

The Members of the Elected Advisory Council, Chris Fowler, Cristina Gallegos, Gina Romero and Satyarupa Shekhar Swain expressly designed the programme of the Festival to best create an environment where members and partners could synchronise learnings from past activities while acknowledging the current climate of the world we live in and discuss what the future holds for the GDL.

The rise in conflicts vastly shifts the nature of diplomacy. However, now more than ever it emphasises the urgent need for more inclusive diplomacy. With this in mind, the festival created a unique opportunity for members and partners, both new and old, to meet and meditate on what the new direction should be for the GDL and how to best employ its unique set of voices and resources, to improve and enhance the direction of diplomacy. A new strategic focus was outlined: Under the guidelines of trust building and collective action for conflict resolution, the GDL will evaluate its activities to gain deeper practical insights from the Labs and then package these into tangible outcomes such as toolkits, innovative methodologies for inclusive diplomacy and evidence-based policy recommendations for diplomacy efforts.

Photo & Video credit: ©Faten Ferchichi/Pissenlit Studio