Written by Elsa Marie D’Silva & Cristina Gallegos with inputs from Chris Fowler & David Patrician
Inclusive Diplomacy, also known as Diplomacy 4.0, is a modern must; an acknowledgement that discussing global governance and a common agenda cannot be achieved without the inclusion of diverse non-state actors participating along with states. Thus, diplomacy must be able to embody a country’s diversity, and it must xadvance collaborative, positive solutions to shared challenges.
To further Diplomacy 4.0, the Global Diplomacy Lab introduced a new format for interaction and dialogue: The Inclusive Diplomacy Lounge.
The Inclusive Diplomacy Lounge is a safe third space that holds innovative, multi-stakeholder dialogues, providing participants with additional opportunities to gain insights on existing global policy challenges, with the objective to ultimately prevent and resolve conflicts. This space facilitates discussions at various major international events with the goal of bringing different perspectives on the discussed topics. By fostering and deepening personal relations, encouraging diverse opinions and spaces of trust when hosting difficult dialogues regarding complex problems, the IDL is a stimulating medium for accelerating conflict resolution and diplomacy.
With the power of convening in mind, and bringing a different vibe to traditional conferences, the Inclusive Diplomacy Lounge is curated to equally hold structured and non-structured conversations for 1–2 days in an open room that can cover about 25 people at a time outside of the main stage.
Throughout the day, and considering the schedule of the event, 2 formal conversations will be held with an innovative methodology as well as 1 fireside chat with high level speakers. And, between these, the Lounge is open all day for one-on-one meaningful and deep dialogues which will be facilitated with the assistance of GDL members, a diplomat and/or a citizen diplomat.
The IDL at BSF commenced on 1 September with a fireside chat with Minister of State of the German Federal Foreign Office, Dr. Tobias Lindner, moderated by David Patrician. (The meeting was off-the record, Chatham House Rules, so no additional details on the conversation will be provided beyond the broad description below).
Several important topics were discussed, including prioritizing Feminist Foreign Policy which the Minister leads. The refugee policy was discussed at length highlighting the importance of the needs of the refugees. The Israel Gaza conflict was unpacked through the lens of Germany’s Staatsräson (reason for state). Finally, the recent elections in two eastern German states were also discussed, as well as immigration, inflation, and the housing crisis.
Everyone appreciated the frankness and openness with which the Minister discussed these topics.
On 2 September, we had three lively and interactive sessions focusing on
We facilitated an organic, fishbowl discussion that featured two diplomats and two young BSF participants. An open seat served as an invitation for audience members to join the fishbowl and share their perspectives.
Benefits of the fishbowl discussion format:
This interactive discussion addressed the importance of leaders from cities and municipalities to include elected and appointed officials, as well as citizen diplomats in advancing their policy ideas and points of view in international fora. Examples were shared from Slovenia, Germany, Rwanda, India, and the United States. Five participants from the BSF, including Youth delegates strengthened the discussion with their interventions.
The fixed participants in the fishbowl were:
The World Café serves as a progressive discussion within and between several small groups. It is a great format to capture inputs from your audience and encourage them to build upon the contributions of others.
The GDL organized a World Cafe that explored the role of women in international security through the following three lenses:
In keeping with our previous GDL focus on engaging youth, at this BSF we decided to partner with Young BSF and create a session that would bring their youth leaders closer to the GDL members.
Six Young BSF members were asked to submit topics that interested them and which they wished to lead conversations on. Each of these Young BSF members were paired with 1–2 GDL members and other participants of the BSF. For most of the session, the Young BSF members led the conversations and deep dived into the topics with the experts.
Participants from the Young BSF:
All in all, the Inclusive Diplomacy Lounge format was a great value-add to the BSF 2024 and the diplomatic discourse. Everyone who attended appreciated the space to share their thoughts in an authentic way and learn new perspectives. Several attendees stated that it was their favorite part of the conference, and that they want to be more engaged with the Global Diplomacy Lab. Further, the organizers of the Athens Democracy Forum were keenly following our progress and agenda from afar, insisting we host a mini Inclusive Diplomacy Lounge this year at the Athens Democracy Forum as well. As a direct benefit, this interest has resulted in two sessions at Athens Democracy Forum on 1 October 2024. The Athens Democracy Forum plans to further engage the Foreign Office of Greece during the sessions.
Additionally, inspired by the success of the Inclusive Diplomacy Lounge at the Bled Strategic Forum, two GDL members have spearheaded a 5-day hybrid format for the UNFCCC COP29 in Baku in November 2024, blending daily commentary on the COP29 negotiations with an in-person, high level intimate roundtable conducted in partnership with the Union of the Mediterranean and with projected participation from the Slovenian Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, and the German Federal Foreign Office.
Another invitation has been extended to host an Inclusive Diplomacy Lounge at the Delphi Economic Forum in April 2025.
Important Notice: The Global Diplomacy Lab (GDL), a 10-year collaborative effort, concluded on 31 December 2024. This website has been transformed into a digital archive, ensuring that GDL’s valuable work, including information on its members, partners, and activities, remains accessible for the next 2-3 years.