ABSTRACT
Diplomacy has traditionally been perceived as a highly state-centric practice. Diplomats are charged with the responsibility of representing the interests of sovereign states, which in turn are the primary legitimate carriers of authority and force. Currently, though, the twenty-first century presents global challenges ranging from climate change to poverty and from transnational organised crime to international terrorism. Individual states, and in some cases even governments working together, do not always have the means or power to address these problems. Since the end of the Cold War, non-state actors, such as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and International NGOs (INGOs) have claimed an active role in international affairs. At the same time, the phenomenal diffusion of new information and communication technologies has contributed to the emergence of global citizens, sometimes perceived as non-state actors with markedly different agendas or operating methods. Within such a context this chapter argues for the emergence of a new type of citizen intent on addressing and improving global issues, i.e. intent on exercising voice and influence at the global domain: the citizen diplomat (CD).
