The Hague Diplomacy Podcast

Ilen Madhavji sits down with the 2023 winner of the HJD Book Award, Dr. Rohan Mukherjee, to discuss how rising powers seek status from the established international order, to reserve their seat at the table of power. Inspired by Dr. Mukherjee's award-winning book 'Ascending Order: Rising Powers and the Politics of Status in International Institutions", they explore how countries like China and India have been motivated by ascending the global order, benefitting from it, and not necessarily the desire to dismantle it. After listening, if you’re left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

Host Ilen Madhavji speaks with Saadia Pekkanen, co-editor of the recent HJD Special Issues on Space Diplomacy, to see what there is to learn from Japan's approach to Space Diplomacy. Uniquely situated next to China but with extensive military ties to the United States, Japan cleverly employs Space Diplomacy to maintain its position between the two. This happens all the while they continue to be a global leader in dual-use space technology, which can be used for civil and military purposes. This "all fronts" strategy means Japan has found a way to operate bilaterally, regionally, and multilaterally by tailoring Space Diplomacy to their needs. After listening, if you’re left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

Host Ilen Madhavji is joined by Mai'a Cross, co-editor of the new HJD Special Issues on Space Diplomacy, to explore how diplomacy operates in outer space. With the United States and China engaging in a "Space Race 2.0" we are often exposed to the security implications of space competition, but space diplomacy can give us confidence that collaboration can be an even stronger driving force for peace, development, and exploration for all of humankind. After listening, if you’re left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In the first episode of 2023, our host Simran Kataria sits down with David Eichert to discuss his paper titled “Hashtagging Justice: Digital Diplomacy and the International Criminal Court on Twitter,” which was published in The Hague Journal of Diplomacy. They go a bit beyond the state-centric understanding of digital diplomacy to understand how the International Criminal Court (ICC) uses Twitter and its overall diplomatic messaging. They dig deeper into the different types of tweets on the ICC’s Twitter and discuss the guests’ categorization of these tweets into eleven distinct categories. They touch briefly upon three key narratives that emerge from the tweets as well as the key audiences among other topics. After listening, if you’re left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

Inspired by the HJD paper "Everyday Migrant Accompaniment: Humanitarian Border Diplomacy" by Cristina Churruca Muguruza, host Ilen Madhavji sits down with Cristina and field practitioner Diego Fernández Maldonado (Jesuit Migrant Service) to discuss this very relevant and burgeoning corner of diplomacy. We often hear of and see the impact of crisis on migrants and refugees, but seldom are we exposed to the harsh reality of what waits for them at a border. Uncertainty, hostility, and trauma that asylum seekers face has forced humanitarian border diplomats into existence. Join us to learn why and how they represent groups of migrants in the face of state authorities and legal jeopardy. Also, we touch on the refugee crisis caused by the conflict in Ukraine, and the interesting difference in how they are treated compared to asylum seekers knocking on the EU's southern border. After listening, if you're left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In part 2 of this two-part episode, host Ilen Madhavji explores the delicious world of culinary diplomacy alongside Chef Ritu Dalmia and Chef Emmanuel Stroobant, to get a taste of their perspective from the kitchen. This episode focuses on the inter-cultural element of food and its potential to unite people of difference. Our chef guests, who both have combined European and Asian approaches to cuisine, speak from their experiences of breaking down fears, traditions, and barriers through food. Whether it is through fusing the culinary traditions of India, Italy, Belgium, and Singapore, or finding common ground across the Eurasian divide in how we enjoy our meals, there are more cultural links than you may think! This episode was made possible by a partnership between The Hague Diplomacy Podcast and the Cowater project, “Advancing the EU role in multilateral Fora in Asia”, and funded by the EU. After listening, if you're left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In part 1 of this two-part episode, host Ilen Madhavji explores the delicious world of culinary diplomacy alongside Chef Ritu Dalmia and Chef Emmanuel Stroobant, to get a taste of their perspective from the kitchen. This episode focuses on the inter-cultural element of food and its potential to unite people of difference. Our chef guests, who both have combined European and Asian approaches to cuisine, speak from their experiences of breaking down fears, traditions, and barriers through food. Whether it is through fusing the culinary traditions of India, Italy, Belgium, and Singapore, or finding common ground across the Eurasian divide in how we enjoy our meals, there are more cultural links than you may think! This episode was made possible by a partnership between The Hague Diplomacy Podcast and the Cowater project, “Advancing the EU role in multilateral Fora in Asia”, and funded by the EU. After listening, if you're left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In the first episode of the year, our host Ilen Madhavji guides us through a conversation on crisis co-management with The Hague Journal of Diplomacy's Book Award winner, Markus Kornprobst. His work titled "Co-Managing International Crises: Judgments and Justifications" sets the agenda by asking how states have traditionally worked together to solve security crises that demand immediate responses. Everything from the psychology of individual world leaders to how public opinion influences states' collaboration is brought to the table, especially as Ilen and Markus consider broader crises of the environment, refugees, and global health. After listening, if you're left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In the second part of our mini series on Culinary Diplomacy, Ilen Madhavji dives further to explore how states have harnessed the soft power of cuisine to brand themselves globally and influence the masses. Particularly the cases of Peru and Thailand are proof that good food can boost a country's reputation and spread their culture with ease. Also, Gilles Bragard and Sam Chapple-Sokol return once more to highlight the bridge-building and peacemaking ability of culinary diplomacy in conflicts and at the local level. After listening, if you're left with more questions than answers, or just want to say hello, please reach out to us at podcasthjd@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In the first of two episodes on Culinary Diplomacy, Ilen Madhavji delves into the roots of this field to find out how Heads of State have used food as a tool of influence, cultural exchange, and public diplomacy. With the help of Sam Chapple-Sokol's expert insights and Gilles Bragard's diplomatic experience with the chefs of world leaders, The Hague Diplomacy Podcast learns about the power of food, and the food of the powerful. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In this episode, Ilen Madhavji sits down with Jorg Kustermans to unwrap the world of diplomatic gift giving and the influence it has on power dynamics. By building on The Hague Journal of Diplomacy's recent forum on this same topic, they try to understand the evolution of this practice over time, as well as how dominant and subordinate states use it differently. Additionally, the United Nations has been the recipient of diverse gifts in the form of artwork, entire rooms, and building materials for their HQ structures--what are states trying to achieve by donating these? Listen in to find out! This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In our ninth episode, our host Sophie Vériter talks to Heidi Maurer to discuss their recent contributions to the “Diplomacy After COVID” Forum, which both focus on the European Union. Heidi and Sophie talk us through their papers’ relevance, key points, avenues for research, and takeaways for practitioners - highlighting both the challenges and opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic has generated for the EU and its member states. They discuss how the virtual negotiations of the Council of the EU may bring about change and questions related to the role of physical presence in diplomacy, as well as the internal and external challenges that the EU faces in tackling COVID-19-related disinformation. Listen to hear our contributors’ reflections on the future of diplomacy in Europe. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In the first episode of the new year, our host, Ilen Madhavji, builds on Episode 7 and the Journal's "Diplomacy After COVID" Forum with insights from two guests with practical experience within the world of diplomacy during COVID. Ye-Min Wu, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Singapore to the World Trade Organisation, and Rebecca Webber Gaudiosi, former representative of the US at the UN, current academic, and diplomatic trainer, touch on the pandemic's influence on multilateralism, decision-making at the highest level, and the importance of interpersonal relationships. As co-authors of "Negotiating at the United Nations: A Practitioner's Guide", our two guests walk the bridge between diplomatic practice and theory and, alongside Ilen, explore what we can take with us from this unprecedented era. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

This time, in our seventh episode, Ilen Madhavji is joined by Tristen Naylor to discuss his recent contribution to our "Diplomacy After COVID" Forum. His piece, entitled "All That’s Lost: The Hollowing of Summit Diplomacy in a Socially Distanced World", forms the starting point of their discussion on how COIVD has changed the way diplomatic summits and meetings have adapted to the new normal. Without physically being together, world leaders and diplomats have had to change the way they interact and make decisions. Listen in to hear how this has changed the concept of the summit, and what diplomacy can learn for the post-COVID era. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

Our sixth episode takes a different format than usual. Our host Ilen Madhavji speaks to Her Excellency Sahar Ghanem, Ambassador of Yemen to the Netherlands, about her experiences as non-career diplomatic envoy. By touching on her multiple tasks and role as Coordinator of the Women's Ambassadors Group in The Hague's corps diplomatique, this conversation reflects the diversity of diplomacy that The Hague Journal of Diplomacy highlights through research and debate in the journal and related publications on this platform. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

For our fifth episode, we welcome Dr. Stuart Murray who speaks with us about the quickly evolving field of Sports Diplomacy. In many ways, this episode is a check-up since the 2013 Special Issue of The Hague Journal of Diplomacy that Stuart guest edited. Our host, Ilen Madhavji, explores some historical cases with Stuart, like the 1936 Berlin Olympics and Colin Kaepernick's protest, in order to illustrate the impact that sports can have on social and political movements. Also, how sports can be co-opted by states and used as a diplomatic medium to convey messages to other states is unpacked. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

For our fourth episode, Pierre-Bruno Ruffini discusses the field of science diplomacy through his perspective as a practitioner and leading academic in the field. He is also the guest editor of The Hague Journal of Diplomacy's upcoming online forum on science diplomacy. This time, our host Ilen Madhavji, helps unpack this exciting new field of study and how it has been a cooperative diplomatic tool throughout history, even amongst inter-state tensions. As a mixture of the "scientific" and "diplomatic" mindset, science diplomacy requires a unique practical and academic approach. Also, the current COVID-19 pandemic is reflected on as an example of a global crisis that calls upon science diplomacy. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In our third episode, Birgitta Niklasson discusses her article "The Gendered Networking of Diplomats", part of our latest Special Issue on Ministries of Foreign of Affairs. In a dynamic conversation with our host Tingting Yang, she explores the gendered aspects of diplomacy, drawing on both gender theories and interviews conducted with Swedish diplomats. Gender permeates all spheres of society, not least the profession of diplomacy. Diplomats, while managing interpersonal relations, are also constantly navigating gender norms in their work. As more and more women enter this traditionally male-dominated profession, it becomes increasingly important to understand how women conduct diplomacy. Focusing on the gendered nature of a core element of diplomacy: networking, Birgitta explains the challenges female diplomats face as well as the opportunities their gender opens up. Being a public administration expert, she also offers valuable insights into the study of the foreign ministry as a crucial diplomatic institution, and concludingly, gives advice on how it can best manage and benefit from diplomats' gendered networking approaches. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

In our second episode, Damien Arnaud discusses his practitioners piece "How the 'Post-Truth' Phenomenon Harms Political Dialogue between States" for The Hague Journal of Diplomacy in Vol. 14, Issue 4. Together with out host, Ilen Madhavji, the impact that post-truth has had on the highest level of international--and particularly security--cooperation is explored. Through the experiences of our guest, and those of the former NATO and MFA officials he interviewed for his research, post-truth is brought beyond the Brexit and Trump headlines. The views expressed by Damien Arnaud are his own and do not represent the views or policies either of Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, where the author was a Visiting Scholar early in 2019, or of NATO. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org

We welcome Prof. Christian Lequesne (SciencePo, Paris) in this first episode. You may recognize our guest as editor for the recently-released special issue of the journal entitled Ministries of Foreign Affairs: Institutional Responses to Complexity Diplomacy. Expanding on this special issue, Prof. Lequesne explains why studying the MFA is vital to gauging the climate of modern diplomacy. Host Ilen Madhavji, and Prof. Lequesne discuss a variety of topics, such as diversity, public diplomacy, social media, and the less central role of the MFA within the developing world of diplomacy. The resulting conversation sheds light on an institution that no longer has the monopoly on diplomacy, yet still strives to be a major player. This is a podcast created by The Hague Journal of Diplomacy: http://www.haguejournalofdiplomacy.org