Events
CDSP Conference: Celebrity Diplomacy; Unconventional International Politics October 30-31, 2008
25 Years Clingendael 'Reflecting the World'
The aim of this small-scale but high-calibre conference, which was held on 30 – 31 October 2008, was to examine the trend of celebrities taking up their role as advocates of public goods and thereby entering into the world of diplomacy and global governance. Some of the questions touched upon are: ‘what role can celebrities play in world politics and can they actually become diplomats? Is the celebrity diplomat an answer to lacking credibility and legitimacy of global action? and Do celebrities’ media power serve decision-making in global affairs?
The programme offered an intresting mix of speakers with a practical or academic background to the issue. Either directly working with celebrities like Oliver Buston, the European Director of DATA (established by Bono of U2) and Paul Vallely, the journalist that worked closely with Bob Geldof in his campaigns from Africa or indirectly involved through advocacy work of ngo’s inside the UN like Renate Bloem or through academic research like Dr. Andrew Cooper, the first author to produce a book on this phenomenon (Celebrity Diplomacy, Boulder, London: Paradigm Publishers, 2008).
The programme not only succeeded in discussing celebrity diplomacy in-depth, but also managed to discuss it in the broader perspectives of global governace and recent developments, like the role of new media and the influence of networks in international politics and transnational advocacy and public diplomacy.
The conference gathered an international audience of academics, senior staff of European think thanks, representatives of non- governmental organisations and journalists who were somehow linked to the ‘celebrity-diplomat’ and discussed more in-depth the opportunities, consequences and challenges of this development.
 Oliver Buston, European Director Data |
 Andrew Cooper’s presentation in roundtable setting |  Conference coordinator Mrs. Hinke Pietersma |
 A lively paneldiscussion with Paul Vallely (left); Heribert Dieter (centre); moderator: Peter van Ham (right) and Oliver Buston |