Celebrity Diplomacy; Unconventional International Politics

The aim of this small-scale but high-calibre conference is 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. Dr. Andrew F. Cooper, the first author to produce a book on this phenomenon (Celebrity Diplomacy, Boulder, London: Paradigm Publishers, 2008), will deliver a keynote speech.

Subsequently, a panel of experts will discuss the relationship of celebrities with international organisations and their role and influence in the media with prominent speakers as Oliver Buston, the European Director of DATA established by Bono of U2 and Paul Valley, the journalist who worked closely with Bob Geldof in his campaigns for Africa.

Finally, celebrity activism will be discussed in working groups in the broader perspective of new media in international politics; transnational advocacy and public diplomacy and international politics of networking.

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 and related transparency serve decision-making in global affairs?

The conference will gather an audience of academics, senior staff of European think thanks, representatives of non- governmental organisations and journalists who are somehow linked to the ?celebrity-diplomat? to discuss more in-depth the opportunities, consequences and challenges of this development.

On the second day, working group sessions will put the phenomenon of celebrity diplomacy into a broader perspective. For that purpose we have selected three themes to be discussed in separate working groups that will report back to the plenary session on Friday afternoon. The themes are:

1. New media in international politics
2. The international politics of networking
3. Transnational advocacy and public diplomacy beyond the state