Network Diplomacy

This volume draws on the author's many years of research into network diplomacy, an approach that has received little scholarly attention. It asks how this method might help ease acute conflicts and make their settlement more productive, and how its tools could also serve peaceful goals in global politics, commerce and the private sector.

The core of the book is a set of case studies. Some examine conflict zones, including Libya, Syria, the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and the armed fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. Others look at areas of peaceful engagement such as international sport, cultural and humanitarian ties, sister-city partnerships and cross-year initiatives, along with similar exchanges. Several chapters consider how Russia might take part in network-based solutions to these disputes.

Taken together, the book offers a view of the new peace-building efforts that Russian diplomats are pursuing.