The Ebbs and Flows of Canada’s Public Diplomacy with a Domestic Foundation

Abstract

Canada jumped ahead in its development of public diplomacy, that is the involvement of public opinion in foreign policy-making and conduct. Canadian studies centres around the globe have been hallmarks of Canada’s public diplomacy. The Canadian federal government also engaged domestic civil society as publics and as partners, yet this inclusive approach to public involvement at home and abroad has been scuttled. Efforts by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development) to consult with civil society on foreign policy may have been trendsetting, but times have changed. This article explores the fluctuations of Canada’s public diplomacy with a domestic foundation, and thus the involvement of Canadians in reaching out to foreign peers on shared international policy concerns. After briefly discussing the concept of public diplomacy and its domestic dimension, the article analyzes how evolutions in public diplomacy reflect the Canadian government’s approach to involving Canadians in it from its beginnings, through the Liberal decade, and into the Conservative period. Finally, the Canadian government’s approach is assessed. The article finds that its high-water mark of innovation in involving publics at home and abroad occurred some time ago. Its ebbs and flows, not affected only the children of the political environment, also derive from wider developments in diplomacy.