Creating lasting ties of friendship? A constructivist analysis of the Mitteleuropa Cultural Association

Abstract

According to Villanueva Rivas (2010), “a lasting and stable world order cannot rely merely on governments and power politics; it also depends on the free exchange of cultures among peoples in pursuing common intellectual and cultural interests via […] cultural diplomacies”. Within the constructivist approach, cultural diplomacy involves the collaboration of state and non-state actors within a group of nations or the global arena to “create lasting ties of friendship, understanding, and international peace and cooperation between the peoples of the world”. How can non-governmental organizations, which are considered to be the distinguishing feature of international relations in the 21st century, contribute to the purpose of cultural diplomacy? This thesis will investigate this matter by analyzing the Mitteleuropa Cultural Association as a case study through the theoretical lens of constructivism. Born in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in 1974, the association has been promoting friendship among the peoples of Central Europe through various cultural diplomacy strategies, such as festivals, traveling exhibitions, intercultural exchanges, and themed forums. Considering the lack of universal standards for evaluation both in cultural diplomacy and NGO practice, this research project will provide an evaluation matrix upon which to assess the efficiency of this cultural diplomacy NGO in creating lasting ties of friendship.