2016 in review: digital diplomacy on Medium
My picks for top 10 diplomacy and foreign policy posts.
1.“Aleppo is now a synonym for hell.” The United Nations, which recently launched on Medium with the We The Peoples publication, posts stories and updates on the crisis in Syria and Eastern Aleppo.
2. “Put simply, U.S. Cuba policy wasn’t working and was well beyond its expiration date.” Ben Rhodes, President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser for strategic communications and speechwriting at The White House, chronicles Obama’s historic trip to Cuba, including posts in Spanish and photo galleries.
3. “J’ai décidé d’être candidat à l’élection présidentielle de 2017.” Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy announces his unsuccessful run for the Élysée. He conceded in November after loosing his party’s primaries.
4. “This is the second coup that I have faced in my life.” Impeached Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff debuts on Medium with posts in Portuguese and English on her impeachment trial.
5. “Nearly one million have been forced from their homes by violence.” As the nation of South Sudan turns five, UNICEF chooses Medium to put the focus on the tens of thousands of children in the country who for much of their lives have known only violence, fear and upheaval. Gatchang, Madadr, Sabri, Aber, Susan, and Election are the six of South Sudan’s five year olds whose incredible stories — and photos — are collected in a touching post on UNICEF’s Photography and social change Medium publication (available also in Spanish, French, and Chinese).
6. “I first saw the picture of Alan Kurdi a few hours after it was taken. My immediate thought was that this could have been anyone’s son or daughter.” Panos Navrozidis, Greece country director for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), bylines a post on the official Medium channel of the IRC to discuss the 1 year anniversary of Alan Kurdi’s tragic death, and ahead of the United Nations summit on migrants and refugees on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
7. “200 million girls and women worldwide are living with the consequences of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).” The UK Department for International Development (DFID) goes to Medium in support of the Africa-led campaign to end the FGM practice within a generation.
8. “The outcome of the referendum on Britain’s continued membership of the European Union is of global significance.” Months before the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom, former Swedish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt elaborates on the importance of the referendum. Also with a post on Brexit, Alex Ellis, British Ambassador to Brazil, to explain the vote to his Brazilian audience.
9. “#GivingTuesday is all over Medium.” Medium’s Highlighting Generosity publication and Ariel Azoff, the platform’s head of social impact outreach, highlights stories, strategies, and giving opportunities for the international #GivingTuesday campaign. Many interesting posts by Susan McPherson, Josh Stearns, Umi Grigsby, Hannah Gay, Jacki Zehner, Melanie Kahl, and by organizations like the Clinton Foundation, NationSwell, and CrowdRise.
10. From Lorey Campese and Sandie McKenzie at UKUN_NewYork and Noémie Buffault at the French Foreign Ministry to my own Digital Diplomacy on Medium series, Nancy Groves at the United Nations, and Rob Bole at American Foreign Policy Council, digital diplomacy practitioners and thinkers around the world take on Medium with tips, best practices, and stories that many diplomats and foreign policy storytellers can use as inspiration.
TIPS FROM MEDIUM
In 2016, the Medium team posted great tips and best practices — in English, French, Italian, and other languages—that politicians, diplomats, and digital diplomacy practitioners can use to improve their presence on the platform and increase the engagement. Posts via Ariel Azoff, Matt Higginson, Thomas Gaudex, Medium Politics, elizabeth tobey, Kate Lee, Jeff Segal, and Martino Galliolo.
