Maldives ministers prepare for underwater cabinet meeting
‘President hopes stunt will draw attention to climate change’
- At first it struck me as odd that a country going underwater needed a stunt to draw attention. But then it got me to thinking..
This is obviously some very creative diplomacy and a good example for other low lying states. Not just because the message is clear, embodied in the image and as a result the issue is covered internationally. More than that, its a brilliant use of public-fueled soft power.
When traditional avenues (the UN, G20 etc) fail to deliver most countries just keep on keeping on. But not this time and not the Maldives.
Although this is just a stunt, perhaps it spells the beginning of more countries adopting a broader range of modern (and classic) advocacy tools. It’s not just causes and brands that can build movements behind their causes - countries can do it too.
We know this already i.e. socialism vs capitalism, but as with everything - the internet is lowering the barrier to entry. Countries like the Maldives could really benefit from building constituencies beyond their borders. Stunts will help, but larger scale campaigns and a personal social media presence from a country would set their cause on fire (at least for the first few..).
If you can convince a country to do it let me know, i’d love to help!
Check out the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/07/maldives-underwater-cabinet-meetin
