Egypt displays ‘soft power’ on Diplomacy Day

CAIRO – 12 March 2018: To celebrate Egyptian Diplomacy Day on March 15, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday the launching of a campaign to display Egypt’s soft power.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abou Zeid said that the goal of the campaign is to highlight the achievements of Egyptian figures who have made Egypt a source of cultural, artistic and intellectual influence in the Arab region.

The three-day campaign, dubbed “We are all Egyptian ambassadors”, aims to display Egypt’s resources of soft power through publishing informative material on social media, the ministry said in a statement.

The first day of the campaign will address phases of Egyptian history and the role of the Egyptian woman. Popular art will be the focus of the second day, especially cinema and theater due to their deep influence on people in the Middle East.

The last day will address Egypt’s historic and influential sports figures, whose achievements are a source of national pride.

The Foreign Ministry, which had been closed in 1914 under British occupation, was subsequently re-established and began celebrating Diplomacy Day annually on March 15 following the declaration of Egypt’s independence from Britain on February 2, 1922.

Soft power is defined as the ability to persuade other countries to cooperate or take favorable decisions, by expanding cultural and economic influences, without the use of force.