Collaboration is Power

The entire notion of “collaborative power” is based on the idea that power is “networked” rather than polarized among the superpowers of the international system. Building off of Joseph Nye’s theory of “soft power,” Anne-Marie Slaughter asserts that in today’s globalized world “the measure of power is connectedness.” In other words, the state with the highest quantity and quality connections is primed to be the central player. Unlike the “power over” dynamic of soft power, collaborative power has a “power with” mentality, meaning that no one actor can control the agenda. Instead, an actor can only unlock or guide the conversation in the process of building a relationship.

If an international actor cannot control the narrative, how then will states tap into and cultivate collaborative power to its benefit? Since collaborative power is heavily influenced by informal networks, it leads me to believe that it should be practiced less by traditional state actors and more by non-government actors. Cross-sector partnerships among artists or performers, activists, academics, policy makers, and PD practitioners are critical to developing what Robert Albro calls “applied humanities networks.” A perfect example of this is the American Music Abroad program administered by the Association of American Voices in conjunction with the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program fits perfectly with the collaborative performance paradigm – the goal is “to better appreciate how other people express themselves and what this might mean for how they are currently thinking about themselves, their circumstances, and their worlds” (Albro).

Act of Congress just finished their American Music Abroad tour to Southeast Asia. They're a great band and great cultural diplomats. Check them out here and on iTunes or Spotify!

There should also be a shift away from the pursuit of national self-interest toward “mutualism” and closer inter-relationships. Times have changed – portraying culture in a “monolithic way” will not work like it did during the Cold War. Concerns over messaging and branding seem almost unnecessary within the collaborative framework. Instead of simply being “models of display,” public and cultural diplomacy should aim to impart agency to others. The concept of co-creation, through teaching or mentoring, is powerful and could have many applications, such as country development or conflict resolution.