Diplomacy Key Sharjah
Tonje Bernardin
The CPD Blog is intended to stimulate dialog among scholars and practitioners from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere. The opinions represented here are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect CPD's views. For blogger guidelines, click here.
With the arrival of the Metaverse, avatars and digital humans have the potential to fundamentally alter the way we think about visual representation in digital diplomacy. In virtual environments, avatars allow individuals to create and inhabit digital bodies that can be designed and customized in ways that are not possible in the physical world. By embracing the power of avatars and digital humans, diplomats can challenge traditional notions of representation and open up new possibilities for digital engagement and collaboration. However, to effectively utilize avatars in the Metaverse, diplomats need to understand the opportunities and risks involved, which the current discussion aims to explain.
The metaverse has long been a realm for online gaming, but recent technological advancements have prompted countries such as Japan, Korea, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to begin devising plans for constructing their own national metaverses. Avatars and Digital Humans, on the other hand, are the digital counterparts of users, acting as their alter egos in the virtual world. These digital representations can be in the form of a 3D model or a 2D icon and can be customized to reflect the user's individuality and preferences. The major distinction between an avatar and a digital human is their level of realism, where the latter is a highly realistic computer-generated representation of an actual person, as demonstrated in this example.
Avatars offer a new way of visual representation by incorporating non-verbal communication cues such as facial expressions, body language and tone of voice. These elements are crucial in conveying emotions, and they can do it more effectively than on social media or Zoom. Avatars also project 3D spatiality and allow for multiple perspectives, including first-person or third-person views. Additionally, the movement of avatars can be carefully designed to enhance accessibility and create a more dynamic environment for engagement. As a novel form of visual representation, Avatars & Digital are likely to stimulate exciting processes of meaning creation.
According to constructivist theories of visual perception, our understanding of visual information is not simply a matter of passively receiving and processing it, but of actively constructing meaning from it. Given that the visual information we receive from our surroundings is often incomplete, unclear and conflicting, our minds rely on our past experiences, knowledge and beliefs to make sense of this information and form a coherent perception of the world. Avatars with their nonverbal and emotional cues, 3D spatiality, ability to show different perspectives and dynamic modes of interaction are well equipped to create new patterns of visual perception and enhance the process of meaning-making in the Metaverse.
Unfortunately, the same features that would enable avatars to constructively contribute to building understanding and relationships through digital diplomacy could be also used to disrupt relations and project hostility between groups in the Metaverse through disinformation and propaganda. This can occur through the impersonation of public figures, amplification of disinformation through automation and creation of multiple accounts or through tailored manipulation using realistic digital humans capable of establishing fraudulent relationships with members of the digital public. To mitigate the effects of avatar-enhanced disinformation, new measures will be required aimed at enhancing transparency, facilitating identification, improving moderation, providing digital education and enforcing regulations.
In a significant step towards fostering academic collaboration and promoting knowledge exchange, the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), the UAE's leading diplomatic training centre, and American University of Sharjah (AUS) have formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The MOU was signed by Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri, Deputy Director General of AGDA, and Dr. Tod Laursen, Chancellor of AUS, on the AUS campus, in the presence of esteemed representatives and key stakeholders from both academic institutions.
The agreement outlines standard areas of collaboration, emphasising the exchange of knowledge, joint research initiatives, and increased engagement between students from both institutions. The collaboration aims to leverage the unique strengths and expertise of AGDA and AUS to create enriching academic experiences for students and facilitate collaborative research projects.
Commenting on this agreement, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri, Deputy Director General of AGDA, said: "We are thrilled to embark on this collaborative journey with American University of Sharjah. This agreement reflects our commitment to fostering excellence in diplomatic education and research. By exchanging knowledge and engaging in joint initiatives, we aim to provide students with a comprehensive and globally informed understanding of diplomacy."
For his part, Dr. Tod Laursen, Chancellor of AUS, said: We are pleased to be collaborating with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in this venture. Both of our institutions are dedicated to academic excellence, and this agreement presents an opportunity to combine our efforts to offer students unparalleled learning experiences and contribute to advancing knowledge in different fields related to diplomacy."
In addition to the outlined areas of collaboration, Dr. Mohammed delivered a talk titled 'UAE Diplomacy & Leadership' at AUS. The talk provided valuable insights into the intersection of diplomacy and leadership, offering students a unique perspective from a distinguished practitioner and academic. This collaboration signifies a commitment to advancing education, fostering interdisciplinary research, and preparing students for leadership roles in the dynamic field of diplomacy, which will contribute to academic and professional growth.
By continuing, you will be taken to a website not affiliated with American University of Sharjah. Links to external sites are provided only for users' convenience and imply no endorsement of the site and/or its content. Note that the privacy policy and security settings of the linked site may differ from those of the AUS website.
Furthermore, the UAE is the most important trading partner and the largest market for US exports in the region. The UAE hosts more than 3000 US firms and is home for 30,000 Americans. The relationship between the UAE and the US runs the gamut of cultural, military, social, educational, security and diplomatic fields.
However, all these ties do not explain the uniqueness of the relationship. Other GCC countries have strong political, economic, and cultural ties with the US. The realist approach fails to explain UAE exceptionalism. Why is official Washington so positive about the UAE?
The UAE perceives tolerance as a means to an end, leading to a stronger society that will build higher levels of acceptance, multiculturalism, tolerance of others, and respect for differences and cultures. Tolerance will eschew racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and hatred.[15]
The government inaugurated a National Tolerance Program in June 2016 that focuses on consolidating the family in inculcating national values. It also includes prevention policies to combat extreme ideas and encourage scientific inquiries, rational discourse, and cultural appreciation.[18]
The UAE was founded in 1971 amid a challenging regional order. Regional powers laid claims on the young nation. Pan-Arab and radical movements in the region posed an ideological and security threat to the nascent state. Domestically, the federation was in its infancy, and federal institutions were in formation. Despite prodigious wealth as a result of oil revenues, the paucity of human resources hampered economic development and military capability.
Sheikh Zayed, the founding father of the UAE, trod cautiously in the minefield of the regional order. His leadership style was building consensus domestically and gravitating towards the Arab World in his foreign relations without abandoning ties to Western powers. Zayed, nonetheless, initiated the oil embargo against countries that supported Israel during the October 1973 War. [19]
Omar Saif Ghobash, the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Culture, is another rising star in UAE diplomacy and the new leadership. He served as UAE Ambassador to Moscow and Paris, and plays a bigger role than his portfolio indicates: he is among the few authorized to speak on behalf of the government. Ambassador Ghobash is media-savvy and fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Russian. Recently he published a book titled Letters to a Young Muslim based on missives to his son about Muslim young men in the 21st Century. The theme and the style of the book is appealing to western audiences, engaging in self-critical evaluation without blaming others in causing extremism among the Muslims.
To sum up, UAE foreign and economic policy elites are at ease with America and globalization. The success of those technocrats will depend on many factors that are beyond their control, but success they are determined to achieve.
The UAE Constitution declares Islam as the religion of the state, and religion plays an important role in the UAE. The practice of Islam is on display throughout the country. The observance of Islamic and Arab customs are prevalent, with variation among Emirates that has historical antecedents in alliances with the Wahhabis in Central Arabia and the moderate interpretation of Islam of the Maliki Sunni School.[38]
In addition, the UAE maintains a strong defense pact with the US by which the latter deploys around 5000 personnel in different locations throughout the country. Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi has about 3800 US strong and host to several aircraft squadrons such as the F-22 Raptor and KC-10, RQ-4 Global Hawk. The base is the busiest for US surveillance flights worldwide. The Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai is another facility that the US navy visits regularly and has the capacity to berth U.S. aircraft carriers. Fujairah Naval Base, which is located outside the Gulf, provides logistical support for the US Navy should it need a land bridge to Jebel Ali, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed.[45]
4a15465005