Silent Diplomacy

➡️ SILENT DIPLOMACY - A Powerful, People-Driven Approach to Conflict Resolution

Silent diplomacy offers a powerful alternative response in a world increasingly dominated by conflict, corruption, militarisation and political stagnation. 

Proposed by philosopher and artist Andreu Ginestet, this resource highlights a lesser-known but vital form of diplomacy - one that is quiet, creative, civil-society-driven, and committed to ending violence, not managing it.

"Peace is more than a goal. It's a way of living, thinking, and acting." - Werner Wintersteiner

Jump straight to our resources on ➡️ Silent Diplomacy

Explore our comprehensive guides on -

• Peace, Nonviolence & Nonviolent Action

• Peace Movements & NGOs

• Conscientious Objectors & War Resisters

• Peacebuilding & Peace Education

• Conflict Regions, the Military and Nuclear Disarmament

• Ukraine War & Gaza War

What Is Silent Diplomacy? 

Silent diplomacy refers to non-governmental, informal peace efforts led by individuals who are not state diplomats. These actors may include artists, barristers, lawyers, scholars, professors, experts, religious figures, businesspeople, educators, and former officials. State actors might include former diplomats, former ministers, former presidents, and special envoys.

They mediate conflicts, defuse tensions, and create pathways to peace. They are often called into action when official diplomacy fails or is blocked by political interests. Unlike traditional diplomats who serve governments, silent diplomats serve humanity. 

This type of diplomacy is: 

• Quiet – It avoids media attention, allowing trust to grow

• Creative – Each situation is approached uniquely

• Ethical – It puts people and peace above politics

• Flexible – It works across all levels, from grassroots to global 

The world needs peace more than ever. However, traditional diplomacy is often stuck in political games, economic interests, and outdated thinking. Silent diplomacy operates behind the scenes, but its impact can be historic. 

Examples of silent diplomats include Jimmy Carter, who used quiet diplomacy to defend human rights around the world, Llewellyn Thompson, whose calm advice helped prevent nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Jeffrey Mapendere, who explained how Track 1.5 diplomacy (see below) can bridge the gap between officials and civil society.

The Carter Center proves that peace can be built without armies, weapons stockpiles or military threats. The NGO, founded by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, works in over 80 countries, preventing and resolving conflicts, enhancing freedom and democracy, and equipping citizens with the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to thrive.

A New Narrative - Challenging the System of Violence

Silent diplomacy also means changing the traditional narrative -

That power comes from weapons.
That war is inevitable.
That violence is part of who we are. 

None of that is true. We believe it is time for a new story – one where peace isn't just possible but practical, powerful, and systematic. We need a new norm of peace-first solutions, a transformation of the systems that create conflict in the first place, and a cultural shift from domination to cooperation. 

Instead of reacting to violence, silent diplomacy asks – How can we prevent it from happening at all? 

Ginestet observes how our current systems are driven by military-industrial interests, manipulative media, and elite dominance that normalise violence and suppress cooperation. Silent diplomacy confronts this directly, offering a new framework where violence is understood as a system, not just an event, and where peace is an ongoing process of empowerment, not mere absence of war. 

The true enemy of humanity is not a country or ideology but a global system of violence maintained through control, fear, and profit. This system thrives by destabilising regions, manipulating crises, and selling both destruction and "solutions" to the same people. 

Silent Diplomats in Action 

Silent diplomats - state actors or peace actors - operate across four "tracks" of diplomacy: 

• Track 1: Official state diplomacy

• Track 1.5: Collaboration between official and silent actors

• Track 2: Citizen-to-citizen diplomacy in informal settings

• Track 3: Grassroots peacebuilding within local communities

• Track 4 (newly proposed): Systems-level thinking and the design of peaceful societal architectures offering a visionary, preventive approach rooted in complexity science and ethics

Why We Need Silent Diplomacy Now 

With wars raging in Ukraine, Israel-Palestine, and countless overlooked regions such as Sudan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, we can no longer wait for top-down solutions. Institutions like the United Nations, though well-intentioned, are constrained by their own structures and politics. 

Silent diplomacy steps into this gap, embodying hope, ethics, and innovation where institutional approaches fail. Ginestet's approach challenges us not only to oppose war but to create cultures that prevent it and transform the systems that enable violence in the first place. 

Where We Go From Here - Innovative Future Developments

The Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures for Peace (GAMIP) is a worldwide community of civil society campaigns, organisations, committed citizens, elected and appointed government officials from over 80 countries which are commited to lasting peace and addressing critical needs. They are an exellent example of how we can foster a culture of peace and demonstrating peace in action.

The following texts chart a course forward and address major issues in peace negotiations in our current geopolitical climate:

• Pareto for Peace - A potential exit-strategy for humankind from violent downfall.
• Trauma Mapping - Research on the diagnose of the true toll of trauma on groups of people that have been subjected to unusual conditions such forced migration.
• Complexity Governance - Radical change to the narrative of international policy which facilitates the understanding, analysis and addressing of natural and human-made crises.

Silent Diplomacy for a Better World 

This guide to silent diplomacy provides both a manifesto and a manual for peace in the 21st century. 

We must reclaim the power of civil society to imagine and enact a future free from systemic violence. Silent diplomacy isn't reserved for elites or politicians but can be embraced by empowered individuals who become architects of peace. It grows from civil society - from you, your neighbourhood, your creative ideas, your will to help others. 

Diplomacy doesn't need guns, false flags, or fanfare - it just needs courage, wisdom and compassion. 

Peace isn't a job for someone else. It starts with all of us. 

Silent diplomacy - Quiet voices, loud impact. 

Author: Andreu Ginestet, edited by Rachael Mellor, 29.04.25, Update: 12.05.25, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

For further reading on Silent Diplomacy see below ⬇️