Description
Diplomacy remains one of the least democratized domains of governance. Decisions negotiated in closed rooms often determine the fate of entire societies, yet citizens, civil society, and epistemic communities are rarely included in shaping them. This paper argues that Participatory Action Research (PAR) provides a practical and normative framework for re-imagining foreign policy as an inclusive, reflexive, and co-creative process. Building on the author’s earlier empirical application of PAR in fostering EU–Türkiye collaboration in North Africa*, it extends the discussion beyond the case study to conceptualize “participatory diplomacy”—a model of policymaking that integrates diverse stakeholders into iterative cycles of deliberation, action, and learning.
In contrast to conventional Track I diplomacy, which is hierarchical, state-centric, and reactive, participatory diplomacy fosters collaborative knowledge production and trust-building among governments, experts, and citizens. It operates through mechanisms such as search conferences, stakeholder dialogues, and joint policy design workshops that blur the boundaries between research, consultation, and decision-making. The paper develops a three-pillar framework—inclusivity (multi-stakeholder engagement across levels), reflexivity (institutional learning through feedback), and shared ownership (co-production of outcomes)—to guide the democratization of foreign policy.
Using empirical illustrations from EU, Turkish, and global initiatives, it further identifies institutional, cultural, and political conditions for embedding participation within foreign ministries, regional organizations, and multilateral platforms. Ultimately, the article contends that democratizing diplomacy through participatory methodologies is not merely a procedural innovation but a normative imperative for rebuilding legitimacy and trust in global governance. By linking democratic theory with diplomatic practice, it calls for a paradigmatic shift: from diplomacy about societies to diplomacy with societies.
*https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2025.2556319
