Katara Publishing House releases book on diplomacy

As part of its publications for the year 2021, Katara Publishing House released a book on Diplomacy and the Culture of Humanitarian Action, written by Secretary-General of the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) ambassador Ali bin Hassan al-Hammadi.

The book included three introductions, the first of which was written by the President of the Italian Red Cross and President of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Francesco Rocca, and the second was written by the former Secretary-General of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Chair of the Foundation Kofi Annan Foundation Elhadj As Sy, while the third was written by president of the Islamic Committee of the International Crescent (ICIC) ambassador Ali Mahmoud Buhedma.

The book is an attempt to bridge the various points of view between those working in the diplomatic field and those in the humanitarian field, as each team completes the role of the other.

The book also dealt with the concept of “humanitarian diplomacy” and the mechanisms of humanitarian action as one of the mechanisms of diplomatic action, and as one of the complementary tools of political diplomacy, which they can be viewed as one of the soft power tools.

It considered that humanitarian action is the alternative in the absence of traditional diplomacy.

The book also discussed the historical development of Qatari diplomacy, which made it play a role at the regional and international levels as well as the foundations upon which this diplomacy is built.

It touched on humanitarian diplomacy based on Qatar’s experience and its firm conviction to uphold human dignity as it is the core of society and its basic building block.

The book concluded by emphasising that a deep understanding of the role of civil society organisations helps those in the diplomatic field to understand ways to provide aid and assistance to the community in times of disasters. —