A mention of Sari* with Diplomacy makes us think, it must be about South Asian politicians and diplomats doing their job in traditional attire or exchanging gifts. Recently a friend/colleague from Bangladesh had a different story to tell, how Danish ambassador to Bangladesh, Hanne Fugl Eskjaer is doing Sari diplomacy in Bangladesh. These days foreign diplomats in the Indian subcontinent are using innovative ways to connect with hosts.
Top diplomats have a difficult job of connecting with a new host country every few years. In today’s media saturated environment, it’s difficult to find audience for your messages, even if social media pages of organisations have huge following, getting noticed is difficult. For communication to happen effectively, you need attention of the target audience and this is exactly what Danish ambassador to Bangladesh is doing with her Saris. Her fluent use of Saris has opened a window of opportunities. As she now commands attention, it has become easier for her to communicate.
The use of Sari is not just restricted to the Danish ambassador in Dhaka, the US ambassador in town also appeared on embassy's Facebook page in a Sari and her post received superb response from the audience.
Irfan Hossain’s comment on the post highlighted the effectiveness of Sari diplomacy,
"Dear US Ambassador, Thanks for wearing our traditional dress known as Sari, with which you look like a Bangladeshi woman. I am so proud to have you as an Ambassador. Best wishes to you & your staffs.More Sari-clad diplomats may appear on your timelines.
* a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body, traditionally worn by women from South Asia
