The entities that are part of the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (Diplocat) have decided to change the name of the body and it will be called International Catalonia, according to sources from the consortium, attached to the Generalitat. The general secretary of the Diplocat, Laura Foraster, stressed this Friday that the name change must be approved in the plenary session of the consortium – made up of 38 entities -, together with its renewed statutes, something that she hopes will happen before the end of this year. The Diplocat was in the eye of the storm during the intervention of Catalonia under article 155 of the Constitution. Its role in the internationalization of processas well as all the foreign action of the Generalitat, is being investigated by the Court of Auditors
Foraster explained that the debate on the name stems from the ruling of the Constitutional Court (TC) of 2020 on the foreign action of the Generalitat, which “declared it unconstitutional to use the terminology of public diplomacy”, considering that it generates confusion with traditional diplomacy. Foraster stressed that this judgment of the TC “does not declare Diplocat or the activity it carries out unconstitutional,” but the reference to public diplomacy does. Although Diplocat’s name as such does not include this terminology, it does appear in its full name, since it was presented as the public diplomacy consortium of Catalonia. “We have to stop using public diplomacy terminology, but the tools we use are the same as those used by public diplomacy,” such as international visit programs and conferences, he said.
The consortium commissioned a company naming study options that would represent its performance and work without generating misunderstandings, and also make it clear that it acts from Catalonia -without having delegations abroad-, according to Foraster. An anonymous survey among the entities showed that they had “hearts divided”: some raised reluctance to change the name because the Diplocat is already known as such, but others admitted that the name carries the handicap that they sought to dissolve it with article 155 of the Constitution.
Foraster stressed that ‘public diplomacy’ is a widespread terminology, especially in the Anglo-Saxon sphere, that “in the end what it does is put a label on something that has always been done, which is to promote the assets and values of a country and make it known ”. The general secretary assured that organizations of other autonomies use this same terminology: “Surely it is that we are more in the spotlight than other communities”. “If they say ‘There is nothing wrong with what you do, but with how you say it’, then let’s do the job because, in the end, the work of promoting an image of Catalonia abroad ends up having a positive impact in many aspects”, such as the attracting investments and talent. Foraster warned that the renewal of the statutes requires a complex process because each of the 38 entities must validate it in their governing bodies, but she has hoped to have these new statutes at the end of the year. The entities include city councils such as Barcelona, councils, employers, unions, universities, the Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector and FC Barcelona, among others.
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