Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter played a significant role in transforming the politics of Egypt and in Iran. Since then they are being used as a tool for change. Within India also, social media has played an important role in public diplomacy: a post on Twitter helped India evacuate stranded Indians from Misrata during the unrest. These social media movements represent a new avenue of change, particularly because they have helped citizens break their government’s monopolies over information. Navdeep Suri, India’s Ambassador-designate to Egypt, has put India on the virtual map as the first head of our Public Diplomacy Division who used social media to advantage of citizens and our country’s interests.
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations hosted an interactive discussion with Ambassador-designate Navdeep Suri. Gateway House’s Ambassador Neelam Deo moderated the discussion on Egypt, the revolution beyond social media, the role of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the future of social media in India’s public diplomacy efforts. Suri will assume present his credentials in Cairo in August; he has also served in India’s diplomatic missions in Egypt, Syria, U.S., Tanzania, the UK and South Africa. Suri is a fluent French and Arabic speaker.