Beyond policy: Culture as diplomacy | Christine Mwania | TEDxNairobi Youth

Diplomacy Through Culture

Christine Mwania argues that diplomacy should extend beyond formal policy and negotiations to include cultural exchange. As a child, she imagined becoming a diplomat and pursued that goal through Model United Nations, debate, and public speaking. But her growing interest in culture seemed to conflict with diplomacy’s rules and formality.

Two experiences changed her perspective. At an exhibition of Shipibo-Conibo art at the Peruvian Embassy in Kenya, she recognized cultural similarities between Peruvians and Kenyans. Yet a week later, while representing Morocco in a Model UN debate against Peru, she aggressively challenged Peru’s arguments to defend Morocco’s national interests. The contrast led her to question whether formal diplomacy can foster genuine international understanding when countries primarily advance their own interests.

Mwania sees culture as another, often overlooked, route to connection. She points to international musical collaborations by Ed Sheeran, IShowSpeed’s encounters with people and cultures during his travels, and German Ambassador Sebastian Groth’s experiences in Kenya—including riding a matatu, eating chapati, and meeting local people. In her view, these interactions can build personal bonds beyond those formed through political or economic relations.

Everyday activities—listening to music from another country, reading stories from another culture, or engaging with people who are different—can also be forms of diplomacy. Rather than choosing between policy and culture, or structure and expression, Mwania calls for people to embrace both and act as cultural bridges.

Presenter: Christine Mwania