Economic policy advisor of the EU, Mr. Psarrakis: I Will Tell You How to Influence the High Level Decision-Makers

Dimitris, introduce yourself briefly and tell, what are your plans for YT Summer School?

My job is to design and evaluate economic policies and compromise the alternative views of the different member states and groups of influence in the EU “universe”. I accepted with enthusiasm the honouring invitation of the YT to be engaged with young leaders with diverse backgrounds and cultures so as to give them a tool to “paint the world with their own colours”! We will run together the “daily diplomacy” workshop, and then we will explore practically how to create change in an international context.

What the workshop ‘Daily Diplomacy’ would be like?

I will share with you my experience of how the public diplomacy works in the real world in the everyday conduct of political life. In other words, I will give you a way of how you and your organization can influence the high level decision-makers, advance your cause in the international public sphere, and increase your influence among the international stakeholders. Can you really do that? Yes you can! In an interactive, way we will explore how things work, how to prepare yourself for this task, how to position yourself in each level of this process and how to use small tricks to win big victories for your cause and your organization.

What would be the format of the workshop?

Diplomacy is an Art that somebody can learn only by doing it. In the workshop we will explore and frame the rules of the game, the limits, the ethics and the state-of-the-art methods to establish your presence into the game and then advance your cause, your narrative and your content in a competitive environment. You will work in teams to create your own “daily diplomacy model”, and then you will activate it in a real world diplomatic emergency like a real practitioner.

What participants should take into considiration, before attending the workshop?

There are no prerequisites or “dress code” for this workshop. It doesn’t matter what your background is. As a young free citizen you have a role to play in the global governance setting and the daily diplomacy is the channel that allows you to influence the course of history. Just ask yourself two things: Do I want the world to change? Do I want to participate in this change? If you replied yes to both questions, you are the ideal participant!

Does this workshop have a practical nature?

Everything in this workshop has immediate applicability in the real world from the day one. It is not an academic endeavour. It is an effort to give you as much experience as possible and a toolkit to base and develop your skills for your future adventures in the international civil society world.

What is your message to the future attendees of the Summer School?

The future is evolving. It will be shaped, in any case, with or without our engagement. It waits for nobody. So, it is much better the future to be shaped with your presence and not with your absence. Diplomacy is not a “high politics” task anymore. In the global village it is a citizen’s concern to think globally on the one hand and act locally and globally on the other. Think globally and act globally: this is “daily diplomacy”. And never forget to apply this little secret: in order to make the other people to see the world through your eyes, you first need to see them through their heart: this is “successful diplomacy”.

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