Translation Diplomacy Innovative Supposition, New Perspective

 Nation-states employ different tools for establishing international and geopolitical relations. Public Diplomacy (PD), as an important tool, plays a decisive role in creating an appropriate national image and correcting misunderstandings and/or negative images of a nation in the minds of “others”. Moreover, it can help advance the cultural and political goals of a nation-state in different parts of the globe, counter international threats, and provide national security. Functioning as a cultural action and an efficient tool, translation can play a significant role in achieving public diplomacy goals. The study presented in this paper defines and elaborates the concept of Translation Diplomacy (TD) as a very influential sub-category of public diplomacy. It evaluates not only the performance of Iranian state organizations and actors involved in developing, dictating, enforcing and implementing the policies of the Iranian TD abroad from 1997 to 2013 but also the consequences of the activities employing mixed-method research. To this end, a questionnaire was developed based on the theoretical concepts derived from the current literature in translation studies and PD and the propositions derived from exclusive interviews done with relevant figures in the field. The questionnaire was validated and then administered among some 50 Iranian cultural diplomats to have their opinion regarding the topic of the study, providing a basis for elaborating the concept of TD thereof. The results of the study indicate that TD can be very helpful in correcting negative perceptions of foreign publics and creating positive images of TD practitioners and their culture.