Global Communication and International Relations and Cooperation
Senior 6 · General and Religious Studies
Global Communication and International Relations and Cooperation
Lesson 3 of 3
25 min
On 2 May 1889, Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Italy signed a treaty of friendship at Wuchale (Ucciali). It was written in two languages, Amharic and Italian, and the two versions were meant to say the same thing. They did not. In Article 17, the Amharic text said that the Emperor could use the Italian government for his dealings with other powers if he wished. The Italian text said that he consented to do so, which Italy read as an obligation. On that reading, Ethiopia had given up control of its foreign relations: it had become an Italian protectorate.
When Menelik discovered how Italy was using the article, he rejected the treaty. Italy invaded, and on 1 March 1896 the Ethiopian army defeated the Italians at Adwa, one of the few decisive African victories over a colonial army. In October 1896 Italy recognised Ethiopia's full independence. A difference in translation had become a war, and its outcome shaped the history of a continent.
The wording of Article 17 is summarised, not quoted; the two versions are discussed in Raymond Jonas, The Battle of Adwa (2011).
Definition
International relations: the relations between states, and between states and international organisations, in politics, trade, security and culture.
Diplomacy: the conduct of relations between states by negotiation and dialogue, mainly through diplomats, embassies and summits.
International cooperation: states working together for shared goals, such as trade, peace, health or the environment.
Treaty: a written agreement between states that is binding under international law.
Communiqué: an official statement issued after a meeting, setting out what was agreed.
Public diplomacy: a government's communication with the people of other countries, through media, culture, education and exchanges, to build understanding of its country.
Disinformation: false information spread deliberately to deceive.
The Wuchale dispute shows three lessons about communication between nations. First, precision: a single verb ("may" or "must") decided the sovereignty of a country. Second, shared understanding: a treaty works only if both sides understand it the same way; that is why today's treaties state which language version is authentic, and why the United Nations works in six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) with professional interpreters and translators. Third, good faith: honest communication builds trust, while exploiting an ambiguity destroys it.
| Channel | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Embassies and diplomats | Permanent, protected channels between governments | The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) sets the rules, including the protection of diplomats |
| Summits and conferences | Leaders meet, negotiate and sign agreements | The agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was opened for signature at a summit in Kigali on 21 March 2018; Kigali hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in June 2022 |
| International organisations | Permanent forums where many states talk at once | The UN, the African Union, the East African Community |
| Direct crisis lines | Fast, direct contact between leaders in an emergency | The Moscow–Washington "hotline", set up in 1963 after the Cuban Missile Crisis |
| Media and the internet | Reach the public of other countries; shape opinion | International broadcasters, official social media accounts of governments |
| Positive impacts of good communication | Negative impacts of poor or misused communication |
|---|---|
| Builds trust and understanding between peoples and governments | Misunderstanding, as at Wuchale, leading to disputes and even war |
| Makes agreements possible: trade (the AfCFTA), environment (the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, adopted in Kigali on 15 October 2016 to phase down climate-warming HFC gases) | Escalation in a crisis, when slow or unclear messages let fear fill the gap; the 1963 hotline was a response to this danger |
| Prevents and resolves conflicts through negotiation and mediation | Propaganda and disinformation that spread hatred across borders |
| Promotes trade, investment, tourism and the movement of people | Diplomatic quarrels caused by careless or insulting statements |
| Lets states act together on shared problems, such as pandemics and climate change | Loss of trust when secret communications are intercepted or leaked |
Warning
Communication is not only speeches between presidents. Students often limit "international communication" to diplomats. It also includes trade negotiators, translators, journalists, scientists, students abroad and ordinary citizens online, whose words can build or damage their country's relations.
Tip
Balance the impacts. Questions on "the impact of communication on international relations" expect both positive and negative impacts. Pair each with a dated example, and end with a judgement: under what conditions does communication bring cooperation?
Important
Discuss. Rwanda uses four official languages and belongs to the East African Community, the Commonwealth and the Francophonie. How does this help it communicate with other countries? Could it also create difficulties, as two languages did at Wuchale?
Practice
Further reading
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: Figure 3, the tables, the analysis and the exercises.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
