Trust as a weapon of winning public diplomacy

Solly Rakgomo | Monday December 22, 2025 09:46

At a time when many countries are mired in political polarization, crises of trust, and a stubborn diplomatic style, the Nordic countries demonstrate the exact opposite, as seen in how they win global diplomacy through public trust.

Ironically, this seemingly simple thing is actually the most difficult “weapon” for other countries to master.

Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland do not have large armed forces, do not possess the economic influence of the United States or China, and do not engage in aggressive politics.

Yet they command respect. Even on sensitive issues like the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, even major powers must acknowledge one thing: military power is meaningless without moral credibility.

A clear example is Norway, which was entrusted with mediating the 1993 Oslo Accords. The simple question is: why didn’t other major powers do so? The answer is clear: major powers are too preoccupied with their own interests, while the Nordics come with no hidden agenda. In a world full of manipulation, trustworthiness has become a more valuable commodity than fighter jets. But this capital did not appear out of nowhere. Nordic countries safeguard public trust with extreme discipline: clean governance, transparent policies, non-corrupt bureaucracy, and public services that don’t make empty promises.

Leaders can step down even over minor scandals.

This stands in stark contrast to many other countries that force problematic politicians to stay in office in the name of “stability.” This is what makes Nordic diplomacy trusted: they cannot coerce other countries, because they don’t need to. Reputation speaks louder than threats. On environmental issues, they are not just “loud supporters.” They execute: renewable energy, green transportation, and science-based policies. On human rights, they are not always popular, but they remain consistent. And amid the global surge of disinformation, their societies maintain strong informational resilience something many countries envy but are reluctant to learn from.

Can this model be replicated? Fully copying it is certainly difficult. The Nordics grew from relatively homogeneous cultures and a long history of stable democracy.

But there is one fact that cannot be ignored: countries with high public trust are almost always more stable, more politically rational, and more credible in the eyes of the world.

You don’t need to be a rich country to start this; what you need is commitment.

The comparison is not meant to belittle, but to highlight the gap that must be acknowledged. Indonesia has enormous diplomatic potential in its population, economy, strategic position, and reputation as the world’s largest Muslim democracy.

But that reputation is easily eroded when public trust in state institutions weakens, when bureaucracy is slow, or when policy transparency remains a luxury. The world notices this, and modern diplomacy is highly sensitive to perceptions of integrity. The problem is that many countries choose the opposite path: consolidating power, weakening public trust, and hoping the world will still see them as credible.

But diplomacy cannot be built on shaky foundations. The Nordic region offers a simple but harsh lesson: in a world growing more fragile, the most decisive power is not military strength, but trust.

And trust cannot be purchased it can only be built. While many countries remain preoccupied with fighting among themselves, the Nordics continue to advance with a weapon seldom considered: integrity, and that alone is enough to make them influential on the global stage.

For small democratic states such as Botswana, it is critically important for the political leadership to have a full understanding that public trust is vital for diplomacy because it builds the foundation for cooperation, reduces friction, enables effective negotiation, and strengthens a nation’s influence (soft power) by ensuring other states and their publics believe in your credibility and commitment to agreements, fostering open communication and long-term stability over conflict.

Without trust, diplomacy stalls due to suspicion, leading to misunderstandings, lack of transparency, and reliance on coercion rather than shared goals.