International Youth Diplomacy as a Tool of Russian Image Formation

In the modern world forming and using the positive image of state actors can be considered among the most important elements of their actions on the international stage. Today it becomes obvious that the efficient use of social mechanisms as new forms of international cooperation, especially in the humanitarian field, is carried out by means of public diplomacy, which actively forms the target audience and creates the basis for the formation of country’s positive image. The targeted actions of world politics centers aimed at expanding the scope of their humanitarian presence on the international stage determine the relevance of wider use of the Institute for Public Diplomacy as a mechanism of foreign cultural policy development. Today, public diplomacy is becoming the demanded mechanism in international youth environment where there is a growth of involvement of active representatives of nongovernmental organizations who have specific knowledge and skills in international communication. These aspects of public diplomacy determine the need to address issues related to the qualitative characteristics of youth diplomacy, especially with the criteria of its effectiveness. This article analyzes one of the modern forms of aggravated international youth activity, which represents the significant mechanism in the formation of a positive image of Russia in the international youth sector. In fact, it is the first attempt to understand the role of diplomacy in organized youth sector, for which new opportunities of interaction with their peers from other countries are opened. The author refers to the history of the emergence of the term “international youth diplomacy” and offers the author’s version occurrences of the term in the scientific and journalistic usage. The article identifies some problematic aspects and main directions of its development in the context of youth organizations activity with a number of public institutions. “Small” part of the country’s youth involved in this process indicates the absence of specific federal programs of youth activity institutions for action on the international stage. However, the analysis of practical results of their activity, contributing to the new forms of international youth activity, which should be considered as the channels for creating the favorable conditions aimed at promoting the positive image of Russia among the international youth, reveals the increasing attention of state and non-governmental organizations to this issue in light of the growing demand. Despite of the fact that the variety of institutional activity forms in the international youth activity and its impact on country’s image is beyond the research interest, today its further studying can open new horizons of discourse regarding the prospects of youth factor, in order to implement effective foreign cultural policy in Russia. Lack of theoretical and practical study of youth diplomacy requires not only consideration of many factors that directly affect the nature of its implementation, but should also focus the attention of scientific community representatives to the need of understanding its perspective role in the foreign cultural policy of the country, therefore, having certain influence on forming the positive image of the country among young people from different cultures and nations.