However, celebrities who are not officially appointed by the State Department can still act as diplomats when their work advances U.S. interests. George Clooney’s work in helping to call attention to the crisis in Darfur, a U.S. policy priority, resulted in far more international support than could have been achieved through official channels.  

The U.S.  embassy  in Rome inspired Lady Gaga to advance her advocacy of LGBT rights by performing at EuroPride Rome in 2011. The efforts of these celebrity citizen diplomats, along with many others, complement and enhance the State Department’s goal of advancing freedom, democracy, and human rights. 

Who else can be a diplomat? Everyone!  

While the visible forms of  diplomacy are carried out by government professionals, in reality, every American can practice  diplomacy in everyday life. 

When businesspeople, teachers, students, scientists, athletes, artists and musicians share work, performances, ideas, and experiences during visits abroad, they represent their country and thus act as citizen diplomats. All of these encounters produce subtle moments of  diplomacy—an exchange of impressions and information about people and culture through individual contacts.