Abstract:
Sri Lankan Buddhist Cultural thinking and humane thoughts result in the productive process
of developing international relations. This study focused on the application of soft power
resources in the development of international relations in Sri Lanka. Resources of culture,
values of political ideals and policies were used in the preparation of communication programmes,
which is based on the perspective of Buddhist religion and its philosophy. Despite
the fact that hard power requires experience with the traditional system of international
relations of coercion and payments, soft power assumes the significant relevance and attraction
of the Sri Lankan cultural resources. Soft power also retains the ability to manipulate
the agenda of political choices in developing Sri Lankan identity and political image in the
modern political and economic social milieu.
Qualitative methods were utilized for the gathering and analysis of data. Semi-structured
interviews and textual analysis were used to identify the substance and salience of the Buddhist
cultural and local value resources. Additionally, professionals who have much experience
in the use of communication in developing international relations were interviewed to
consider the existing tools and strategies in this field and the importance of Buddhist cultural
resources were discovered and described using textual analysis and discourse analysis.
Finally, this study argues that the use of Buddhist cultural resources and thought systems
ensure the attraction and efficacy in the preparation of communication programmes and
content for the development of international relations and building of foreign policy. The
concept of four noble humane qualities in Buddhism which are Maithree, Karuna ,Muditha
and Upekka remain especially important in communication competency and rationale in
developing effective messages and programmes of international relations. Additionally, the
local cultural heritage and their values can be utilised in the planning and implementation of
foreign policy in both Western and non- western countries. This study argues by asserting
that both post-colonial thinking of local government and post-imperial interference of western
dominant nations could be mediated through international relations to a middle path that
rejects the extremism in the political and economic systems.
