Diplomacy of the Heart is a values-based initiative that promotes empathy, dignity, and intercultural cooperation. It brings together youth leaders, scholars, faith representatives, and civil society actors to foster heart-centered leadership, mutual understanding, and peacebuilding across cultures and regions.

The Baskerville Institute is the primary sponsor of the Diplomacy of the Heart. The Baskerville Institute is dedicated to advancing a Diplomacy of the Heart—a people-centered approach to international engagement rooted in empathy, mutual dignity, and intercultural understanding. Through research, education, and dialogue, we promote diplomacy that honors the human spirit and builds lasting peace across cultural and ideological divides.

The initiative envisions a world where empathy, integrity, and respect for human dignity—and the dignity of difference—guide global and personal engagement. We believe our diversity is a strength, and that diplomacy must reflect our shared humanity.

1. Annual Conferences – A Platform for Global Dialogue

Each year, Diplomacy of the Heart convenes over 30 scholars, youth, and civil society leaders from more than 13 countries. These conferences promote deep intercultural exchange, network-building, and regional collaboration rooted in shared values.

2. Leadership Forums

These specialized gatherings engage university leaders, NGO heads, and civic officials across Central Asia and the Middle East. They explore how heart-centered principles—such as empathy, trust, and human dignity—can shape leadership and public policy. A featured forum in 2025 will focus on University Rectors in Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the Uzbekistan Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, potentially aligned with the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand.

3. Interfaith Dialogue – A Signature Format

This pillar integrates influential religious voices and academic expertise to foster trust and understanding across spiritual traditions .

Over the past several years, the Baskerville Institute has established a growing coalition of institutional partners and supporters.  In addition to these academic institutions, individual donors and supporters of the Baskerville Institute have played a crucial role in advancing the Diplomacy of the Heart initiative.

Partnering with the Diplomacy of the Heart offers institutions and organizations a unique opportunity to engage in a values-based, people-centered model of international collaboration. Benefits include:

Co-creation of content and programming: Partners help shape the themes, panels, and direction of annual conferences and leadership forums.

Visibility and influence: Partner organizations are recognized in program materials and invited to present their work, perspectives, and faculty in high-level dialogues.

Network access: Partners join a diverse and expanding network of academic, civic, and faith-based institutions across Central Asia, the Middle East, the United States, and beyond.

Student and faculty engagement: Partner universities may nominate students and faculty to participate in conferences, contribute research, and take part in ongoing initiatives.

Shared resources: Collaborative grants, co-hosting opportunities, and shared research or educational exchanges are all possible through the institutionalized structure of Diplomacy of the Heart.