Koala diplomacy: Helped Australia bridge differences among world leaders
Koala diplomacy was in news recently during the G-20 Summit of major economies held in Brisbane, Australia on 16 November 2014.
Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbot arranged a warm and fuzzy welcome for the world leaders at end of G20 summit with a campaign named koala diplomacy.
Koala diplomacy involved world leaders getting photographed and cuddling with Koala named Jimbelung- the furry grey animals, shy native marsupials of Australia. Jimbelung, which means friend in a local Aboriginal dialect, was later gifted to Japan.
The diplomacy helped Australia bridge the differences that emerged between world major powers during the summit resulting into successful conclusion of the Summit with Brisbane Action Plan.
Koalas were brought to the summit not only to increase the cuteness factor of the event but also to share the Koala story to the global community that number is dropping and these are not listed as endangered.
Koalas are officially considered vulnerable and efforts to increase their population have been stepped up in recent years.