The contribution of education and cultural diplomacy to strengthening civil society in the Republic of Moldova

Our study aims to explore the dynamics and transformations of civil society in the Republic of Moldova, taking into account the post-communist realities, which lay its foundations as a soft power. Civil society is represented by the social and civic institutions and organizations that form the foundation of a functioning democracy. Civil society organizations are involved in decision-making on social development or decisions of public interest. Civil society can include the media, churches, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, educational associations, etc. What is the link between cultural diplomacy, education and civil society? Based on Bordieu's theory, which provides us with a conceptual and analytical perspective suitable for a critical understanding of the role of civil society in making cultural diplomacy more effective, in our study we tried to establish what role cultural diplomacy in turn plays in the social distribution of local/national/international power in the form of an awareness of interdependence. We also try to follow in our analysis: what is the role of civil society in the Republic of Moldova in the accession process?; in the implementation of its tasks, does the EU-Moldova CSP envisage the use of culture and education, implicitly cultural diplomacy, in the EU accession process?; what role does cultural diplomacy play in the social distribution of power?; in the regional context given by the war in Ukraine, can cultural diplomacy and education help civil society in solving problems related to the judiciary, public administration, the fight against corruption, public finance management and freedom of the press? The methodological framework of the paper is structured around the analysis of the "EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform", in order to underline the role of the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform and other civil society organizations in the development of civil society, internally, and of cultural diplomacy, externally, in favor of the state interests of the Republic of Moldova, both being seen as soft powers, necessary to fulfill the political and economic interests of the state.