Les objets ambassadeurs de la culture kanak : le patrimoine au service d’une paradiplomatie et d’une protodiplomatie

_{^{© Photo Mau988}} 

Bertin, M. (2026). Les objets ambassadeurs de la culture kanak : le patrimoine au service d’une paradiplomatie et d’une protodiplomatie. Relations internationales, 205(1), 111-123. https://doi.org/10.3917/ri.205.0111.

Abstract 

Since 1990, the metaphor of “objects as ambassadors” has been used to refer to Kanak objects originating in New Caledonia that are now kept outside the territory and returned there temporarily for exhibitions. This metaphor arises in a context of institutional decolonisation and the aspiration for full Kanak sovereignty, with New Caledonia remaining a sui generis French overseas collectivity. This article aims to study the geopolitical and diplomatic significance of this metaphor through two concepts: para-diplomacy and protodiplomacy.