It surly has been a roller coaster, I never knew that old diplomacy entailed so much or rather that it was so varied. Surprisingly I did find it to be a interesting and informative module, there were moments when it felt like “information overload” but none the less it was enjoyable. It was also a surprise to me that diplomacy was so; well so multifaceted and so very crucial it is in our modern society.
One of the subject areas that I enjoyed the most was that based on the non-state actor and the impact they have in diplomacy, it is quite amazing when you think about their significance and the influence they have in modern politics. During the task of attempting to compile my essay I read quite a bit on track II diplomacy, this was definitely an eye opener for me, until this module…call me naive I never knew that so many ‘regular Joes” were so influential in the political sphere to the point that they were called upon to help assist in political discussions, confidence building measures and peace building measures. The world relies heavily on informal political actors, they play a very important role within our international community during times of crisis, in its entirety diplomacy is no longer restricted to particular group of individuals, so many other individuals or groups can take on the diplomacy challenge within their own right.
From the various classes that I have attended, I can clearly see how the new diplomacy differs from the old, but this is inevitable. We live in a globalised world, we interact closely with each other and in this modern world things change quickly and the style and manner in which we deal with international relations will continue to change as it has been doing over the centuries.
The subject of diplomacy is more interesting than I thought and my perceptions of diplomacy have totally changed, watch out everyone I may even become a diplomat myself…..how scary....
A very funny ending, we are looking forward to you.
ReplyDeleteWould you prefer to see yourself engaging in the old diplomacy or new diplomacy?
thanks for this entry, i think you talked too much about yourself and forgot to make a clear answer about what is 'old' or 'new' diplomacy, unless you keeping it secret!!. in that case i thing you are going to be a great Diplomat.
ReplyDeletebest wishes.
Well written!
ReplyDeleteThe "new diplomacy" is different form the "old" one. However, it includes many elements that we can also find in the old diplomacy such as secrecy, bilateralism, embassies... Therefore, I would say that diplomacy, as it is nowadays, is a mixture of the "new" and the "old" diplomacies.
I agree with Carles that diplomacy today is a mixture of both 'old' and 'new' diplomacy. However I feel that diplomacy is still something which is very difficult to get right. i agree with Joseph Nye that actors should seek to use 'smart' diplomacy as it is much wider in its perspective and takes into account the role of civil society and the need to change peoples minds about issues rather than relying on hard power to settle dispute. One thing you may like to consider, you say that diplomacy is 'crucial...in our modern society' can you say why or how? The statements seems a little general I would have liked to know what it is about diplomacy that you feel is so important today. I agree with you that the module definately does give hope to us 'normal' people who want to get involved in diplomacy in the future!
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