The Foreign Service Journal, January 2011

A New Breed Guerrilla Diplomacy: Rethinking International Relations Daryl Copeland, Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2009, $25, paperback, 320 pages. R EVIEWED BY E DWARD S ALAZAR Daryl Copeland has been a Cana- dian diplomat for almost 30 years, with broad experience in strategic policy, planning and communications. So it is refreshing to see an author with practitioner credentials employ a scholarly approach to reinvent the craft of diplomacy to meet contempo- rary challenges. And make no mistake: Copeland’s critique of the failures of modern-day diplomacy, supported by vivid vi- gnettes, should hit all of us close to home. While Copeland stops short of ask- ing diplomats to trade in their pin- stripes for camouflage, he makes a strong, unapologetic case for a new, holistic “diplomatic ecosystem” that is more open, accountable and relevant to the realities of globalization. He ar- gues that diplomats must be empow- ered to become the managers and integrators of globalization and that our profession must be “reimagined and linked integrally to development,” displacing defense as the centerpiece of international policy and global rela- tions. In the post-9/11 era, this argument is a familiar one, but Copeland draws on historical trends and the mechan- ics of globalization to make the case for diplomacy to regain the promi- nence it has lost to defense. Perhaps influenced by Canada’s “human security” agenda, Copeland argues that development must be- come the new driving force of West- ern engagement with the world. This, in turn, will empower the new “guer- rilla diplomat” to become an agent of transformational change to promote peace, justice and development in the places where they are most needed. Copeland describes this new breed as nimble, innovative and culturally aware, able to maximize use of mod- ern technological and media tools. Far from being stovepiped by bureau- cracy, guerrilla diplomats are at their best as political counterinsurgents — “high-functioning, street-smart, Ren- aissance humanists with well-devel- oped instincts, a BlackBerry and, when necessary, a Kevlar vest.” But are they the answer to what ails diplomacy? Or would they simply be Don Quixotes, pursuing the impossi- ble dream of a “human-centered de- velopment” utopia? After all, if one accepts the conventional wisdom that globalization is eroding the relevance of the nation-state — a view Copeland endorses — then how could guerrilla diplomats become effective agents of change? The author draws heavily on his professional experience to offer tangi- ble suggestions on how diplomats can succeed in this new environment. He argues that globalization is creating a larger, more level playing field for civil society groups of all sizes, including philanthropists and charitable founda- tions, universities and think-tanks, and even corporations. Today’s diplomats must learn to work closely with these new players, perhaps even taking on their roles and adopting their agendas. Although guerrilla diplomacy is 42 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 1 B OOKS Guerrilla diplomats are at their best as political counter- insurgents — “high- functioning, street- smart, Renaissance humanists with well- developed instincts, a BlackBerry and, when necessary, a Kevlar vest.”