The Foreign Service Journal, March 2010

The conventional diplomat is fast becoming an endan- gered species, one that may be teetering on the brink of irrel- evance. It has become almost trite to talk about the new technologies, new players, new issues and the increas- ingly blurred lines between foreign and domestic policies —or whether today’s foreign ministries and assistance agen- cies are relics of the past or the engines for a renaissance of diplomacy and de- velopment. The forces for change are real; so is the need for radical reform of Foreign Service structures, culture, recruitment, training and professionalization. Yet while the debate over how best to rein- vent the Foreign Service to meet the needs of the 21st century has generated a slew of articles, studies and books, today’s active-duty diplomats have been relegated to the margins of the discus- sion. If foreign affairs professionals want to be part of the process of developing the right blueprint, wemust engage in it seriously. We can start by answering the question: What are the new and emerg- ing requirements for effective diplo- macy and development? Only through an open, inclusive discussion of those requirements can we intelligently ad- dress the professional devel- opment and training require- ments for diplomats and development officials. Old-style diplomacy, with its venerable conventions and structural rigidities, continues to have some role in execut- ing formal, state-to-state business, but its space is narrowing and its impor- tance diminishing. To paraphrase a point Daryl Copelandmakes eloquently in his book, Guerrilla Diplomacy , the new frontiers of diplomacy and devel- opment lie primarily in understanding and managing the effects of the colos- sal forces collectively known as global- ization. Yet paradoxically, all too often that phenomenon generates insecurity, splin- ters politics and deepens cultural di- vides. What was once fixed and pre- dictable is becoming diffuse and dy- namic. The business of diplomacy is done less and less in banquet halls, re- ceptions and closed meeting rooms and more and more in barrios, villages, cafés and chatrooms. Foreign Service recruitment is now finally on a fast upswing as we play catchup for years of below-attrition hir- ing. AFSA is proud to have actively sup- ported the development of the “Foreign Affairs Budget of theFuture,” a blue-rib- bon panel report issued inOctober 2008 by the American Academy of Diplo- macy. It documents the need for addi- tional State and USAID positions, both to carry out core diplomatic functions and to provide a training float. Attention is now rightly turning to the equally im- portant related issue inwhichwe all have a stake: updated and expanded profes- sional development and training for our Foreign Service across the board. AFSA supports andwill participate in a new AAD study titled “Foreign Affairs Leadership in the 21st Century: Recali- brating the Diplomatic Profession.” We plan to contribute to the development of this study in several ways: by acting as a conduit to our members to keep you in- formed about the issues that the study addresses; by seeking your input and perspectives onwhat sort of training and professional development you think is needed, and how and when it should be provided; and by working to see that the study considers what the new require- ments are and what general training and professional development principles apply across the Foreign Service. Theworldwe knew is gone. The new world is increasingly complex and dy- namic, and is coming at us fast. Is recali- brating thediplomaticprofessionenough, or do we need to be reinventing it? If you would like to participate in the ongoing discussion of this issue and con- tribute to AFSA’s participation in the AAD study on foreign affairs leadership in the 21st century, please contact me at President@afsa.org. All comments and suggestions are welcome. ■ Susan R. Johnson is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS Exploring the New Frontiers of Diplomacy and Development B Y S USAN R. J OHNSON M A R C H 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 5