The Foreign Service Journal, October 2003

an opportunity to influence a con- stituency that is vital to our interests but too often is not on our radar. At three posts where I have served, chiefs of mission hosted events specifically for various reli- gious leaders. The U.S. government provided a neutral venue for these various (and sometimes opposing) religious leaders to meet. We need not wait for a religious conflict to attempt reconciliation. To some extent our efforts, even in the absence of open conflict, further understanding between communities and help ensure that the leaders of these communities are talking to each other. That said, as with other foreign contacts, there may be persons or groups we should not meet with, as well as organizations and individuals who would rather not meet with us. Decisions about whom to meet and under what circumstances must themselves be based on many factors, including religiously informed diplo- macy. To sum up: learning about reli- gion, experiencing it firsthand, meet- ing religious leaders and American missionaries, supporting our consti- tutional values and telling our American story — these ideas are a small contribution to the emerging discussion regarding the interface between religion and diplomacy. The increasing acceptance and appli- cation of these policies demonstrates a growing, healthy recognition within the Foreign Service that a religiously informed and engaged diplomacy will be required in the coming decades. ■ Philip J. Skotte has been an FSO since 1993, serving in the Philippines, the Vatican and Hong Kong. Currently he is the deputy consul gen- eral in Budapest. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. 18 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 3 S P E A K I N G O U T