The Foreign Service Journal, November 2010

NOV EMB E R 2 0 1 0 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 69 D iplomacy is important, undervalued and in trouble. This was the mes- sage author Daryl Copeland deliv- ered in a Sept. 20 lecture at AFSA head- quarters. In order to meet 21st-century demands, he said, diplomacy must trans- form into an institution favoring acuity, agility and autonomy. In short, it must become “guerrilla diplomacy.” Copeland, who served as a Canadian diplomat for 28 years and is currently a research fellowat theUniversityof Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy, discussed his book Guerrilla Diplomacy as part of AFSA’s BookNotes series before an audience of diplomats and academics. Three Myths Copelandbeganhis talkby defin- ing the three myths of international relations: Diplomacy is for wimps, security is amartial art, and theCold War is not really over. All threemyths are detrimental to the future of diplomacy, Copeland said. But perhaps the most harmful is the last one. International leaders are still haunted by the worldview of the Cold War era, where all threats were universal, and this has led to a militarizationof international policy, Copeland said. “In the last decade, certainly since 9/11, policyhas become an instrument of war,” he added. But it’s diplomacy, not militarymight, that is best equipped to handle the chal- lenges of the 21st century, Copeland argued. Inaworldwhere powers are divviedup among several countries — the U.S. as a military power, China as an economic power and the European Union as a soft power pole, for example — policy calcu- lations can be tricky. It is diplomats who have the complex balancing skills and the reasoning to handle these problems. Acuity, Agility and Autonomy Diplomats need to dispel the three myths of international relations bybecom- ing a “faster, smarter, lighter, more relent- lessly innovative” international service, Copeland believes. Tobecome aguerrilladiplomat, onehas tohave sharpness ofmind and knowledge of place,Copelandargued, inorder to func- tion in a globalized world. Onemust also demonstrate a flexibility andwillingness to leave the diplomatic bubble byworking in the field, he said, pointedly adding that backpacking experiencemay provide bet- ter training for a career in diplomacy than an Ivy League degree. Diplomats must also shake free of the short leashback to their capitals, Copeland believes. Successful guerrilladiplomatshave the trust, confidence and respect of super- visors and interlocutors, which gives them roomtomaneuver and respondquickly to events. At the same time that diplomats gain autonomy from their capitals, Copeland believes theymust forge stronger ties to their home countries. “The problemwithdiplomatic corps is theybecomeboutiqueoutfits, disconnected from the larger picture,” he said, explain- ing that diplomats have become too accustomed to turning their faces to the world and their backs to their own coun- tries. A diplomatic service needs to be as diverse as the people it represents. Successful Guerrilla Diplomacy Copeland cited Canada and Spain’s 1995 “TurbotWar” as an example of suc- cessful guerrilla diplomacy. Foreign fleets had taken to fishing ille- gally for turbot off Canada’s eastern shore, Copeland recalled, and overfishing had taken a toll. So Canadian Minister of Fisheries andOceans BrianTobinordered the seizure of a Spanish trawler in inter- national waters thatwas using an illegal net to fish for turbot. Spain threatened to take the case to the InternationalCourt of Justice, whereCanadaknewitwouldn’t havemuch chance of winning, Copeland said. Instead the country mounted a cam- paign to educate the public anddiplomats worldwide about the plight of the turbot. Tobin held a press conference on a barge outside United Nations headquarters de- crying the treatment of the fish. TheUnited Kingdom came to Canada’s defense, sav- ing the country fromEuropeanUnioneco- nomic sanctions. “It is possible towin in the international court of opinioncases youcouldneverwin in the World Court,” Copeland said. Tobin’s move was risky, Copeland acknowledged, but risk tolerance is an im- portant part of guerrilla diplomacy. Copeland pointed to some of the things Americandiplomacy is doing right, such as upgrading the position of science adviser and establishing a strong presence onYouTube andTwitter. Hewas also im- pressed that American heads of mission have the autonomy to rebut statements made in the local press. “But,”he said, “don’t confuse the excep- tion with the rule.” WETA-TV recorded this and other AFSA events and has posted them on its Web site, www.weta.org/video/forum. Guerrilla Diplomacy is available online at AFSA’s Bookstore, www.afsa.org/ads/ books/policy.cfm. ❏ A F S A N E W S Author Daryl Copeland discusses his book Guerrilla Diplo- macy on Sept. 20 at AFSA headquarters. PATRICK BRADLEY Diplomacy Must Meet Demands of a Globalized World, Book Notes Author Says BY AMY MCKEEVER