Diplomacy reconceived...from past work...

So this week’s blog was optional. I decided to post part of my lit review for a paper I wrote on the Office of eDiplomacy last semester as it is all about the topic of diplomacy being reconceived.

The Obama administration has made Government 2.0 initiative a priority. There are numerous articles on the possibilities and dangers of using collaborative tools in the government, especially in sensitive areas such as security and diplomacy. Because of the increased transparency and possibility for leaks, some fear that these new policies will create security risks.

NY Times columnist Jesse Lichtenstein’s profile on State Department employees’ Alec Ross and Jared Cohen in July 2010 references three scholars who highlight the controversy in the shifts in diplomatic practice. Evgeny Morozov at Georgetown is a critic of 21^st Century Statecraft diplomacy. He sees how autocratic governments can use social media tools to control and repress populations. Scholar Anne-Marie Slaughter, (was until recently) Director of Policy Planning at State, asserts that we are already in a networked world, and we must measure power through our levels of connectedness. Another scholar, Clay Shirky at New York University, articulates that, “The loss of control you fear is already in the past. You do not actually control the message, and if you believe you control the message, it merely means you no longer understand what is going on.”[1]

Two articles in the November 2010 edition of Foreign Affairs magazine further the debate. Secretary Hillary Clinton calls for an emphasis on civilian power through a redefinition of diplomacy and development. She makes a case for more coordination between the State Department and US AID in order to achieve development work that is sustainable and long-term. Her vision, announced as Civil Society 2.0 in November 2009, gives foreign service officers more responsibility to reach out to not only other governments, but also to the private sector and civil society.[2]

Google CEO Eric Schmidt and new to Google from the State Department Jared Cohen, co-authored “The Digital Disruption: Connectivity and the Diffusion of Power.” They assert that beyond the nation-state efforts of defense, diplomacy and development, the most useful tools for citizens are created by the private sector in terms of hardware and software. They reference previous debates on what is most useful in development projects, such as whether modernization approaches coming from governments are effective. They argue that while governments and the private sector will continue to be the most influential, that if these powers don’t consider civilians and NGOs, efforts at development and diplomacy will fail. They acknowledge historical debates about communications technologies and the inherent security risks and potential benefits in any new technology. They also see how technology can act as a disintermediation tool in terms of opposition groups getting their messages out. Their underlying message is that progress can only be made when all groups are taken into consideration.[3]

In the October 2010 Foreign Service magazine, Marc Grossman wrote an article called “Speaking Out: Defining the Ideal Diplomat”. He was a Foreign Service officer from 1976-2005, with his last post as Under Secretary of Political Affairs from 2001-2005. He believes that new employees must have training that includes a “respect for the history of American diplomacy, a focus on leadership and accountability, guidance on how to link policy and resources, skill at program direction, and readiness to use new media.”[4] He also spells out that “Today’s diplomats must be able to work effectively with the interagency community, as well as overseas counterparts, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector.”[5] His article reflects a larger trend present in not only government agencies, but also other agencies working on development projects. One of these trends is the increasing focus on multistakeholderism, where government agencies work with non-governmental agencies (NGOs), the private sector, and citizens to achieve their goals.[6]

---

[1] Lichtenstein, “Digital Diplomacy - NYTimes.com,” 4.

[2] Clinton, “Leading through Civilian Power: Redefining American Diplomacy and Development,” 15.

[3] Schmidt and Cohen, “The Digital Disruption: Connectivity and the Diffusion on Power.”

[4] Grossman, “Speaking Out: Defining the Ideal Diplomat,” 13.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Levinson, “Class Lecture I.”