tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47279788428844873592024-03-08T17:14:01.374+02:00Tao of the DiplomatMeditations on the tao, or way, of cross-cultural and interpersonal exchange. The author is not a diplomat, but aspires to become one. Discussions and critiques are welcome.- TotDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034973971576645636noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727978842884487359.post-51990082610018308232013-02-06T07:20:00.003+02:002013-02-06T07:28:57.744+02:004th of July<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sorry! This was written after July 4, 2012, but some technical trouble prevented it from getting posted. Better late than never:<br />
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Greetings, and happy 4th of July everyone. I was fortunate enough to have attended the 4th of July celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. It was a great way to cap my six month stay in Cairo; I chatted with friends and other guests, and made a few contacts. I could not help but feel a certain sense of awe during the event, however. Just how does it come to pass that a group of Americans, Egyptians and diplomats and dignitaries of other nationalities unite in the singing of Sweet Caroline a few blocks from Tahrir Square?<br />
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Ambassador Anne Patterson made formal remarks partway through the event. She began her remarks with famous lines from the American Declaration of Independence:<br />
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“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” </div>
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Ambassador Patterson went on to touch on some achievements of the U.S., but more importantly, she highlighted our challenges. I posted the above quotation to my Facebook this morning, and was quickly challenged by a friend who insisted we add a disclaimer that Jefferson’s words do not currently apply to minorities, women and other persecuted groups. America is not perfect. The democratic experiment is not complete; if we ever consider that experiment complete, we’d be fools. The United States was built on the precept that hard work yields a tomorrow better than the today, that continued toil by the forebears paves the way for greater achievements by successors. Whether that applies to science, economic growth, political liberty or the well-being of one’s family, that value permeates American society. This drive has almost always yielded us better tomorrows. We will always have our challenges, but Americans and our society have evolved and triumphed repeatedly when beset with perils that have destroyed other nations. It has taken 236 years for our fledgling democracy to develop into the robust system it is today. </div>
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More importantly, Ambassador Patterson noted how long it has taken us to get this far. To a room full of Egyptian government officials, businessmen and socialites, she gave a stark truth: democracy can fail. Egypt has not yet made a full transition, and its democratic institutions may not develop into what older democracies consider adequate within our lifetimes. The important thing is that they try, and through hard work achieve a better tomorrow. The Ambassador ended her address by saying that if Egyptians were willing to confront their challenges, Americans would “roll up their sleeves” and join them in the effort. </div>
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There are so many good things about America. That people of disparate backgrounds can find common pleasure in something like Sweet Caroline playing beneath red, white and blue banners is a testament to this fact. Yet the sand-colored, reinforced concrete barriers and legions of security guards present speak to the fact that many still cannot tolerate us. I would like to believe that with enough public diplomacy, we can solve almost any problem. Diplomacy is increasingly shifting from state-to-state interaction to people-to-people interaction. However, so long as there remain structural reasons that cause hate by making people vulnerable, like poverty, war, discrimination and persecution, then public diplomacy will only go so far. Perhaps someday, when Egypt is a full democracy and such problems are diminished, we can sing together in Tahrir rather than hiding in what Egyptians refer to as “the American Fortress.”</div>
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- TotDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034973971576645636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727978842884487359.post-55046801542004110632012-06-22T17:18:00.000+02:002012-07-09T03:39:36.467+02:00Jaded<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://blogs.aljazeera.com/sites/default/files/styles/ns-horizontal-xlarge/public/2012-06-20T213826Z_731350267_GM1E86L0FIG01_RTRMADP_3_EGYPT-ELECTION-DELAY.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://blogs.aljazeera.com/sites/default/files/styles/ns-horizontal-xlarge/public/2012-06-20T213826Z_731350267_GM1E86L0FIG01_RTRMADP_3_EGYPT-ELECTION-DELAY.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white;"> al-Jazeera image of a protest at Tahrir Square</span><br />
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<span style="color: white;">This
post is long overdue. Though a lot has
happened in two months, nothing has stood out as particularly worthwhile to
discuss. Until now. Events during the final days of the Egyptian
elections between <i>felool, </i>or regime remnant,<i> </i>candidate Ahmed
Shafiq and Mohamed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherood-backed Freedom and Justice
Party, have caused me to contemplate my feelings during these past months, and
whether it is right for a diplomat to have them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I
found a place to work in Cairo until after the proposed transfer of power in
Egypt from the military government to the civilian administration. I arrived in Cairo at the very end of 2011
after applying to the American University amidst the media coverage of
crackdowns by Central Security Forces on protestors in Tahrir and long bouts of
street fighting on Mohamed Mahmoud Street.
My parents and friends were worried, but I was hopeful. SCAF and the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest
opposition organization, were in agreement and wanted to go ahead with
parliamentary elections. I came to Cairo
amidst those elections, and unrest settled down like I predicted. Though many people were alarmed by the strong
showing of Islamist candidates, this past semester has been fairly peaceful
when compared to the turbulent year prior.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">As
the semester progressed, I lost focus. I
forgot my political science training that said that incumbent authoritarian powers
do everything they can to retain power.
I forgot my history background that said that men like the consuls
before Caesar and statesman like George Washington, who would readily give up
enormous personal power for the greater benefit of humanity, are few and far between. I took comfort when my government said SCAF
wanted nothing more than to go back to their barracks. I dared to hope that genuine change was
occurring while I was here. Official
election results have not been announced yet, but I am already beginning to doubt
that dream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I
do not think of myself as an idealist, and gladly leave that moniker to
others. I believe there are times when
actions of ill repute are the best recourse, though others may hate it. Pleasing everyone at the expense of your own
success and security is a losing battle.
I also believe, however, that no one should make a show of their
disregard for others or revel in self-righteousness. We are all joined in common humanity, if not
by national or ethnic ties. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My
personal conflict at the moment stems from my empathies for the Egyptian people
and my concerns over regional stability and national interest. Egyptians desire free and fair elections to
determine a government that will finally work for them. <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/failed_states_index_2012_interactive"> The Failed State Index recently ranked Egypt 31st out of more than 150 countries listed.</a> Egypt has infrastructure and the government
effectively maintains a monopoly on force, but it has utterly failed to provide
a system that protects the rights of its citizens. A democratic transition could change that by
making officials genuinely beholden to the selectorate. However, the Muslim Brotherhood is a group
that has previously espoused violence and desires to implement sharia law as
the basis for its legislation. It
remains unclear how that will impact minorities like women, Copts, Jews,
foreigners, and even Shi’a and Sufis. The
peace treaty with Israel, a substantial cause of the dramatic decline in
inter-state warfare in the region since the mid-1970’s, could come under
fire. The U.S. would also lose what was
previously a staunch ally against extremism in the region. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">In
short, do I side with what is best for the people or best for the interests of
my country? As a diplomat, I should
always do the latter, but I feel that, as a human being, I should do the former
where I am able. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The
recent suspension of the democratically-elected Parliament, reports of voter fraud coming from election monitors, postponing the official announcing of results,
and statements and rallies by both sides insisting they are victorious have
brought things to a climax that could prove a powderkeg. If the Supreme Election Committee announces
an Ahmed Shafiq victory, whether genuinely earned or fixed, Mohamed Morsi and
his supporters may make good on their claim that there will be “blood in the
streets.” If Morsi is announced the
winner, it is unclear how the military deep-state will interact with an
administration filled with members they had spent the better part of three
decades repressing and imprisoning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">A
diplomat’s job is to work with whomever is in charge of the country they are
posted to. The beliefs I mentioned above
may not always lead to moral outcomes, but I believe that the U.S. often tries
for net positive outcomes. There is no telling how the new administration will turn out, but how do diplomats handle change? How can diplomats
swallow their beliefs when interacting with a government built on lies
or, even worse, murder? How do they go
on when a toppled government was a friend and the new one becomes a foe? How do they cope with wasted financial,
political, and emotional investment in a country when a regime may change but
the people living there have not? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Whatever
the outcome of this election, those questions remain unanswered for me. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>- TotDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034973971576645636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727978842884487359.post-2318570269790732442012-04-18T18:03:00.000+02:002012-04-18T18:17:11.075+02:00Dark Side of Traveling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Well,
I’m back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">The
trip was fairly successful except for one critical low-point. We were in a car accident. I am
extraordinarily fortunate that this event happened while we were traveling in
Eastern Europe, and not some of the other places I’ve been. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Without
going into too many details, I realized I was in a bad situation, made a
split-second decision after quickly evaluating options, and then aggressively stuck
to my plan. That probably avoided a head-on collision. In theory, it was a good
plan, but it is important to remember that there are endless ways that tiny,
random variables can greatly alter the outcome of an event. Between that and
the human condition, many simple, routine actions have a chance to become very
serious, very quickly. This was the
lesson I was reminded of during an event that only spanned 30 seconds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">The
aftermath took eight hours, plus a lot of waiting. I’ll break it down by label, beginning with
two of the 13 Dimensions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Composure
<i><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">An
accident just happened. I felt crushed
by the immense consequences. After the
initial period of “Am I okay? Is my passenger okay? Are the occupants of the
other car okay?” I found myself unconsciously
lapsing into a fit of anxiety and indecision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">“Don’t
panic” is terrible advice unless you know how to avoid panicking. During this episode, and others conducive to
panicking, I have found the easiest way to maintain composure is simply to make
a decision, and follow through. My
father told me that the worst decision is no decision, and while I can think of
some very bad decisions, a failure to act can have significant consequences in
terms of both results and morale. The choice
does not have to be huge, and certainly evaluate things as you go along, but I
have found that trying to do something productive staves off panic and I ease into
a state of mind conscious of both my surroundings and what needs to be done. In this case, it was checking to see what
people needed and whether I could provide it, taking pictures of the accident,
discussing with the translator, assisting policemen take measurements, and actively
planning logistics. My passenger had
done four tours in Iraq and said he was impressed with my composure; I laughed
at that. Being composed and looking
composed are clearly different things, but looking composed calms others and facilitates
a productive atmosphere in the midst of crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Oral
Communication</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">I
have never been more impressed with the importance of communication. My companion and I met with about 10 locals
immediately following the incident, and only one spoke English. Tensions were
running hot, and it was very difficult to communicate with anyone until the
English-speaker offered to mediate. It
required a lot of patience to choose the words that would be easiest to
translate, listen as they were translated, observe the emotional reply, and
understand what was said. This was also
true when I had a certified translator at the police station during the
official documentation. I had never
previously witnessed serious real-time translating before, and it is far more
difficult than I had imagined, even after working at an embassy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">I
think important things to consider regarding oral communication are, again,
patience with the speed of dialogue and an awareness of what exactly is being
said in addition to the greater message.
There are many nuances in language that can significantly alter the concepts being conveyed, even while the same things can be conveyed in a myriad
of ways. Reconciling the two is
definitely a skill I have not mastered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>American
Citizen Services</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">American
Citizen Services is the section of the U.S. Embassy that assists American
Citizens. I assume most countries offer
something similar in their embassies, though if anyone would like to comment on
that, I would be very interested in hearing about differences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Contrary
to popular belief, U.S. Embassy Staff will not rescue you while you are in a
foreign country. In most instances, they
are not allowed to. The vast majority of ACS cases involve passport issues and communications, but some involve
emergencies, specifically injuries and arrests and the rare evacuation. If you are arrested, you are entitled to
speak with a consular official under international law who will provide you
with a list of attorneys and possibly give you some information on the legal
system wherever you are. They will
monitor your treatment, but they are not legal counsel. Of course, whether police allow access
depends on the country. In case of
significant injuries, I am under the impression that ACS staff will facilitate
communication with relatives or contacts at home, but they are not medical
counsel or providers. If anything occurs
for political reasons, these guidelines do not necessarily hold true, and ACS
staff will act according to the situation.
Evacuations are a big deal, and ACS may facilitate transport for
American citizens out of the country. Don’t
take this paragraph as gospel; many things are subject to the host country’s
laws and what the ACS staff is able to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">In
my case, I notified ACS of my accident by calling them. They provided a list of attorneys in case I
needed one, and asked that I notify them if my status changes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">In
all, that we did not have access to a phone or an internet connection cut us
off from many people we normally turn to in times of need, so we were forced to
make decisions and act on our own judgment.
I haven’t been in an auto-accident in the U.S. aside from a fender bender,
so being in one in a relatively rural area of a foreign country was extremely
stressful. We didn’t have anywhere to go
while waiting for our rental replacement, so we napped in the police
station at 3 am. Many people exhibited unwarranted
friendliness, and I am very cognizant of how fortunate we were that things
turned out as they did. They could have
been much worse; death was a definite possibility. I just have to take these lessons with me and
apply them as best I can. There was no
reason for us to stay in the country, so my friend and I moved on with our trip
after everything was accomplished and I am waiting to see how things turn out. </span></span></div>
</div>- TotDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034973971576645636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727978842884487359.post-81897431199995168182012-04-05T14:29:00.005+02:002012-04-19T10:09:19.064+02:0013 Dimensions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">Before
this blog progresses much further, I wanted to make sure I posted the closest
thing I have found to the “Tao of the Diplomat.” The Foreign Service seeks
candidates who exemplify what are called the “13 Dimensions.” Here is a quick
list of qualities diplomats are expected to have mastered:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Composure<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Cultural
Adaptability<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Experience
& Motivation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Information
Integration & Analysis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Initiative
& Leadership<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Judgment<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Objectivity
& Integrity<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Oral
Communication<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Planning
& Organization<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Quantitative
Analysis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Resourcefulness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Working
with Others<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">Written Communication<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: white;">I refer to these every once in a
while and try to imagine whether I have made any progress. From now on, I will try to include these as
labels to highlight thoughts or situations where these qualities are pertinent.
The official State Department handout for the 13 Dimensions can be found here:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://careers.state.gov/uploads/1e/be/1ebeb6be82c173e5cfb6e132b6fbd9b0/3.0.0_FSO_13_dimensions.pdf"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://careers.state.gov/uploads/1e/be/1ebeb6be82c173e5cfb6e132b6fbd9b0/3.0.0_FSO_13_dimensions.pdf</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">I
will be traveling the next two weeks or so, but when I return, hopefully I will
have some more thoughts to share. My companion and I haven't been so great in
the Planning & Organization category, so hopefully we will make it up in
the Resourcefulness category as we go along. Expect some meditation on each of
the 13 Dimensions too in some future posts. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>- TotDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034973971576645636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727978842884487359.post-20009236556079318832012-04-03T00:56:00.002+02:002012-04-19T10:08:12.063+02:00Role Models<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://rlv.zcache.com/i_love_being_diplomatic_magnet-p147047793603239023z85qu_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/i_love_being_diplomatic_magnet-p147047793603239023z85qu_400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">One
of the reasons I wanted to write this blog is to reflect on the characteristics
of people I have met that I believe are diplomatic role models. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">I had
the privilege to work previously at a U.S. Embassy. There, I had opportunities to see diplomats
in action, whether they were presenting at a security summit, giving speeches
at official functions, negotiating with foreign officials, or joking with
school children. Every interaction was a
chance to make a good impression. Each
person I met was remarkable and incredibly professional. They loved their job and serving the American
people. The internship, in addition to
allowing me to apply a little of what I had learned in political science and economics classes, was a
great opportunity to witness how governments and people acted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">I also saw a deep
contrast between those I worked with and myself. I am pretty young, my internship was my first
time working overseas, and it happened to be in a culture I knew very little
about<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I need to work on being more thoughtful, and I
want to notice more going on around me. I want to push myself to be more
extroverted, and while I love telling jokes to put people at ease, I want to be
versed enough in cultural differences to be able to think through every nuance
of possible reception before I go for the laugh.</span> I feel
successful diplomats have already mastered these skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">The diplomats
were polished and confident. They were
fantastic listeners and never seemed to miss a signal. Though many seemed more than a little
reserved, they were often able to lighten the mood
with a strategically-placed, tactful comment.
Most importantly, they made people feel comfortable. When I met with them outside of the office,
they may have been a little more relaxed, but the same qualities were a
persistent part of their persona. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">My
supervisor and the older interns had a huge impact on me. As much as I want to publicly give them
credit for being wonderful people, they are doing a variety of great things and
I don’t want to embarrass them. They all
adopted me in some way and were both patient and open. More importantly, they gave valuable
constructive criticism. I rely on their insights
as a critical insight into what I hope is my future career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">One
of my housemates during that summer often said that there is something to be
learned from every person. That
principle can often be difficult to put in practice. However, living abroad again, I’ve revisited
the concept and tried to follow that wisdom.
No matter your thoughts on the person, try to find what is admirable in
them and reflect on that. If
personalities clash, try to figure out why; new things can be learned through
interaction with people. If the person
is awesome, try to observe how they interact with others. I have been trying to practice the positive
qualities while avoiding the negative ones.
I hope I’ve been making progress.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>- TotDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034973971576645636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727978842884487359.post-78980414856166695672012-03-28T18:40:00.000+02:002012-04-19T10:08:56.776+02:00A Difficult Question<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: white;">I did not intend for this to be the first post on the blog, but a recent event has caused me to think long and hard on what I study and how I interact with others. That’s what this is for.</span><br />
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<span style="color: white;">I am currently studying in Egypt. Yesterday, I went with a friend who studies refugee studies to a center run by his department. He teaches English there every Tuesday. After my experience during those three hours, I’ve decided that I'll be going to help him for the rest of the semester. I had a lot of fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">But it also made me think. A lot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The people at the class were a great bunch. However, structure is difficult. The refugee center is in a poor part of town. Only a few students consistently come to the lesson, though the room is nearly always full of those that want to watch. When few of the regulars make it, moving forward in the lesson only to repeat it later makes little sense. Yesterday was one of those days, and the instructors encouraged the attendees to ask questions of us to practice conversational English. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My friend ran for political office and I study political science. More people abroad understand what political science is than at home. It was one of the first words I learned in Arabic. When the refugees learned these facts, the floodgates opened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">We talked about families, living arrangements, what a forest is, the history and geography of the U.S., whether the U.S. had rivers, how states differed from each other, how to become a U.S. citizen, how many people live in the U.S., and the structure of the U.S. government. The questions grew more political after most of the audience was satiated and some wanted us to compare/contrast governments of different countries. As students in a country experiencing a level of uncertainty, we were uncomfortable speaking our minds. I drew vague diagrams of government structure for a couple countries that seemed to satisfy the audience without saying anything that could be considered criticism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">There were a few questions that really had an impact on me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">One question made me very proud:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: white;">"If America has more than 300 million people, why do more people want to go there? Isn't it crowded?”</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My friend explained how the U.S. is a chance to begin anew, and how our whole history has been founded, in a way, on immigration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I got to say "My mother was a refugee." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I don't know what these people have been through. We aren't allowed to ask where they're from; it invokes powerful emotions. The program works with people from Somalia, Eritrea, the Ivory Coast, and Iraq, among others. Looking at the audience, when I said my mother was a refugee, the expressions on some of their faces, I don't even know how to describe it. For them to see me, an American who goes to university, who travels, who studies what he wants, and who loves the United States, be the son of a refugee, I think they read a lot into that about how America is, in a very positive way. I don't know how else to describe it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Another question made me profoundly sad: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">This was during a break, so only a few of the refugees were in the room. One man in the back of the room, dressed in a galibayya with a white traditional cap, was very intelligent and informed about the world. He began talking about stability and how governments change in bad ways. I asked him whether he meant like what happened in Mali this week and he nodded. I wrote “coup d'etat” on the board, and the room got quiet. The man asked,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">"<i>Why do coups happen in Africa, but not in the U.S.?"</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">How can you possibly answer that in simple English to someone whose whole life has been shaken to pieces? How do you look someone in the eye, who has experienced more than you can imagine, and explain why the powerful act as they do? I tried to give him an answer one-on-one because I wasn't comfortable talking about it with everyone. I told him that in the U.S., the law is stronger than man and the military upholds the law. In other places, men are stronger than the law and the military supports them. It didn't feel right, and he looked sad. Later, I remembered the Greek philosopher-historian Thucydides, who unwittingly founded the realist school of International Relations Theory by boiling politics down to "the powerful do what they can." That's the truth, but does knowing that make pointless suffering hurt any less? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Though I study politics, the actions of people are often difficult to understand. I will never understand politics completely. In hindsight, I feel the answer I gave the man was not very good, and even if I wrote many pages on it, the answer would not be a better one. Experts try to explain why things happen, but often explanations do not bring meaning to events that have taken personal tolls. The question highlighted the difference between meanings and explanations. A meaning takes on feeling, while an explanation is often limited to words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">A coup could be interpreted as one group of people overthrowing another group of people to gain control of something. In Mali’s case, this was a country. But what a coup <i>means</i> is displacement, terror and sorrow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I feel that was an important distinction to learn.</span></div>
</div>- TotDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034973971576645636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727978842884487359.post-73878727209041345932012-03-24T22:39:00.000+02:002012-03-24T22:39:17.677+02:00Under Construction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This blog is currently under construction.<br />
<br />
When ready, it will hopefully serve as a repository for the musings of someone searching for what it means to be a diplomat. In addition, there will be commentary on political events and public discourse. If possible, I'd like this blog to end up being a sort of common space for others like myself.<br />
<br />
For now, I leave the Wikipedia entry on Tao: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao</a> </div>- TotDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034973971576645636noreply@blogger.com0