B White on Diplomacy- By Francis Emongo

To begin, Brian White appears to make some interesting points here first he is discontent of the definitions of 'diplomacy' arguing that is vague, as it has various significations. He then describes that there is a micro perspective that present us with the definition of global politics with actors representing their nation state and their respective government. For example in world politics diplomacy takes place when a nation state communicates with another nation state while there is a 'crisis'. To resolve the issue diplomats lobby ministers or even world leaders to appease the supposed 'crisis'. 

During major international disputes or war to end the struggle diplomacy is the key as each party pursue constructive dialogue aiming the establishment of peace and order within the international community. Therefore we witness a 'state-to-state' relation, White then argues that traditional diplomacy had its roots in Ancient Greece during the 15th Century where there was the establishment of diplomatic mission where again we see the communication among states. So from this period Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent officials in post to represent the government to conduct negotiation with the receiving state. White then says negotiation had to take place but secretly and ''bilateral'' between two parties (e.g.) Britain and Oman. Why secrecy? well because in order for the supposed agreement to be successful no other party should be aware of the negotiation why? because they could destroy the negotiation bring it to an end. 

The truth is that within the negotiation there could be perhaps a policy change or even a 'regime change'. 'New' Diplomacy enabled each party to come to a compromise although Old diplomacy was the key secrecy. However, we then witness the establishment of the international organization- known as the League of Nation at the aftermath of the First World War trying to cease conflict and war. Later, we see 'New' Diplomacy having some similarities with traditional diplomacy as actors remained within the international community representing their nation state and they were also supported by officials who were sent to work at embassies overseas.

From this point government officials accredited in overseas posts were also conducting their negotiation with other actors from NGO's and so on. After the Second World War many states were now conducting their relations multilaterally through again NGO's and the newly United Nations in order to influence other states for changes in foreign policy, however multilateral diplomacy did not replace bilateral negotiations. Newly states states emerged in the international community formerly colonized by European Power now had their independence. Furthermore, White argues that ''cold war diplomacy'' emerged as there was a struggle of ideologies between two great super-powers the U.S.S.R and USA. It was the confrontation between East and West known as the 'Cold War'. Brian Whites argues, the war was between two nuclear armed states in which one state was pursuing to launch a nuclear bomb. However this was only a presumption as both nation avoided a nuclear war knowing the consequences of how disastrous the launch could cause.

Unprecedented crisis emerged during the cold war the 'Cuban Crisis' in 1962 over the Soviet missiles in Cuba created grave concern in the West but this issue let to politicians to use 'New' diplomacy resolving this issue without any grave consequences, the success of this was the use of direct communication between East-West which enabled a consensus leading to settlement. Today we have a ''terrorism'' which poses a significant threat as the perpetrating actor, Osama Bin Laden and his entourage Al Qaeda are difficulty to deal with and it seems harder to bring this issue to an end, the tasks that Western diplomats face today is tough but with the practice of 'Old' diplomacy there will always be successful negotiations that will bring order and peace.