Sunday 15 February 2009
Brian White on Diplomacy
Brian White describes Diplomacy from two perspectives : macro and micro. The first one relates to the role of diplomacy into the global system as a tool which main role is to maintain stability. The micro perspective portrays the role of diplomacy as instrumental , serving as an additional tool in the pursuit of the state-actors interests. Diplomacy as such is an ancient method of communication that has evolved and changed through time. The traditional diplomacy is marked by the institutionalisation of diplomacy which means that representation of nation sates was now embodied in official entities such as embassies. The main criticism of that diplomacy was the deceitful methods used to achieve the personal interests of the ruler rather than the national interest of the state. The New diplomacy established after the first world war was very much a demand for more effective means not only to maintain stability but also to avoid major devastating wars. The emergence of non sate actors in the 20th century and international organizations such as the UN transformed diplomacy into a more complicated mechanism where pressure from non state actors and differing interests prevented diplomacy from being secretive. During the cold war diplomacy was mainly preoccupied with avoiding a nuclear war , the bipolar division of the world focused mainly on ideologies ignoring other issues such as the poverty and development in the third world countries which will pose a serious strain on the global system in the post-cold period. The events of 9/11 and the “war against terrorism” launched by the USA underestimated the importance of diplomacy . The unilateralism prevailed over multilateralism. The failure to establish the so-longed “democratic” government in Iraq is a good example of the failings of the unilateral approach. It is now obvious that hard power can no longer remain as the main tool in advancing a state interests. The return to soft power and diplomacy is essential.
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Brian White on Diplomacy.
ReplyDeleteBrian on issues about diplomacy; he came up with the ideas and changes that have occurred within diplomacy in world politics.
Brian defined diplomacy as a communication tool for negotiation in world politics and by global actors. He made a case of complexity of defining diplomacy upon who is defining it.
He broke it down into two perspectives, that’s Macro (as in big picture) and Micro (Small Picture).
Macro perspectives is about world politics while Micro perspective is about world politics and the actors involved, and is focused on states and their representative in global politics.
White on traditional diplomacy, he raised an issue about the origins of diplomacy from the Ancient Greece that first introduced diplomatic system, and also the Global diplomatic system with its origin in fifteenth –century Italy where permanent embassies was first established . White characterised traditional diplomacy into three features, structure, process and agenda.
On Structure which means communication between states rather than political organisations, which he gave example with Roman Catholic Church and also that diplomats that were acting on behalf of the state was also institutionalized which eventually was professionalized. And on Process, diplomacy was only on bilateral and usually done in secret while Agenda was about issues the diplomat negotiates.
Whites on new diplomacy, he acknowledged that the failure of traditional diplomacy to prevent the World War 1, created an avenue for a new diplomacy. Then a call for diplomacy to be more open to public scrutiny and control and its importance to create international organisations, e.g. League of Nations. He went further to say that the World War 2 showed the limits of the new diplomacy.
Whites on Cold diplomacy, domination of the super powers and their allies, the need to avoid nuclear war and also must win the cold war gave rise in dangerous form of diplomacy. He also gave examples of cold diplomacy as nuclear diplomacy, crisis diplomacy and summit diplomacy.
With the events of 9/11, whites talked about the new challenge of diplomacy these poses.
Finally he concluded that, diplomacy has helped the world to maintain peace within the international system and globally upon its shortcomings.