Personal Portfolio in Negotiation - Essay Example

1. Introduction "Diplomacy is the process of dialogue and negotiation by which s in a system conduct their relations and pursue their purposes by means short of war.” Adam Watson The MA in Diplomatic Studies has multiple aims, all of which converge towards the realization of a single objective: the production of diplomats, representatives of states, well-versed in the art of negotiation, not just for the avoidance of conflict, but for the maximization of their country’s best interests. For the satisfaction of the cited objective, a vast amount of readings on a wide array of theoretical and practical topics were covered during the course of the year. Time and space, however, prevent the comprehensive listing, let alone presentation, of the topics covered. Attention, therefore, shall be devoted to the value of negotiation, and the interrelationship between negotiation and intelligence, as learnt throughout the course of this program. Selection of negotiation as the theme was determined by its persistent presence in the greater majority of the themes dealt with and topics covered. Whether explicit or implicit, covert or overt, the importance of negotiation never faded from attention and the imperatives of acquiring a conceptual understanding of this skill for subsequent practical exploitation was an overriding program concern and objective. To illustrate this point, I will use examples from all of the course’s theoretical studies, practical experiences and key readings. 2. Theoretical Studies The MA in Diplomatic Studies combines between theory and practice, thus, acknowledging diplomacy to be, in part, the practical application of theoretical concepts. As such, academic discussions were consistently grounded in theory, with the aforementioned serving, not only to frame knowledge but, to provide students with interpretive tools as would allow them a more thorough understanding of international affairs and relations. IR theory emphasised the imperatives of negotiation and the role of intelligence therein. The divisive nature of IR theory, as evidenced in clear demarcations between schools of theory, highlights the utility of negotiation aiming towards a compromised theoretical outlook. Quite simply stated, the persistent division of theoretical schools into idealists and realists has culminated in a situation wherein events do not dictate interpretation but theory dictates the manner in which events will be interpreted, with the consequences being less than accurate understandings of the implications of the events in question. Neither the scope nor the complexities of IR withstands such clear, and highly delimiting, demarcations and, their enforcement lends to the loss of meaning. If a diplomat is to fully comprehend the implication of events and, as such, become a source of information/knowledge/intelligence, it is incumbent upon him/her to negotiate a position between the two theoretical camps, as would allow him/her to borrow the interpretative tools and strategies proposed by either and utilize them vis-à-vis events at hand. Only by negotiating a compromise position between IR schools can the diplomat fully exploit theory to its maximum potential and, in so doing, acquire a clear, and objective, understanding of IR and events within. Added to the above stated, the study of theory further emphasised the imperatives of negotiation on the strategic level. Even as students were directed towards an appreciation of the importance of negotiation between theoretical camps, theoretical study further functioned to emphasize the value of negotiations as an international relations strategy and, importantly, as a means for conflict avoidance. Drawing upon intelligence/information, negotiations function as the primary means for the maintenance of stability and peace. Accordingly, it is imperative that all diplomatic be well-grounded in its theoretical and practical implications. 3. Practical Experiences 3.1 Debate: Bioterrorism At the present time, terrorism constitutes a critical threat, not just to lives but, to the stability of nations and the World Order. The September 11th terrorist attacks evidence the extent to which terrorism possess an incalculable potential to redirect the course of international relations, to rewrite national foreign policy agendas, and to redefine the foreign policy strategies pursued by nations. Within the context of the stated, bioterrorism emerges as an especially serious threat, as was emphasised through a workshop attended and readings and research subsequently undertaken. Bioterrorism entails the deliberate release of biological agents, such as deadly viruses or bacteria into the air or water sources. Once released, it spreads to the human population, possibly culminating in a pandemic, even epidemic. Within the context of the aforementioned, bioterrorism emerges as an especially serious threat, not only because the agent can be transported in a small vial as could escape detection, thereby allowing for its transportation across national boundaries but, because it is extremely difficult to detect and to offset. The workshop attended quite effectively explained the extent to which bioterrorism functioned as a threat to human populations and, from the diplomatic perspective, communicated the imperatives of intelligence and negotiations as a strategy for preventing and offsetting such attacks. Intelligence is the key to prevention as it implies the possession of such information/knowledge as would expose bioterrorists plots/plans and, as such, facilitate proactive and preventative action. As for negotiations, they are integral both as a strategy for obtaining the said information and as a means for offsetting it. Consequently, this workshop communicated the imperatives of intelligence and negotiations even as it grounded students in the implications of bioterrorism. 3.2 Workshop A second worship in coding was offered. Students were taught different coding methods from Morris to words encrypting to numbers encrypting, leading up to keyboard encrypting. The background on coding it offered students gave us an understanding of the manner in which intelligence may be clandestinely communicated. 3.3 Previous Experience Having worked in the intelligence department for several years prior to becoming a career diplomat, this course brought my previous professional experience to the fore, leading me towards a deeper understanding of the interrelationship between intelligence and negotiation. The function of intelligence department employees is the collection, categorization and codification of information/intelligence while, that of the diplomat is the exploitation of that intelligence for the purposes of negotiation. The readings and the material covered in the course allowed an understanding of the way in which the one combined with the other to direct a diplomat’s course of action and, of course, foreign policy strategy. As such, I can safely say that my previous professional experience came into play, and was rendered relevant to my current career as a diplomat, by the course material and what I had learnt and studied throughout this year. 4 Key Readings Course assignments, researches, papers, presentations and test and exam preparation, necessitated that the student undertake an immense amount of reading. While I must confess to having initially found the volume of required readings daunting, once I was immersed in the course, the reading of the material became an interesting endeavor as which satisfied the many questions which the lectures and class discussions raised, and not a tedious obligation. Needless to say, it is impossible to cover the material studied within the space awarded to this paper and, therefore, I shall focus on five of the readings which contributed to my understanding of the centrality of negotiations in international affairs and diplomacy. 4.1 Richard J. Aldrich: The Hidden Hand The book offers a comprehensive and clear account of the British and American intelligence apparatus during the Cold War period. As indicated, convergence of interests imposes the imperatives of cooperation between the two services and quite, often, their working in tandem towards the realization of the same objective. Certainly, there were undeniable areas of conflict of interest between the two, as for example, the US intelligence services’ secret operations to promote European federalism; a project which the British services resisted and refused to participate in. Apart from affording readers an invaluable insight into the intelligence underworld of European, US and British affairs throughout the Cold War period, it fortifies the reader’s understanding of the role of negotiations therein. That is, intelligence as an aid to negotiations and negotiations as a strategy for cooperation between intelligence agencies. The implication here is that negotiations are ultimately the focal point of intelligence, both because it utilizes the information gathered through intelligence and because it facilitates the operation of intelligence services. 4.2 D. Berkowitz and A. Goodman: Best Truth The authors proceed from the premise that the US intelligence service is fundamentally flawed and needs to be redesigned/reorganized. The US intelligence community was formulated and designed with the Cold War in mind, with the implication being that it is inherently geared towards the collection of information regarding formal state actors through the deployment of specific intelligence gathering strategies. The Cold War has ended and the Information Age has evolved. While this does not mean that the importance of gathering information on state actors has diminished, it does mean that it is equally important to gather information on non state actors through the non traditional means which have been introduced by the age itself – the internet. The fact is that the US intelligence service is not optimally suited to execute the aforementioned responsibilities through the said strategy, on the one hand, and the bureaucratic composition of the intelligence agencies and community offsets the capacity to do so. It is imperative, according to the authors, that the US intelligence service re-negotiate its standing vis-à-vis its environment through an intra-communal negotiation process as which facilitates the adoption of new techniques and strategies. Proceeding from the above stated, one can safely say that this book, which ostensibly deals with the US intelligence service, highlights the importance of intra- and extra-organizational negotiations as a strategy for the redesign of the US intelligence service for greater relevancy to, and consistency with, the requirements of the present age. 4.3 M. Clarke and B. White: Understanding Foreign Policy Clarke and White adopt a systems approach to foreign policy analysis, even as they concede that the aforementioned cannot adequately explain foreign policy. From the perspective of a reader, however, this does not detract from, but adds to, the value of their discussion. The reason is simply that by so doing, they actually call into question the capacity of any single theory to offer a comprehensive and holistic understanding of foreign policy. The primary strength of this book lies in the fact that it presents readers with a wide array of tools through which to analyze both the nation state as a sovereign entity and as a player in the international scene. Interestingly, the dual identity of the state, as a domestic and international entity, often gives rise to conflictual interests, in the sense that its foreign policy interests may collide with its domestic interests. In such instances, the importance of negotiation, once again, asserts itself. 4.4 M.P. Doxey: International Sanctions in Contemporary Perspective Margaret Doxey reviews the issue of sanctions, its various types and their utility, or effectiveness as a strategy for responding to such state actions as which violate international law or are potentially threatening to international stability. As Doxey indicates, more often than not, sanctions prove ineffective, especially economic sanctions. The reason lies in the difficulties and challenges which confront the very concept of collective action. Effectiveness is dependant on collective action but, collective action is, quite nearly, an impossible goal. This leads one to the importance of negotiations; it is the art of negotiations which can make the virtually impossible, possible: international consensus and collective acrion. 4.5 P. Harvey, et al.: Foreign Policy Analysis The first generation of international relations scholars, as is clearly indicated in this work, established a sharp demarcation between the analysis of the foreign policies of states, on the one hand, and the international relations system, on the other. In other words, they adopted clear micro and macro analytical approaches, generally eschewing the imperatives of negotiating between the two perspectives in order to arrive at more holistic understandings of the workings of both. The second generation, however, as is evident from the articles contained in this work, have embraced a negotiated middle-range theoretical position, wherein they acknowledge the imperative, not only of the micro and the macro levels of analysis but, the extent to which they compliment and complete one another. It is, thus, that the collection of articles in this book ultimately leads the reader to an understanding of the importance of negotiating between theories. 5 OVERALL ASSESSMENT 5.1 Benefits The M.A. in Diplomatic Studies carries a variety of benefits. Combing between theory and practice, between academia and practical training, it simultaneously gives students a theoretical understanding of issues and a strategy for the translation of theory into practice. In addition to the textbook and published material which students study, guest lecturers and professors bring their own unique experiences, understandings and perspectives into the program and, in so doing, expose students to an expensive spectrum of IR theories and interpretations. As this unfolds within the context of the external, multicultural and uniquely cosmopolitan French environment, international students are ultimately recipients, not just of an education, but of an experience. 5.2 Challenges Challenges confronted largely emanated from the fact that I was combining between study and work, between social and academic life in a foreign country. Settling down, acclimatizing oneself to the environment, was a challenge but one which I ultimately overcame. Following from that, the second challenge became the program itself and the imperatives of satisfying a rather daunting set of requirements within the span of a single year. Library access invaluably contributed to the resolution of the defined challenge because, as far as I was concerned, it represented accessibility of explanatory material. I would also like to add that even though the university provides foreign students with support, that support falls somewhat short of the required. The one thing which comes to mind is housing. As a diplomat whose ministry is responsible for finding suitable accommodations for, I did not confront this particular problem. However, I can confirm that many of my program colleagues did and I, personally, was quite surprised that the university did not play a more active role insofar as this challenge is concerned. 6 CONCLUSION As I come to the conclusion of my studies, I would like to take this opportunity to say that I benefited tremendously from the year’s work. Unlike other academic programs which I had previously taken, this one had direct practical implications and value. As a diplomat, I feel that my ability to represent my country has been significantly maximized by that which I learnt at the Diplomatic Academy. It is, thus, that I would like to take this opportunity to thank my professors and Mt. Bennis for the support, understanding and patience they showed a student from the United Arab Emirates. Read More