Lessons from Diplomacy in Times of Fundamental Change

By Ambassador Wilfried Bolewski

In these difficult and disruptive times, we are all looking for orientation for pursuing the peaceful change initiated through the process of Globalization.  After collective emotions and motions following the recent events in Paris, it is time for reflection to move from grief to grievances. We should be reminded of the civilizing virtues of the diplomatic culture and mindset, and use the ethics of Diplomacy as a mode of living together in differences: Beyond the divergent domestic legislations on freedom of speech, religious freedom and the criminality of violence, we should all become “homo diplomaticus”.

The values of Diplomacy as a humanist legacy are developing from a mere (foreign) policy instrument to a transnational process of intersocietal relations: from the international level to the domestic level and full circle back to the global community.  The core message of Diplomacy as a statecraft spreading to a society-craft is the societal representation of separate collective identities.

This management tool of transnational governance is based on the following:

• Recognition and respect for differences

• Mediation of estrangement while retaining separateness

• Communicative discourse

• Combination of principles and values such as: reciprocity, prudence, good will, compromise, concessions and most of all mutual self-restraint

• Harmonization of interests in response to commonly defined challenges and threats.

This Strategic Moral Diplomacy as a process of communication should be practiced to facilitate social interaction between all human beings who have differences, through acknowledging the other’s moral universe and grievances in order to peacefully reach common goals.

To move from this reflection to responsible action I am reminded of the well-known medieval prayer:

“Please, give me the courage to change the things that should [and can] be changed, the patience to tolerate the things that cannot [now] be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference between the two.”