Guerrilla Diplomacy
Encyclopedia
Guerrilla diplomacy is both a method of diplomacy
and an alternative approach to international relations
designed for the globalization age.
Guerrilla diplomacy is situated at the far end of a diplomatic spectrum that features traditional diplomacy
at one end and public diplomacy
near the centre. Examples could include various activities undertaken by Sergio Vieira de Mello on behalf of the United Nations in Cambodia, former Yugoslavia and East Timor, 1991-2002; Ambassador Ken Taylor's actions during the Iran hostage crisis
of 1979; Swedish Diplomat Raoul Wallenberg
's efforts to save lives during World War II, and; Canadian Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin
's public display, from a barge in the East River opposite UN headquarters, of undersized fishing nets seized from a Spanish trawler during the "cod war
" in 1994. Guerrilla diplomacy's doctrine and methods have been articulated by Daryl Copeland
, described by Jeremy Kinsman
as a "forceful agent of urgently needed change" in a book published in 2009 by Lynne Rienner.
.
GD responds to the marginalization of dialogue, negotiation, and collaboration as tools of international relations and arises from the conviction that while diplomacy matters today more than ever, it is in crisis and has been sidelined as a result of the militarization of international policy which has been carried forward from the Cold War
to the Global War on Terror
. It was designed in response to the challenges of the globalization age, and is at home in that transformed operating environment. Guerrilla Diplomacy places maximum value on innovation
and on creating and sustaining an atmosphere of confidence, trust and respect.
and moves contemporary thinking on public diplomacy
and soft power
towards new frontiers. GD takes full account of the challenges to development and security that are embedded in globalization
, and is designed to address the range of global issues, ranging from pandemic disease to climate change to resource scarcity, which are rooted in science
and driven by technology
. It is based on meaningful exchange in two directions, in that messages are transmitted outwards, to interlocutors in the field, and are also fed back into the policy development process. At its best, therefore, GD results in altered behavior and outcomes in both receiving and sending states.
Guerrilla diplomacy highlights the importance of abstract thinking, advanced problem-solving skills and rapid-adaptive cognition. It pushes diplomatic practice into more distant, less state-centric places, from shanty towns to conflict zones. The effectiveness of GD turns on the collection of tactical and strategic intelligence, on the development of alternative networks, and on the production of demonstrable results by boring deep into the interstices of power and navigating pathways inaccessible to others. Success at these endeavours may involve relying on technology, and especially the new media
as a force multiplier, on taking a less formal approach to representation, and, perhaps most importantly, on thinking creatively, listening carefully and analyzing rigorously.
The guerrilla diplomat is cross-culturally literate and capable, swimming with ease in the sea of the people rather than flopping around like a fish out of water when outside the embassy walls. Ever inventive and prepared to improvise in order to achieve objectives, the guerrilla diplomat’s ears will be to the ground, and eyes on the horizon — or tree line, or rooftops, or whatever is required to get the job done. Yet the guerrilla diplomat's playbook will be informed more by an appreciation of the unconventional and an irregular interpretation of the principles of public relations
than by any reading of the doctrine of people’s war.
Comfort with risk, an affinity for outreach and a serious interest in people — in what they do and how they think about the world — are integral to the GD territory. The guerrilla diplomat will suffocate if confined to organizational silos and drown if buried under layers of bureaucratic overburden. Standard operating procedures, awaiting instructions and doing things “by the book” may at times be necessary, but will rarely be sufficient in resolving the complex problems which characterize the sorts of fast-paced, high-risk environments best suited to GD.
In political communications
generally, and for guerrilla diplomacy in particular, the how is at least as important as the what. The guerrilla diplomat is resilient, maximizing self-reliance while minimizing need for the usual investment in plant, infrastructure and logistical support. Cautious introverts and ambitious careerists need not apply. Nor the reckless or insensitive: guerrilla diplomats have the street smarts to avoid alienating either their hosts — or their home government colleagues.
-era. First, Second and Third World formulation by capturing the essential elements of the globalization
age. The new model may be applied to individuals, groups, neighbourhoods, cities, countries and/or regions. It consists of the:
A or advancing, world, which controls the wealth and whose economic and political advantage is growing;
C or contingent world, whose prospects are uncertain and will be determined by future developments, which could tip in either direction;
T or tertiary world, characterized by endemic poverty and whose relative position is subservient or dependent;
E or excluded world, which is for the most part outside of globalization’s matrix.
Diplomatic ecosystem — an organic, multi-tiered, interdependent diplomatic whole consisting of the foreign ministry and foreign service; individual diplomats; departments and agencies of government with international policy responsibilities or content; and non-state actors.
Geodiplomatics — a systematic, non-violent and communications-based approach to the effective management of the world’s strategic nexuses.
Global political economy of knowledge — a collaborative, heuristic
and virtual
store of the world's information and expertise, accessible principally through the new media
, which pervades, supports and reinforces critical productive, transnational
and power relationships, including the digital divide
, on the ground.
Guerrilla diplomacy — a cross-cultural, enabled and grassroots approach to diplomatic practice characterized by autonomy, agility, adaptability and resilience; a premium on intelligence
gathering and analysis; access to global political economy of knowledge; the ability to act with souplesse.
Heteropolarity - an emerging world system in which competing states or groups of states derive their relative power and influence from dissimilar sources - social, economic, political, military, cultural. The disparate vectors which empower these heterogeneous poles are difficult to compare or measure; stability in the age of globalization will therefore depend largely upon the diplomatic functions of knowledge-driven problem solving and complex balancing.
Representational footprint — the physical evidence, or lack thereof, of diplomatic presence and infrastructure.
Souplesse — the ability to connect with the global political economy of knowledge for the remedial application of scientific and technological capacity in order to engage specific threats and challenges, typically in support of security
and development
.
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
and an alternative approach to international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
designed for the globalization age.
Guerrilla diplomacy is situated at the far end of a diplomatic spectrum that features traditional diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
at one end and public diplomacy
Public diplomacy
In international relations, public diplomacy or people's diplomacy, broadly speaking, is the communication with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence. There is no one definition of Public Diplomacy, and may be easier described than easily defined as definitions...
near the centre. Examples could include various activities undertaken by Sergio Vieira de Mello on behalf of the United Nations in Cambodia, former Yugoslavia and East Timor, 1991-2002; Ambassador Ken Taylor's actions during the Iran hostage crisis
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
of 1979; Swedish Diplomat Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish businessman, diplomat and humanitarian. He is widely celebrated for his successful efforts to rescue thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary from the Holocaust, during the later stages of World War II...
's efforts to save lives during World War II, and; Canadian Fisheries Minister Brian Tobin
Brian Tobin
Brian Vincent Tobin, PC is a Canadian businessman and former politician. Tobin served as the sixth Premier of Newfoundland from 1996 to 2000. Tobin was also a prominent Member of Parliament and served as a Cabinet Minister in Jean Chrétien's Liberal government.- Early life, education, and family...
's public display, from a barge in the East River opposite UN headquarters, of undersized fishing nets seized from a Spanish trawler during the "cod war
Cod War
The Cod Wars, also called the Icelandic Cod Wars , were a series of confrontations in the 1950s and 1970s between the United Kingdom and Iceland regarding fishing rights in the North Atlantic....
" in 1994. Guerrilla diplomacy's doctrine and methods have been articulated by Daryl Copeland
Daryl Copeland
Daryl Copeland is a Canadian analyst, author, speaker and educator specializing in diplomacy, international policy, public management and global issues...
, described by Jeremy Kinsman
Jeremy Kinsman
Jeremy K.B. Kinsman is a retired Canadian career diplomat. He was the Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and the Canadian Ambassador to the European Union ....
as a "forceful agent of urgently needed change" in a book published in 2009 by Lynne Rienner.
Background
Guerrilla diplomacy is a smart, light and supple approach to the practice of diplomacy and an alternative doctrine of statecraft. Its techniques have been described by Professor Nicholas Cull as "essential to navigating the diplomatic rapids of the twenty-first century", and its analysis as a "milestone" in "diplomacy's current revolution" by Simon AnholtSimon Anholt
Simon Anholt is an independent policy advisor who helps national, regional and city governments develop and implement strategies for enhanced economic, political and cultural engagement with other countries...
.
GD responds to the marginalization of dialogue, negotiation, and collaboration as tools of international relations and arises from the conviction that while diplomacy matters today more than ever, it is in crisis and has been sidelined as a result of the militarization of international policy which has been carried forward from the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
to the Global War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. It was designed in response to the challenges of the globalization age, and is at home in that transformed operating environment. Guerrilla Diplomacy places maximum value on innovation
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
and on creating and sustaining an atmosphere of confidence, trust and respect.
Discussion
Guerrilla diplomacy operates using methods distinct from those employed in traditional diplomacyDiplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
and moves contemporary thinking on public diplomacy
Public diplomacy
In international relations, public diplomacy or people's diplomacy, broadly speaking, is the communication with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence. There is no one definition of Public Diplomacy, and may be easier described than easily defined as definitions...
and soft power
Soft power
Soft power is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option and attraction. It can be contrasted with 'hard power', that is the use of coercion and payment...
towards new frontiers. GD takes full account of the challenges to development and security that are embedded in globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, and is designed to address the range of global issues, ranging from pandemic disease to climate change to resource scarcity, which are rooted in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and driven by technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
. It is based on meaningful exchange in two directions, in that messages are transmitted outwards, to interlocutors in the field, and are also fed back into the policy development process. At its best, therefore, GD results in altered behavior and outcomes in both receiving and sending states.
Guerrilla diplomacy highlights the importance of abstract thinking, advanced problem-solving skills and rapid-adaptive cognition. It pushes diplomatic practice into more distant, less state-centric places, from shanty towns to conflict zones. The effectiveness of GD turns on the collection of tactical and strategic intelligence, on the development of alternative networks, and on the production of demonstrable results by boring deep into the interstices of power and navigating pathways inaccessible to others. Success at these endeavours may involve relying on technology, and especially the new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
as a force multiplier, on taking a less formal approach to representation, and, perhaps most importantly, on thinking creatively, listening carefully and analyzing rigorously.
The guerrilla diplomat is cross-culturally literate and capable, swimming with ease in the sea of the people rather than flopping around like a fish out of water when outside the embassy walls. Ever inventive and prepared to improvise in order to achieve objectives, the guerrilla diplomat’s ears will be to the ground, and eyes on the horizon — or tree line, or rooftops, or whatever is required to get the job done. Yet the guerrilla diplomat's playbook will be informed more by an appreciation of the unconventional and an irregular interpretation of the principles of public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
than by any reading of the doctrine of people’s war.
Comfort with risk, an affinity for outreach and a serious interest in people — in what they do and how they think about the world — are integral to the GD territory. The guerrilla diplomat will suffocate if confined to organizational silos and drown if buried under layers of bureaucratic overburden. Standard operating procedures, awaiting instructions and doing things “by the book” may at times be necessary, but will rarely be sufficient in resolving the complex problems which characterize the sorts of fast-paced, high-risk environments best suited to GD.
In political communications
Political communications
Political communication is a field of communications that is concerned with politics. Communication often influences political decisions and vice versa.-Fields and areas of Study:The field of political communication concern 2 main areas:...
generally, and for guerrilla diplomacy in particular, the how is at least as important as the what. The guerrilla diplomat is resilient, maximizing self-reliance while minimizing need for the usual investment in plant, infrastructure and logistical support. Cautious introverts and ambitious careerists need not apply. Nor the reckless or insensitive: guerrilla diplomats have the street smarts to avoid alienating either their hosts — or their home government colleagues.
Key Concepts
ACTE — a de-territorialized world order model designed to replace the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
-era. First, Second and Third World formulation by capturing the essential elements of the globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
age. The new model may be applied to individuals, groups, neighbourhoods, cities, countries and/or regions. It consists of the:
A or advancing, world, which controls the wealth and whose economic and political advantage is growing;
C or contingent world, whose prospects are uncertain and will be determined by future developments, which could tip in either direction;
T or tertiary world, characterized by endemic poverty and whose relative position is subservient or dependent;
E or excluded world, which is for the most part outside of globalization’s matrix.
Diplomatic ecosystem — an organic, multi-tiered, interdependent diplomatic whole consisting of the foreign ministry and foreign service; individual diplomats; departments and agencies of government with international policy responsibilities or content; and non-state actors.
Geodiplomatics — a systematic, non-violent and communications-based approach to the effective management of the world’s strategic nexuses.
Global political economy of knowledge — a collaborative, heuristic
Heuristic
Heuristic refers to experience-based techniques for problem solving, learning, and discovery. Heuristic methods are used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution, where an exhaustive search is impractical...
and virtual
Virtual
The term virtual is a concept applied in many fields with somewhat differing connotations, and also, differing denotations.The term has been defined in philosophy as "that which is not real" but may display the salient qualities of the real....
store of the world's information and expertise, accessible principally through the new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
, which pervades, supports and reinforces critical productive, transnational
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
and power relationships, including the digital divide
Digital divide
The Digital Divide refers to inequalities between individuals, households, business, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels in access to information and communication technologies and Internet connectivity and in the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the information...
, on the ground.
Guerrilla diplomacy — a cross-cultural, enabled and grassroots approach to diplomatic practice characterized by autonomy, agility, adaptability and resilience; a premium on intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
gathering and analysis; access to global political economy of knowledge; the ability to act with souplesse.
Heteropolarity - an emerging world system in which competing states or groups of states derive their relative power and influence from dissimilar sources - social, economic, political, military, cultural. The disparate vectors which empower these heterogeneous poles are difficult to compare or measure; stability in the age of globalization will therefore depend largely upon the diplomatic functions of knowledge-driven problem solving and complex balancing.
Representational footprint — the physical evidence, or lack thereof, of diplomatic presence and infrastructure.
Souplesse — the ability to connect with the global political economy of knowledge for the remedial application of scientific and technological capacity in order to engage specific threats and challenges, typically in support of security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
and development
Regional development
Regional development is the provision of aid and other assistance to regions which are less economically developed. Regional development may be domestic or international in nature...
.
External links
- Guerrilla Diplomacy
- Bibliography of Daryl Copeland’s Print Publications
- Connectivity and Networks Rule
- Cyber Diplomacy
- Daryl Copeland’s Flickr Photostream
- Fixing Foreign Ministries: Message From Oz
- Getting Down…
- Global Dashboard: The new public diplomacy and Afghanistan (PDF)
- Guerrilla Diplomacy: Delivering International Policy in a Post-9/11 World
- James Eayrs on Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, International Relations
- No dangling conversation: portrait of the public diplomat
- PD and Counterinsurgency
- PD in Conflict Zones
- PD’s Most Formidable Adversary: The Say-Do Gap
- PD, POR and the Public Environment
- Public Diplomacy and Branding
- Public Diplomacy Between Theory and Practice (PDF)
- Putting the Human Back In Security
- Review in Library Journal - Social Sciences - September 1, 2009
- Review - Diplomacy in the Trenches (PDF), by Jeff Davis (Embassy - Canada's Foreign Policy Newspaper)
- Review - Guerrilla tactics for diplomats, by Katharina Höne, (DiploFoundation)
- Smart Power and the Diplomatic Surge
- The Science of International Politics
- Transformational Public Diplomacy
- USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School - Center Bios - Daryl Copeland
- Virtuality and Foreign Ministries
- Whither Development?