A chance to find out how diplomacy works...

Just after Christmas, Ros forwarded something on to me, an invitation to take up an short course of study, “Diplomacy in the 21st Century”, offered by the Open University in co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. I pondered the matter for a week or so and then thought, “Why not?”.

The course is, I admit, intended for;

... all UK government staff working on international issues, in the UK and overseas and colleagues from other Diplomatic Academies and Ministries of Foreign Affairs worldwide. It will also be suitable for people working in thinktanks, academics and professionals in any sector whose work has a close relation to diplomacy, students in fields such as diplomatic studies, and anybody interested in the nature of a diplomatic career.

but, with my interest in foreign policy and international affairs, it should prove to be, if not useful, then interesting.

And I really ought to find ways of keeping the little grey cells active. I’ve given up being Treasurer of Mid Suffolk Liberal Democrats, indeed I’m not even on the Executive Committee (but that’s a story for another day), and I have some time on my hands. What I’d rather not take on is an ‘everyday’ long term commitment, so a short course is ideal, particularly with the long winter evenings to fill.

So, what is the subject matter? Well, we’ll be covering;

• Overview of modern diplomatic representation
• The new tools of social media and wider digital diplomacy
• The history of women in British diplomacy and the gender equality agenda
• Overview of some key theories of diplomacy
• The challenges of expeditionary diplomacy and leadership in a diplomatic context
• Diplomatic tradecraft including protocol, networking and reporting

From that, it seems that I might be able to develop (in some cases, obtain) some useful skills. The likelihood of me ending up in the Diplomatic Service is, I accept, highly unlikely, but as a member of the Federal International Relations Committee, it might help me to be more effective when working with sister parties, or at ALDE Party events.

I’ve met some of our Ambassadors close up - Armenia, Chile and Cuba - and been impressed both by their commitment and their willingness to explain and answer questions. Finding out some more of the background to their work will be interesting...

The course doesn’t start until Monday though, and there are, it seems, still places. So, if you fancy joining me, here’s the link.