Fifty Years A Diplomat

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Fifty Years a Diplomat

For many people, diplomacy brings up images of pinstripe suits and cocktail parties. I am often asked by international relations professors to brief their students on what a diplomatic career could be, and I usually respond by telling my story.

“Humour, humility, and, of course, honesty, all are qualities that work in public and cultural diplomacy.”        

Cynthia P. Schneider American diplomat

In the fifty years since I joined the Canadian foreign service, I have frequently had to use all three qualities and more. I would also add creativity and personal artistic talents as tools that have served me well throughout my career.

My first two postings – pre-revolution Teheran and Caracas – were traditional assignments, performing consular work as well as political reporting.

In Teheran I concentrated on aiding the large Canadian community there, and also engaged in political reporting in the lead up to the revolution of 1979. A fascinating time in an interesting part of the world and an excellent way to begin a diplomatic career.

In Caracas, I served as Public Affairs Secretary and Trade Commissioner. This was my second posting, and I acted as political officer in managing relations with the Dominican Republic where Canada did not have an embassy. It was my first experience with Latin America, a region that has become close to my heart.

In Peru, I met Ricardo Palma, the owner of Radio Miraflores right after the Live Aid concert for Africa. I asked him why Peruvian artists hadn’t created a song to underscore the need to help the tens of thousands of children who slept in the streets.

His response was a challenge: you write and perform a song and we will cover production costs in my studio. My ambassador, Keith Bezanson, and our development counsellor, Guy Belanger, loved the idea, and committed the Embassy to press 5000 records.

I wrote the song “Somos Peru” and it became a small hit. The video was broadcast every night on the music television station, and a plethora of interviews gave Canada’s important aid and development program a very visible and human face – one that connected with the Peruvian public. I donated the rights to the song to the Hospital San Juan de Dios and performed it on the national telethon.

My next stop was Guatemala.

I arrived just when the transition from a cruel military dictatorship was giving way to the democratically elected government of Vinicio Cerezo. That was a fascinating time and a lesson in the difficulties of fighting against the power of the military to implement civilian supremacy. The human rights problems continue today, and corruption continues to plague the country.

I also wrote and recorded the song “Poco a Poco” for the SOS Children’s Villages and the song not only put a very human face on Canada’s relationship with Guatemala, but opened many doors at senior political levels that proved fundamental to my job as political officer. Once again, I counted on the strong support of Ambassador André Potvin and Development Counsellor Pierre Giroux.

My next assignment was Spain. In 1992 we had an important cultural presence in Madrid (cultural capital of Europe that year) and at the Barcelona Olympics. That, with our very popular pavilion at Expo 92 in Seville, were the hallmark of public diplomacy writ large.

Also, with the strong support of my Ambassador Jean-Pierre Juneau and assisted by my able cultural assistant Lorraine Choquette and my administrative assistant Myriam Garcia-Alaman, we produced the foreign ministry’s first desktop published monthly report in order to share our activities with our Spanish networks and the general public.

In 1994, I accompanied then Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa Christine Stewart to observe the South African elections as her spokesperson. A moving moment in history and one of the privileges of being a diplomat is to be on site when history is being made.

In Mexico, I served as Counsellor for Communications and Culture. With my excellent team of Claudia Solis-Ogarrio, Pierre Sved, and Luis Archundia, we used the Mexican Association of Canadian Studies (a network of Mexican academics with expertise in many aspects of Canadian life) to create conferences to deliver Canadian messages on democratic development and human rights. These conferences provided Mexican political, academic, and media audiences with an insight into Canadian policy with respect to Mexico.

From there, I proceeded to the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington as spokesperson for the Secretary General and Director of External Relations and Public Communications, where, for five years, I honed my skills as a communicator for a multilateral organisation.

Ambassador, now Senator, Peter Boehm recommended me to the Secretary General and got me started in the fascinating field of strategic communications. This has become my passion and I have written five books on various aspects of the subject and taught it at a number of universities in Mexico.

Next, I served in a similar position at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London for five years and, subsequently, ended my diplomatic career as Deputy Spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York.

What have I learned about diplomacy over my fifty years of involvement?

Multilateral institutions.

I learned that multilateral institutions like the UN have political bodies that are completely dysfunctional. The fact that the Security Council depends on the support of the five permanent members who never agree on much renders it ineffectual. Thus the UN’s inability to address such tragedies as the war in the Middle East, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or the Syrian civil war in any positive manner.

Adaptability.

One must be able to adapt to different cultures and languages, and learn about the history and customs of the country in which one is serving. You cannot negotiate with your opposites or convince audiences unless you understand your them. To do so, you must step out of your shoes and into theirs.

Listening

A vital component of successful communications is to listen to your audience. As a diplomat, one of your major responsibilities is to know and understand your audience and the mindset of the people of the country in which you are posted. You must learn to listen carefully, and know how to learn. You are not there to preach but, rather, to connect.

Patience.

Diplomacy is not for those who seek instant gratification. Negotiations can take years, and, what you begin may not end successfully on your watch. Diplomats are part of a continuum and must accept that gratification may not occur during their mandate.

Communications skills.

The ability to communicate succinctly and professionally is essential in 21st century diplomacy. You must be able to craft and deliver concise and easy to understand messages that move audiences. You must develop your public speaking skills in order to communicate effectively with a broad array of audiences in their own language.

Technology.

You must master the most advanced dommunications technology to reach your target audiences. Using social media to reach audiences that no longer pay attention to mainstream media or attend events or conferences is the name of the game, and the competition for audience attention is intense globally, so, creativity is the name of the game.

Networking skills.

You must develop your ability to create networks of local academics, artists, and opinion makers who can advocate for your country and lend more credibility to your messages since they are not paid by your government to speak on your behalf. They too have their networks and this multiplies your reach.

Teamwork

An embassy must function as a unit in order to set and achieve objectives. The abilities outlines above not only serve you in connecting with the people of the country to which you have been assigned, but also with your colleagues so that each section of the embassy plays its part in strategic planning and execution of projects and plans.

Public Diplomacy

Public diplomacy and making foreigners feel good about my country and understand its priorities and objectives has always been at the heart of my diplomatic vision. As Maya Angelou once said, people will forget what you said, and forget what you did, but will never forget how you made them feel.

These efforts helped to promote friendly, productive relations, the purchase of Canadian goods and services and benefits to the Canadian economy by way of job creation.

In my experience, public diplomacy is not an expense but, rather, an investment in the future. Governments must support these efforts to ensure that their voice is heard amid the noise that surrounds us.

I would tell anyone considering a career in diplomacy that it offers a challenging and engaging lifestyle full of discovery and learning experiences. It allows one to employ creativity and to explore foreign cultures at length and weave those learnings into our own personal mosaic.

Go for it!