Commentary
Is Diplomacy Back? Making the Case to the American People by Mary Thompson-Jones
The Impact of Climate Change on U.S. Foreign Policy and the National Interest by Dr. John Harbeson and Keith P. McCormick
Why the U.S. Should Help Prevent Lebanon’s Collapse by Imad K. Harb
Time to Rethink Development Assistance in the Sahel by Mark Wentling
Locally Employed Staff are the Lifeblood of Cultural Diplomacy by Anne Barbaro
Note to Readers
As we mark the 25th anniversary of the American Diplomacy Journal, we want to take this opportunity to celebrate our locally engaged colleagues and to express our gratitude to them for the work they do at U.S. missions around the world. Our work abroad would be impossible without their support and guidance, and we owe them a deep debt. We want to remind our readers of the Foreign Service National (FSN) Emergency Relief Fund, which helps support our colleagues through crises and hardships. Contributions can be sent to: Gift Fund Coordinator, Department of State, CGFS/EDCS HST Rm 1821, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520
Eyewitness
Military Crackdown in Burma and the Massacres of 8/8/88 by Franklin Huffman
When the KGB Sends its B Team by Jonathan Rickert
Beijing Brushstrokes by Beatrice Camp
ADST
Over 30 years ago, the growing hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica caused by man-made chemicals provoked international concern. Negotiations led to the U.S. and the European Community signing the Montreal Protocol, “the most successful global environmental agreement ever done….”
https://adst.org/2014/09/negotiating-the-montreal-protocol-on-protecting-the-ozone-layer/
National Archives
In 1972, two Embassy Moscow staffers drove 900 miles to visit Tbilisi in Georgia and three towns of the North Caucasus region. Their 1972 Chevrolet sedan drew attention everywhere.
https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2020/05/26/an-american-car-on-the-road-in-the-ussr-1972/
Book Review
The Nine Lives of Pakistan: (Dispatches from a Precarious State) Reviewed by Jon P. Dorschner
Books of Interest
Making Peace with Nature by United Nations Environmental Program
Toxic Politics by Yanzhong Huang
The State of Peacebuilding in Africa Edited by Terence McNamee and Monde Muyangwa
World in Danger by Wolfgang Ischinger
They Call It Diplomacy by Peter Westmacott
Complex Effects of International Relations by Ofer Israeli
This is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth
Engaging the Evil Empire by Simon Miles
Links
A number of the Clinton-era documents on climate change negotiations analyzed by the National Security Archives address diplomatic concerns, including the challenge of engaging China. https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/environmental-diplomacy/2021-04-05/clinton-white-house-climate-change-part-ii-engaging-oval-office?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=2d1ca22b-1ff2-4b59-a0c1-e0d47ddfd87d
A report from the UN Environment Program discusses how climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution can be tackled jointly within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.unep.org/resources/making-peace-nature
The interim national security strategic guidance issued by the White House in March 2021 prioritizes security, prosperity, and values. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/03/interim-national-security-strategic-guidance/
Picks from 25 Years
To mark our 25th anniversary, we spotlight past articles about diplomats, diplomatic practice, and challenges facing the State Department
In Memoriam
Desaix Anderson was the first U.S. Ambassador in Hanoi, where he opened the embassy in August 1995.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Desaix_Anderson
Joseph Duffey was the last director of the U.S. Information Agency 1993-1999, before its incorporation into the Department of State.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Duffey
Charles Hill was a senior adviser to George Shultz, Henry Kissinger, and Ronald Reagan, as well as UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Hill_(diplomat)
Larry Palmer served as ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean and earlier to Honduras.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Leon_Palmer