A Diplomat's Handbook for Democracy Development Support - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0986707783 ISBN 13: 9780986707780

Publisher: CIGI Press, 2016

Synopsis

In recent decades, the conduct of international relations among and within states has been very considerably altered. Today, the content of these relations relies as much on international professional and civil society networks as it does on state-to-state transactions. The role of the Internet has been fundamental in widening communications opportunities for citizens and civil society, with a profound effect on democracy transition. In consequence, diplomacy has taken on a much more human and public face. Twenty-first century ambassadors and diplomats are learning to engage with civil societies, especially on the large themes of democratic change — an engagement that is often resisted by authoritarian regimes. A Diplomat’s Handbook for Democracy Development Support presents a wide variety of specific experiences of diplomats on the ground, identifying creative, human and material resources. More broadly, it is about the policy-making experience in capitals, as democratic states try to align national interests and democratic values. The Handbook also documents the increasingly prominent role of civil society as the essential building block for successful democratic transitions, with each case study examining specific national experiences in the aspiration for democratic and pluralistic governance, and lessons learned on all sides — for better or for worse. While each situation is different — presenting unique, unstructured problems and opportunities — a review of these experiences bears out the validity of the authors’ belief in the interdependence of democratic engagements, and provides practitioners with encouragement, counsel and a greater capacity to support democracy everywhere.

About this title

About the Author

Jeremy Kinsman began work on the Diplomat's Handbook project at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, where he was Diplomat in Residence in 2007-2008 before his appointment as Regent's Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, where today he is Resident International Scholar at the Institute of Governmental Studies. He is concurrently Distinguished Diplomatic Visitor at Ryerson University in Toronto. For 40 years, he was a Canadian foreign service officer, and between 1992 and 2006, served as ambassador in Moscow, Rome and Brussels (EU), and as Canadian High Commissioner in London. Kurt Bassuener is an independent policy analyst living in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He began work on the Diplomat's Handbook in 2007. He is co-founder and senior associate of the Democratization Policy Council (www.democratizationpolicy.org), a global initiative for accountability in democracy promotion. His opinion pieces and analyses on a variety of topics have been published widely, and he has testified before the Oireachtas' (Irish Houses of Parliament) Joint Committee on European Affairs and the US Congress' joint Helsinki Commission. Previous positions include: Strategy Analyst at the Office of the High Representative (2005-2006); Political and Campaign Analyst for the OSCE ODIHR's Election Observation Mission in Ukraine (2004-2005); co-founding/co-directing the Democratization Policy Institute (2000-2002); Program Officer, US Institute of Peace Balkans Initiative (2000-2001); Associate Director of the Balkan Action Council (1998-2000); and Policy Analyst at the Balkan Institute (1997-1998).

Edition details

• Publisher: CIGI Press
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0986707783
• ISBN 13: 9780986707780
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 464
• Editor: Kinsman Jeremy, Bassuener Kurt