World Affairs International

di·plo·ma·cy

/dəˈplōməsē/

noun

the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country’s representatives abroad.

The end of the Cold War saw the collapse of the Soviet Union and a brief period of strong international cooperation. For a moment, the United States was the world’s sole and uncontested superpower, with the majority of the world following a trend of democratization. However, the diplomatic workforce that had long served the U.S. was largely abandoned, and wholly unprepared for the post 9/11 world. When the twin towers were struck, the Bush administration scrambled to prepare a diplomatic response. But the foreign service of the 1960s-90s was gone, and in their place, military leaders and representatives have represented the U.S. abroad. Foreign nations responded, choosing their own military leaders on diplomatic discussions.

The preservation of world peace and security through diplomacy has become the global community’s foremost method of conflict resolution, in a nuclear age where stakes are impossibly high. Any person representing the foreign interests of a nation should not only have a deep grasp and understanding of history and international relations, but a strong respect for human dignity and liberty.

But career diplomats can only pursue their careers so far. The brightest minds of a nation may come together to debate and resolve their political differences, but national politics will always hold diplomats accountable to the court of public opinion. In a world where the line between news and misinformation has become increasingly thin, this is a catastrophe.

Mission

For the future of our global leadership and cooperation, sources of information must be separated from political undermining. In both the U.S., U.K., and other democratic nations, polarized politics have begun to chip away human understanding and connection. The only way to overcome these differences is through the same dialogue conducted between nations. We at World Affairs hope to provide clear, concise news and articles on the state of international diplomacy, and we hope you can learn more about the world and start a dialogue with others you may or may not know.

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