Diplo Blog
Does the Subprime Crisis Hold Lessons for a MFA?
15 April 2008
Some of the best managed entities in the business world – transnational financial institutions – have been caught wrong footed. Past dealing with the immediate consequences of their errors, banks are changing thei...
Plagiarism: Can 85% of Students be Wrong?
24 November 2007
Yesterday, the Tribune de Geneve published on its cover page the news that 85% of university students in the United States are involved in plagiarism. (One should praise the US for facing and making this problem publi...
Public perception of diplomacy and diplomats…. why diplomats write…..
21 November 2007
Since we started “DeepDip” I was thinking about my first input. I even started drafting my “first blog” (it will come later on). But as usual events take direction of itsown. Last few days I have bee...
The nullification of international agreements and policies or The mongrelisation of diplomacy
16 November 2007
Aldo Matteucci In the Westphalian paradigm states are sovereign in their national policies. In toady’s world deliberative democracy legitimises the laws and policies of the state. International convergence of na...
Poetry: A Survival Strategy for Diplomats
02 November 2007
Many diplomats have used poetry in their diplomatic work: wrapping words in silk is the diplomat's job. A diplomat may turn a lie into a 'constructive ambiguity' - which is a way of defining poetry. Some poets have be...
Death of the Doha Dialogue of the Deaf
25 October 2007
Time for a New Beginning for Global Market Momentum and Legitimacy Dear Friends I have been very sceptical of Doha succeeding. In 2004 the Evian Group held a session entitled: "Is Doha a dying duck?". On that oc...
Is ambiguity an effective diplomatic tool?
29 June 2002
Arguments can be found both against and for the use of ambiguity in diplomacy. Opponents point out that an ambiguous formulation in a treaty or agreement does not actually resolve a problem but simply puts it off unti...
Ambiguity: Clause on aborition (1994 Cairo Conference on Population)
29 June 2002
Louise Lassonde (Coping with Population Challenges, London: Earthscan Publications Limited, 1996, 7) provides the following example: "In the Cairo Programme, various formulations which were contradictory a priori were...
