The Young Diplomat Survival Guide: Navigating New Diplomacy To Create Meaningful Change

by Laura Bradbury, Head Delegate, 2021 Y20 Canadian Delegation 

The world is heating up, the climate is changing, and global emergencies have suddenly become much too familiar. In what seems to be constant chaos, state affairs and diplomacy are also adapting to the shifting circumstances. Remote working, collaborative platforms and a rapidly evolving network of information and intelligence make it all the more possible to create a more equitable and diverse international policy community, but will it actually happen? The next generation of foreign policy and diplomatic leaders will need to be prepared to challenge their beliefs, reflect on their systems of knowledge and, at the same time, maneuver within the current gridlocked system on critical issues like the green economic transition. 

Engaging in youth-centric multilateral fora such as the G20 and G7 Youth Summits are essential steps for young leaders to develop their toolkits, but there is a disconnect between so-called 'real-world' diplomacy and the action taken by youth in these spaces. For example, while the Communiqué of the 2021 Y20 delegations in Italy was negotiated by consensus, the outcomes of the hours of negotiation to consensus did not appear to hold much weight at the Leaders’ Summit in October. Locating this fragmentation is essential to ensuring the efficacy of advocacy efforts today by putting pressure on world leaders to be accountable to their youth constituents.  For new young diplomats, the following section will describe the tools necessary to bring with you on your journey into new diplomacy.

The Fable of the Young Diplomat

You are appointed as a Canadian diplomat to the newly-discovered island nation off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Republic of Asgard. As a representative of the Government of Canada, you are needed on the island right away to start forming relationships with Asgardians and the international community. What should you bring to the island to help you navigate this exciting opportunity?

☐ Magic 8 Ball 

The most important value of the youngest generation of leaders is intergenerationality: the systemic focus on the well-being of people not born yet. Yet, no one can know the future - this is an argument made against long-term action, mainly by people old enough to understand the implications of inaction in the first place.

Every young diplomat will need a Magic 8 Ball to represent the urgency of action in future terms and keep policy malleable to changing circumstances, like rising sea levels or worsening climate conditions. Knowing the future does not always have to be left to chance.

☐ Yoga Mat

Take a deep breath. This is what you will need to repeat to yourself to get through somewhat painful conversations regarding the trade-off between human lives and economic gain. While not all nations in this world have protectionist interests at heart, the young diplomat will need to practice self-care in preparation for military colloquialisms in place of civilian casualties, coordinated ignorance of scientific truths and, even more frustratingly, the abundance of resources allocated to protecting these interests. 

As the next generation of young diplomats enters the world stage, I hope that this burden of advocacy will lessen. Until then, however, working within the gridlocked system will require the heart and minds of anyone willing to lend them. My advice is to take care of yourself first by acknowledging the emotional work whenever you argue in favour of justice and equity.

☐ Extra pairs of heels (or a step stool)  

The difference between equality and equity is not lost in the diplomatic community, but it is one of the most significant barriers to systemic change in the international policy landscape. The difference between equity and equality is quite simple: equity ensures that everyone at the table has the resources they need to succeed in their different circumstances. In contrast, equality gives everyone the same resources no matter where they come from.

Principle 7 of the Rio Declaration (1992) (which underpins much of what we understand as the Sustainable Development Goals) enshrined a new approach to understanding equity on the international stage: Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR). 

In practice, this meant that subsequent agreements like the Kyoto Protocol (1997) mandated the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions for developing countries, whereas the largest polluters (developed countries) were required to reduce their emissions; a more familiar example is located within the Paris Agreement (2015), where the differentiated circumstances of developing nations are recognized. In other words, the largest polluters must pay the largest price to fix it. 

Photo credit: Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire. Visit interactioninstitute.org and madewithangus.com

An equitable relationship not only works in spatial-relational terms, as in the North-South divide, but it also must work in linear spaces between generations (see Magic 8 Ball above). There is still work to be done on the latter, so bring your heels or step tool to reach the seat at the table.

☐ Extra laptop charger 

 While you should not stop buying pants altogether, new diplomacy occurs in many more areas than just the analog negotiating table. The young diplomat should become familiar with the challenges of working in a virtual environment. 

Time zones, internet connectivity and conflicting schedules are just a few of the unavoidable barriers faced in the digital world, but more critically, digital diplomacy requires specific characteristics. The young diplomat needs to communicate their ideas (and objections) in the length of a tweet or a WhatsApp message, using the digital tools at their disposal. While this could mean simply creating a slideshow for a presentation, shining leadership is displayed most often in the form of online negotiations. Facilitating group discussions on complex issues will require extra battery life.

☐ Flashlight 

Frequently, especially in youth-centric virtual fora, the young diplomat will find themselves in the position where they are called on to lead the way on an initiative or project. In the case of the Y20, several policy tracks (working groups) must put forward recommendations to be negotiated by consensus and presented to the presiding nation's G20 Sherpa ahead of the Leaders' Summit. 

New diplomacy relies on a healthy dose of technical capacity and charismatic leadership to lobby for change in large groups while maintaining negotiations above your respective delegations’ red lines. However, the young diplomat must remember that just because they hold the flashlight, this does not give them the right to overtake perspectives and measures for equity within their spaces. Good leadership is transparent, honest, cards-on-the-table leadership.

☐ Pillow

New diplomacy does not have a bedtime because it happens worldwide at every moment. The spaces where negotiations and talks occur have widened in recent years to include considerations for the internet, which means less of a need to travel to destinations to make your voice heard. This might bring new voices and perspectives to the (virtual) table. However, there still might be an imbalance of the number of priorities resolved in the digital sphere against priorities reserved for in-person negotiations, like peace-building talks (as per the preferences of the old-school diplomatic communities).

The young diplomat should be prepared to bring a pillow to their posting as they should take the utmost precautions for self-care around the clock. Early hours, late nights and little sleep are just a few of the symptoms caused by virtual circumstances, even if the benefits of inclusion weigh heavier.

Items to leave behind: 

☒ Storybooks 

Our worldview is shaped by a dominant narrative. Most issues, especially in multilateral fora like the G20, will not be resolved with a dominant story. Instead, be open to understanding where your opinions come from, whether through a specific educational system promoting Eurocentric literature or from intrinsic elements like the values of your family and friends. 

Most importantly, if you find a storybook along the way, make a point to deconstruct and reflect on the parables in a public manner so that you might help your colleagues understand the fiction genre better.

☒ Calculator 

Similarly, not every issue will be quantifiable in the ways you can empirically understand. Complex cultural issues like immigration require more than so-called objective reasoning. A young diplomat might find themselves in a situation where the numbers do not match the right thing to do for your country or the global community (ahem, COP26).

Bon Voyage!

Your bags are packed, and you are on your way to your new diplomatic posting. Like all young people preparing themselves for a career in the foreign service, you might be wondering how your training complements a miscellaneous suitcase of Magic 8 Balls and sleeping equipment. I argue that we are at a tipping point where youth are now defining the spaces and places where diplomacy takes place and, thus, the reach and responsibility of nations to uphold social contracts with their own citizens and the global community. Youth are shaping diplomacy in the spaces and places where it occurs through their unique ability to adapt to the changing circumstances of multilateralism with an appreciation and requirement for equity and intergenerationality. 

Diplomacy will no longer be defined as the practice of state-building at the bilateral or multilateral level; instead, it will be defined as the individuals’ ability to make and keep promises at a larger scale to ensure the well-being of the future generation. Young people in diplomacy should become comfortable with questioning the hierarchies and structures that enforce the stories we hear every day. To accomplish this, the new generation of diplomats should certainly not pack lightly.