Promotes mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries and international organizations around the world. This work requires support of U.S. diplomats and other personnel at home and abroad who make it a reality.
Diplomacy is the scaled-up version of human communities learning to navigate shared existence – whether it’s neighbors sharing a garden, tribes negotiating hunting grounds, or global governance institutions. These interactions, while influenced by politics — such as the power dynamics of alliances and deterrence – are driven by a basic need for connection beyond immediate borders.
In its most classic form, diplomacy involves two sovereign nations establishing diplomatic relations with each other. This is the foundation for building coalitions of interests in multilateral forums, laying the groundwork for global stability and security.
Diplomatic relations are largely conducted through negotiation, a process in which both sides ask for more than they expect to receive and compromise to reach an agreement. The goal of a successful negotiation is that both sides leave the table with something they can live with. Diplomats are expected to be able to negotiate, even under stressful conditions, and to do so with integrity and fairness.
Despite the protocol, ornate settings, and public perception of high stakes in diplomatic relationships, the core of a diplomat’s job is to build a relationship of trust between two individuals. Strip away the ceremonial, and you discover ambassadors, envoys, and negotiators are humans with families, hopes, and concerns. Their interactions are shaped by culture and history, and even psychology – the dynamics of perception and trust, the challenge of cooperation versus competition.
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