What is diplomacy?
Or, should I say, what is the *purpose* of diplomacy?
Throughout my travels over the years, I have observed how the embassies of various countries interact with with local people and projects–and by the way, I am also referring to foreign embassies in the US–and how they are viewed by the general populace.
I mean, let’s face it, working in the diplomatic core is difficult and thankless, truly. In the US, one never hears about the diplomatic work in the news unless some disaster or tragedy occurs…and let’s be honest, most Americans can’t find France on the map (most can’t find Montana, either…) let alone the republics of Asia or Africa where much great diplomatic work is happening. We should be mindful and thankful of what they are doing.
That being said, my question is more to the nature of diplomacy and it’s eventual goal(s). What are we trying to do, or say, or teach them about us? How does it serve the greater good of both the host country and the interests of the country who establishes its presence?
Establishing presence, I think, is the core of my question. Many countries –the US in particular–are excellent at establishing presence. The US funds wonderful projects like English language courses, supports local arts and cultural projects, and give scholarships to deserving students for study in the US. Again, many people in the US have no idea that our diplomatic core does these things for the benefit of the local communities. All of the locations where I made outreach projects are supported by the US Embassy. Much good is being done, as I have written about recently.
I think the hardest part of diplomacy is, however, going beyond presence and moving to integration. Granted, this is hard. Integration occurs when cultures unite as partners and new paradigms of communication are established. This is very difficult in everyday diplomacy, but I think may be much easier if done through the arts where true cross-cultural collaboration can occur very naturally, organically.
Now, in my talks for the US Embassy, I always comment about the similarities between Tajik and Greek culture. The answer I always get is: “because of Alexander!”. Although, I must admit, in some of my West-Central Asian travels, Alexander (Iskandr) is not looked upon favorably…some folks hold a 2,300 year grudge….but, listen, the Greeks had the integration thing down to a science. They arrived in a region, took up the local customs and dress, but at the same time kept their own traditions. By doing that, they completely inteegrated the community into a little slice of Greece. This area where I am now was once the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. And you know, the Greek communities in the US function very much the same way. Connected yet separate.
And not to mention that Alexander’s wife was possibly a Tajik from the conquered Persian Empire…that’s integration, too…but I digress…
The integration I have seen most, of course, is the influence of music and arts. Tajik music comes from Persian music, but is also related to the music of India and Byzantium. There are also Turkic influences naturally from the region, and it can not be forgotten that the east of the country borders China. This is an area in the middle of the greatest of the ancient cultures. The Tajik culture is connected yet separate and unique.
Now is a time in history where countries–some new, some very old but newly established–are asserting their uniqueness because, well, they can. Forces that tried to wipe out individual cultures and languages are now gone (or going) and people from these regions are taking a new pride in who and what they are. This is most evident in the arts. Music and visual arts, both traditional an new, have reestablished themselves as the voice of those cultures.
My view is that artistic exchange and dialogue is the key to creating an integrated international community.
Today, I gave a talk for the US Embassy in the town of Faizobod, just east of Dushanbe, in an American Corner. Along with the usual English language students, they were also local traditional musicians. I played and talked about jazz, one of them played and talked about shashmaqam (Tajik traditional ceremonial music); we both complained about the rapidly dwindling audiences for our music and how students don’t know history (same everywhere, it seems). Then he taught me a traditional song, and we played together…then I taught him “Amazing Grace,” and we played it…both songs were played in our new, integrated style: not Tajik, not American, but something new…
My most hated phrase, as many of you know, is “music is the international language.” It most certainly is not! Every style, every tradition, has not only its own language or dialect but its own very important history. So no, we could not play each other’s music because we didn’t speak each other’s musical language. However, by listening to each other and making efforts to communicate, we were not only able to play together but played the music in an integrated style.
That’s diplomacy.
To answer my own question: the purpose of diplomacy is communication, and there is no better way to do that than the arts. This is the method to integration.
So, again, I must thank the US Embassy for the opportunity and platform to create integration and not only talk at these students about me, but create a dialogue where we are equal partners, learning from each other and creating a whole now mode of communication…
…and creating some really nice art in the process…
Until soon,
Demetrius