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Yakhya Seck
Deby Dizi
UWRT 1103
8 December 2015
Final Draft EIP Essay Assignment
My topic is about Diplomacy and diplomats career paths. Since I was very young I was impressed and
attracted to the Diplomacy. In 1998 a bomb went off at the U.S. Embassy in Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania killing
11 people. Around the same time, a huge explosion tore through the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. I
remember watching the broadcast in live television. The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) lists
eight people as having died in the attack on its memorial remembering Americans who died while serving the
U.S. government abroad in a foreign affairs capacity. Twelve Americans total were killed, stated CNN (Greg
Botelho). Besides the American diplomats killed, the same source informed that more than 200 people total
were killed in the attack, in addition to more than 4,000 wounded. This sad event scared me for a while and
made me rethink about being a diplomat in the future. I always thought that Embassies were a safe and secure
places. I was young and didnt know much about the job. Since then, I started reading more about the topic. I
remember reading regularly the French magazine, Le Monde Diplomatique that gave more insight on diplomat
career. I become really curious about everything evolving around this career path, from watching documentary
to the news.
The work that has been done by diplomats affects the whole country they represent and sometimes the
World. As a reporter, I had my first meetings with American diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Senegal. From
them, and through my previous studies, I started learning about the role American diplomacy had played in
ending the Cold War, avoiding a nuclear war against USSR and how it was helping the former communist
countries of Central and Eastern Europe to transition to democracy and market economy. Eventually, my
interest in diplomacy and international affairs led me to transfer to UNCC as an International Studies major. The
work of American diplomats serves not only the national interest of the United States, but also the advancement
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of humanity. For this reason, I think that we should care about diplomacy. Also, it is well known that diplomacy
is the last resource before countries go to war. It has prevented through history tremendous conflicts that would
for sure led to numerous causalities in human life and the environment. Overall, American diplomacy has a real
and lasting impact on millions of people across the globe daily. It affects the everyday lives of Americans,
including their safety, their ability to travel and communicate with people around the World, their employment
and overall prosperity.
Among all the sources I came across during my research, there was very interesting ones, but I think that
Ben Scott in its article People Matter made a significant contribution to the conversation. New revolutions
making it easier to move around the world will also change diplomacy. Global migration will continue. In the
coming decades, wars, climate change, water shortages, and the shifting availability of natural resources will
put more people in motion, stated Ben Scott. He also thinks that diplomacy will be central with these changes
and it will be more challenging for States, as more people will be moving more frequently. In his opinion,
bureaucracy will always plays its role to handle these issues and technological innovation wont be sufficient
enough to handle such issues. He believes that the people who make the decisions will continue to sit down
together and make them around a table in discussions. This article showed me that I did not have to fear about
the extinction or the disappearance of the diplomacy career in the future. It highlighted the fact that new
technological innovations wont replace diplomats; people will always want to talk together to solve their
issues.
My other sources raised different questions. I was wondering about how to become a successful
Diplomat besides being experienced. Therefore, Robert D. Blackwell in his text gave me fifteen characteristics
that are fundamental for successful diplomats. It really gave me another eye in this profession. I know now that
it is a very demanding job that requires long hours of hard work.
Jake Nolds article showed me another aspect of Diplomacy. It is not only negotiation around the table;
Diplomacy can be approached in different ways. Music, and specifically Jazz, is a perfect illustration.
My next article, written by Jovan Kurbalija, is relevant to my topic. Knowing that diplomats have to be
reassigned every couple years, I was wondering if I have to move with my wife. How could she keep a job
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while I dont have that problem? This really highlighted one of the main issues relevant to the contemporary
role of diplomatic spouses.
My last source helped me apprehend what my family may go through as far as schooling or frequent
assignments in different countries. Peter Van Buren wrote it.
I already know that passing the test to become a diplomat is not an easy task. It is very long and demanding. It
worries me less. My main concern was how to become a successful diplomat. Thats why I think that by giving
out fifteen characteristics that are fundamental for successful diplomats, Robert D. Blackwill, caught my
attention. I do believe that I am a leader and I think that every job I apply for I am really interesting about a
career plan so I can grow within the organization. There is a career path within the State Department, but it
would be better to be more explicit on it so that new hires and candidates have a clear view of the options at
their disposal. It can be confusing sometimes.
The discoveries I made about my topic raise my awareness. My research will help me avoid in the future
any kind of bad surprises. It was not completely clear in my mind what diplomats do every day in hundreds of
embassies and consulates around the globe, when they do not host visiting dignitaries or participate in highstake negotiations. Now I know that the State Department has a human level and a lifestyle that affect its
members and their families. I remain curious about the criteria that the State Department based its judgment to
assign diplomats either in war zone or peaceful areas. I would like also to know more about how diplomats
proceed with non-state actors. Knowing that the US does not negotiate with terrorists, are diplomats prepared to
do so, if the countrys policy changes?

Works Cited
Blackwill, Robert D. Ideal Qualities of a Successful Diplomat. Paper, Belfer Center for Science and

International Affairs, October 17, 2013.

Nold, Jake. "The Unifying Power of Jazz." Diplomaticourier 17 Nov. 2015: n. pag. Print.
Kurbalija, Jovan. "From Parallel to Dual Careers: Diplomatic Spouses." Modern Diplomacy. Malta:

Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies, U of Malta, 1998.

Scott, Ben. People Matter. European Magazine 04 Jan. 2013: 17 Nov. 2015
Van Buren, Peter. "'Should I Join the U.S. Foreign Service?'" Www.huffingtonpost.com. N.p. , 7 Oct.
2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com>.
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