Breakthrough Diplomacy
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It is widely believed that diplomatic solutions have great limitations. When government officials talk about very serious challenges or threats, we have many times heard comments such as, "We intend to negotiate with our adversary but force will remain on the table. Whether such comments are designed to intimidate or not, it is obvious that faith in diplomacy is limited. So why is that the case? One obvious explanation is that most serious conflicts are not settled diplomatically. If they were, there would be very few wars. This goes to these next two next questions, why has diplomacy not prevented many armed conflcts? Why haven't governments been able to attain the level of cooperation needed for so many security, humanitarian or environmental challenges? Many people in and out of government see adversaries as unreasonable, self-serving, deceptive, greedy, power hungry, brutal, radical or politically compromised. Thus, they are convinced that people like that are not likely to be influenced or in many cases will not negotiate in earnest for mutual gain. Some believe that man is a inherently violent and thus there will always be war .If that isn't a recipe for future trouble, I don't know what is! Few consider the possibility that failed diplomatic efforts to prevent or settle conflicts or other challenges may have a lot to do with the awareness of those pursuing cooperation from their adversaries. Breakthroughs are possible when what has been overlooked is recognized. Can officials effectively negotiate and communicate if they have interpreted the intentions of adversaries in a negative way? What if the adversary thinks the same way? Doesn't conflict often come down to the "Who is right and who is wrong game? Solving a conflict of any kind is extremely difficult if one's view is negative or one believes the other is the problem. A doctor cannot cure a patient until he is aware of all the symptoms. A lawyer cannot win a case if he is not aware of all the facts. A foreign policymaker also cannot prevent or resolve a conflict without knowing ALL the facts. This goes to the reason why so many highly skilled and experienced officials the world over are not solving numerous security threats, humanitarian and environmental challenges. They are often assuming they have all the facts, the "right" assessments and know what needs to be done. Yet, the problems persist with a huge cost in lives lost, massive human suffering and trillions in lost treasure with few concrete results.. So that's the bad news. The good news is that unknown to most officials in governments, there is a way to dramatically expand their ability to identify all the facts they need to formulate and effectively implement solutions that will resolve the challenges they have. Since the 1970s innovative services have been researched and developed that have sourced unprecedented breakthrough results throughout the private/corporate sector. One of the key components is a process that expands conscious awareness beyond existing levels. Another important component is an extremely effective form of communication training. The utilization of such resources proven in the private sector can produce breakthroughs in every conceivable national, regional and international challenge. |