How Independent can a Diplomat Be?

'Who are those diplomats, with their mannerism and void language to ask for money and status, when all they do is to provide vague information, late while asking constantly for non-reaction in the name of undefined diplomatic interests?' I've been faced way too often with this attitude of decision makers during my short but eventful diplomatic career. 

More than once I hated their disregard/arrogant attitude towards anyone outside their 'unaccountable elite', their lack - to be read refuse sometimes - of response to requests coming outside their establishment. I never wanted to be a diplomat myself and was always happy for cutting short a professional intermezzo that was nothing than an impressive line added to my CV.

However, my interest in things regarding international diplomacy remains and I keep reading accounts about diplomatic issues, with the interest of someone that succeeded to be inside, even for a short - but intensive - amount of time. I am particularly interested in independent, eventually critical perspectives though which are realistically outlining the constraints and challenges of diplomacy.

A former diplomat, with experience in both the bilateral and the multilateral field on behalf of the Foreign Service, Carne Ross offers in Independent Diplomat. Disparches from an Unaccountable Elite a realistic - cynical even - overview of what does it mean the diplomatic service.  Founder of the Independent Group, a diplomatic advisory group, the first such nonprofit, Ross spent 15 years in the British Diplomatic Corps. He noticed the disfunctionalities and myopies of the political and diplomatic elites in dramatic situations such as the wars in former Yugoslavia or the case for WMD in Iraq. 

Through personal examples and experiences, he explains how exactly the 'diplomatic mind' operates and why it is so limited in fact when it comes to grasping complex realities - 'we', the countrymen might not have any interested in getting involved in that; it is no time to waste reading about complex geopolitical realities; often diplomats are reporting about realities they acknowledge via the local media; they may just not speak the local language and don't go out of their cubicle. The realities are described in a caricatural simplistic way and tragically, some may take decisions based on such evaluations.

It is nothing to do about it, but at least this book helps to better understand the mechanisms of denial.

However, when it comes to the chances of an 'independent diplomat' to operate outside the system I am sure that more than offering advice and consulting is not possible. The system will exist as long as states will exist. It is important though to keep reminding how diplomacy really works sometimes and offer an alternative to the extremely simplified version of the reality it offers.

The Internet! It's a Trap!

Indeed, the Internet can be a trap, especially when it comes to people that were born in the 2.0 years, without a prior knowledge of how the world used to look like when Google was just an utopic nightmare. As a journalist and academic in the training, I remember the good old days when I had to go to the library to read books early in the morning for preparing the background of an article. Or, when I had to use my paper files for checking facts and figures about a specific topic.

My life today is much easier and writing an article takes significantly less time, but on the other other hand, without a prior mental preparation about what really counts and what are the most reliable sources of information. I remember the horrific reaction of an academic friend of mine fighting to convince his students that Wikipedia is NEVER a source of academic reference for an academic paper or article. And the examples can continue.

Ashesh Mukherjee is using an academic tone and analysis for listing the most important challenges of our everyday life and development represented by the Internet perspective. What I highly appreciated was the balanced style and analytic skills, after having the misfortune of dealing with way too many academic books in German by German authors where the Internet was ostracized and considered an obvious casus belli for many society and educational ills. 

In reality, the online life might be a cause of distress and existential problems, but especially when most of the problems are already there. For instance, if someone already suffer of a serious mental disability he or she will rather suffer when using Internet unguided for doing, for example, unlimited online shopping. There are many people who instead of going to a reliable source of authority of information, are using an informal mediums because they have their own fears and obsessions in relation with thouse sources. And the examples can continue.

The Internet Trap is a reliable source of information for anyone looking to better understand the impact of 2.0 in our everyday life, without panic and hysterical approaches, but through an analytic and realistic approach. A recommended read to any academic researcher in contemporary issues and, especially, online realms.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Advice for a debt-free graduation

Living and studying in Europe my whole life, I ignored for a long time the fact that education can be a very problematic investment and burden. When talking with my American academic friends, they often mention that even after 10 years, they still have to pay or find solutions for paying an impressive college debt. As for me, I went from college to MA and after that, PhD studies, without paying any dime. Just because high education was free, unless I wanted to enroll to some private academic classes, which I didn't. I used to work since 18 and was independent financially since, but I still think that an eventual college financial burden would have dramatically affect my life.

Hopefully, there are more and more books lately aimed to help parents and children navigate the troubled waters of high education in the US. Kristina Ellis, herself a beneficiary of impressive scholarships, is sharing her experience and knowledge in a very systematic and practical way.

'Think of paying for college as a marathon. By maintaining a steady stride between spending and saving, you can make it through each leg of the race and cross the finish line, graduating debt free'. Usually, the average costs for attending college per year can go around 19,500$, for in state, and $44,000 private.

First and foremost, the potential college candidate should start working towards the goal as early as possible. Starting to make a plan, for instance, by creating a budget and starting to save, using the power of compound interest or earning as many credits in advance as possible.

Second, it is important to be informed and in this advanced Internet era, everything is much easier than before. For instance, you do not need to go in person at the college tours, and use instead the virtual presentation. It could be a significant source of financial relief. Information is gold also when it comes to the decision to go to college as such. The potential student should start asking as many questions as possible in order to figure out if this college and no other is answering his or her academic needs and professional plans. 

The application process can be expensive too, as it involves passing various tests and acquiring documents proving the conformity to the academic standards expected from a potential student.  

When it comes to applying for scholarships or federal loans - such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid -, the process should be started as early as possible, taking into consideration all the documentation requirements and criteria necessary. 

With a lot of work and careful preparation, the application can be accepted or various alternatives used in order to eliminate or diminish significantly the financial burden. Otherwise, students are adviced how to find ways to start paying the debt even from the first year of college, by taking side jobs or building their own freelance business. Such an approach can be very helpful for the next professional steps, due to the acquired experience and the practice of work ethics. 

Although with a clear readers target, the North American students, or anyone interested to apply at an an American college, this book is also useful for those without the need to worry about college loans, but that can learn a lot about how to plan the academic and professional career as early in life as possible.

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher via NetGalley.

The turning point of campus politics

After the last year racial unrest in US and Canadian universities, it seems that it was about time to start a larger discussion about the successes and failures of campus politics. Aimed to explain the current state of the art of academia beyond the high walls of universities, Campus Politics aims and succeeds to offer a balanced perspective on what was wrong and right with the philosophy that structured the campus everyday life in the last decades. 

In a way I was expecting more boldness in approaching strategies such as the downsides of 'political corectness' and left wing mindsets, but this is not the purpose of the book. Instead, it offers a basis for serious discussions, and possible reconsiderations in the future. First, you need to know the terms and conditions and the reality. For instance, contrary to the stereotype, there are more conservative teachers and students in the North American universities than expected, which can explain how, in fact, the 'politically corect' approach was not that successful, despite the predominance of this discourse in the public space. 

Many terms, such as freedom of speech - which isn't 'a license for professors to do whatever they want' - are sometimes misused and misunderstood, ant the race and gender equality is still an aim. In a way, academia is only one of the many environments a person is part thereof during a lifespan and as long as the other segments of the society ignore the need to consider seriously their admission and acceptance policies, universities are not (the only) responsible for the failure. 

Another merit of the book is to take into consideration the 'very hard to understand world' shaped by the challenges taking place after 9/11, and also mentions the anti-Israel bias that can be encountered in many high-end academic circles. 

As everything is in the making right now, with an unknown outcome, there is the responsibility of the students to offer a different approach. Instead of requesting the administration to take the needed measures, better they try to request and fight directly for their rights. 

Written in a very analytical way - without trying to be apologetical or over-critical, with many information about the history of campus politics, the book is a recommended read to both academics and students, and anyone interested to understand the current academic challenges in the USA. 

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange of an honest review