There are limits to diplomacy in that there will not always be an option that is possible for agreement between all nations for whom an issue affects. Religion is a major difference between different cultures and through-out history there have been hundreds of events and issues that have been caused by religion and people’s inability to live with each other’s different values. These issues have been solved for short periods of time by agreements but none of these solutions seem to be permanent. With each new generation these religious beliefs are reintroduced to a new generation of people. It seems that when economic times are good, people are more tolerant with each other, but when times get hard disagreements arise and become exaggerated. Sometimes the conflicts escalate into war. The world saw a great war caused by this unwillingness to live with people of different religions during the Crusades, when Christians invaded Islamic countries to “retake” what they viewed as a holy land that had been stolen from them. During this event no use of diplomacy could prevail.
Another issue that is now recognized globally but seems to have limits to diplomacy is the issue of gay rights. There have been new laws and regulations passed globally, but on this hugely controversial subject the world cannot seem to come to a final agreement. Because of its strong ties to religious beliefs, in many countries homosexuality is strongly forbidden. With it becoming more and more acceptable in the twenty-first century though, it is a highly discussed issue that continues to be contentious. With the views on this topic being so different between the major religions, there does not seem to be a way to come to a conclusion that fits within all religious views.
But while some issues cannot be solved diplomatically, all issues can still be dealt with in a diplomatic fashion. To keep a tense situation from spiraling into violence or war, diplomats must remain neutral and respect other’s views. In the Mideast today where governments have been trying to gain peace for many years, there are severe disagreements that continue to block the path to peace. Diplomats are working hard to build trust while at the same time protecting the values and economic and security needs of each Mideast country.The strong diplomatic efforts from both Arab and Israeli countries, and the help of large powers such as the U.S., have kept the doors open for communicating and negotiating areas of agreement to help protect the interests of all the countries. I believe this has prevented the Mideast situation from dissolving into a more violent conflict or even nuclear war.
A modern example of religious conflict that has proven to be difficult to solve diplomatically is the feuding between Jews and Muslims over Israel. Both religious groups feel strongly that the land is theirs, given to them by God and that the other religious group has no right to the land. Because both groups want entirely oppisite things, compromise is nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteReligious beliefs make diplomacy difficult, as shown through Nicole's example of the gay rights issue. Especially in our world today, it is difficult for countries to discuss these issues if their religious beliefs cause them to stand against gay rights: many other countries will see this as politically incorrect and backwards.
Diplomats do face the challange of remaining open-minded; they need to be careful so as not to offend other nations while at the same time holding their country's policy. I do not believe that diplomats need to remain neutral, although they do need to respect the opinions of others. Diplomacy is needed to peacefully show the rest of the world where a country stands on specific issues; if they remain neutral they cannot do this.
Religion can be an incredibly contentious subject. I think anyone would find it very hard if not impossible to count the number of wars that have been to a large extent caused or made worse by religion. The point I want to bring up though is that war can bring about more peaceful feelings. After the ravages of the Thirty Years' War where the population of Germany in some areas was reduced by as much as 30%, Europe for pretty much the first time since the Reformation found a time of peaceful coexistence between Protestants and Catholics. Particularly in the German states. Also it has been theorized by military historians that after the destructiveness of the Thirty Years' War. European powers became far more tame in their execution of warfare. There were established rules that monarchs and generals followed. Such as if a town become besieged they could either surrender immediately and suffer no worse consequences then quartering of troops, acquisition of supplies, and maybe a bit of looting here and there. Or if they didn't surrender; when the siege felled the walls the town would be ransacked and quite possibly burned to the ground. Admittedly it may not seem very tame but in comparison it was quite a change. Point being an issue that was seemingly unresolvable by diplomacy caused massive destructive warfare which then caused a more diplomatic and peaceful time in Europe.
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