Multi-Track Diplomacy

Video Transcription

Hi, I'm Julie Tietz, and welcome to Conflict Resolution-- Putting the Pieces Together. Today, we're going to talk about multi-track diplomacy as a means of international conflict resolution.

So in multi-track diplomacy, it really began in the early 1980s and was first called track II diplomacy. So in track II diplomacy, we are really looking at the international conflict resolution sphere that involves non-governmental or non-state actors.

So people that are not official representatives of a specific government, but are coming into the conflict as an intervener to come and help the parties or the country that is in this international conflict.

And there's also a track I diplomacy. That is a more official means of diplomacy that involves governmental and state actors. So official representatives of a specific government going in to have some diplomatic or diplomacy actions to formulate or work on relationships between specific countries.

So or over time, multi-track diplomacy, or track II diplomacy, began to add additional tracks. So we are looking at businesses and citizens and research and training institutions, as well as activists and religious groups, funders, and even the media being involved in this multi-track concept in diplomatic efforts to really work on resolving international conflicts. And so here we are not looking at specific governmental or nongovernmental actions, but really looking at all sectors of society rather that are important in resolving international conflict.

So some of the goals that are involved in multi-track diplomacy include, again, involvement from all sectors. And we believe or it believes that sectors of society really have influence on relations with each other. And so we need to involve everyone in the process here.

And in doing so, we want to share our conflict resolution language. So we want to do some training so everybody knows what we're talking about in conflict resolution and include them in dialogue and peace-building efforts. And in doing so, we hope or we believe that it will prevent future conflicts and hopefully end violent conflict.

And so how are we going to reach these goals in multi-track diplomacy? Well, we're going to have to have some diplomatic actions that occur. And those include forming relationships. And these are personal and professional across national boundaries. So we want to go in on a more personal level rather than as a whole nation or a specific government.

And we also really want to understand each side's perspective in the conflict. So really taking their point of view and living in their shoes. And in doing so, we can have a better perspective and a more holistic outlook on the conflict that is going on in each side's views and perspectives.

And also, we want to develop joint strategies for solving the conflict. So again, in looking at both sides' perspectives, we can see what they want. And we can take both sides into consideration to come up with joint problem-solving solutions.

And finally, we want to shape public opinion. And really, we want to work towards giving the public the correct information so we can change their hearts and minds on the nature of the conflict and really endorse those nonviolent resolutions. And once the public grasps onto that, hopefully we can have a ripple effect in coming through and resolving the conflict at hand.

And so one of the ways in which multi-track diplomacy has worked is through truth and reconciliation commissions. And so in truth and reconciliation commissions, we're having a commission come in at the end of a conflict to really uncover the past wrongs and injustices and hear the truth from the people.

And they are set up to decide what is going to be the proper course of action for these injustices. And in some cases, even really bad human rights violations that have occurred, these parties receive impunity. And that's how this truth and reconciliation commission works.

Not everybody is going to get the biggest punishment. That's not the intention of it. It's really uncovering and revealing the truth and having victims' space to let everybody know or let the country and even the world know at times what happened. And in doing so, they can uncover the harms and really work towards healing and moving forward as a nation and a country that can work and live together.

We also see reparations as a way in which we can utilize multi-track diplomacy. And reparations could be through financial means, so giving money to the victims of a specific conflict.

Or we have also seen it through structural means. So rebuilding infrastructure in a country that has been torn by conflict and war.

Another way is through a memorialization. So maybe giving a specific monument or a space for victims of the conflict and family members to remember the conflict and a specific event. Or maybe even giving a specific day out of the year that everyone can remember the events of the conflict.

And also, we see it through intergroup contact programs. And we see this a lot with youth and summer camps. So getting youth from both sides of the conflict to interact with each other and get to know one another and really see that there are people involved in this conflict. And even though we may have some differences, we really have a lot of similarities as well. And in doing so, we can help prevent future conflicts.

And a great example of this is in South Africa where they have the Truth and Reconciliation Commission once apartheid ended. So each side had the opportunity to bring forth the injustices that have occurred against them and have the commission decide the appropriate means of action, whether that's punishment. Or even immunity is granted to some parties that haven't really believed that they did something wrong and worked through the issues there. So the country could unify and come out together stronger as a new nation with new values and beliefs that they can live by in the future.

So let's look at our key points here on multi-track diplomacy. Multi-track diplomacy originally began in the 1980s and was referred to as track II diplomacy that involved nongovernmental conflict resolution professionals coming in to an international conflict to intervene and work through the conflict.

And there's also a track I diplomacy that's involved as well. And that's more formal international diplomatic relations and negotiations. And over time, more tracks have been added. So we now include businesses and citizens and media and funders to be involved in these diplomatic and conflict resolution processes.

And multi-track diplomacy believes that all sectors of society are important and should be involved, and have influence on resolving the conflict. And it can be pursued in various ways, such as we looked at truth and reconciliation commissions in the example of South Africa, or reparations, memorializations, and intergroup contact programs.

Here are your key terms here before we go. Feel free to pause and look at them a little closer. I am going to move on to another slide.

Thank you so much for taking the time out to view this. I hope you've learned something. And I can't wait to catch you again next time.