The Diplomatic Kaleidoscope: A Reflection of Inclusivity

The conference, to be held on April 11, 2018, at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, is a unique event that encourages a comprehensive dialogue between experienced diplomats, young professionals, and students about key topics in diplomacy.

​This year’s conference, “The Diplomatic Kaleidoscope: A Reflection of Inclusivity,” aims to create an engaging dialogue about the challenges and opportunities of the increasingly inclusive diplomatic sphere and equip aspiring diplomats with the practical knowledge and skills to create a positive impact within this arena. 

9:15 - 9:30: Opening Ceremony

• Remarks:

  • Ms. Jacqueline Coté, Director of Public Relations at IHEID

  • Mr. Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and co-founder of the International Gender Champion

9:30 - 11:00: PANEL: The Power of Women In Diplomacy
This panel will focus on the increasing role of women in diplomatic efforts around the world. Panelists will draw from their experiences to share their perspectives on the need to highlight gender in diplomacy.

• Moderator:  

  • ​Dr. Claire Somerville, Executive Director of the Gender Centre and visiting lecturer at IHEID

• Panelists:

  • H.E. Rosemary McCarney, Canadian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva ​and International Gender Champion

  • Ms. Caitlin Kraft-Buchman, Executive Director of Women @ The Table and co-founder of the International Gender Champion

11:00 - 11:30: Coffee and Networking

11:30 - 13:00: PANEL: The Evolution of Diplomacy: The Case for Inclusivity
This panel will explore the greater inclusion of diverse actors in diplomacy. Panelists will discuss their views on the challenges and opportunities posed by the increasingly inclusive diplomatic sphere.  

• Moderator:

  • Mr. Eckhard Volkmann, Deputy Director of Inclusive Peace & Transition Initiative 

• ​Panelists:

  • H.E. Valentin Zellweger, Head of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva and International Gender Champion

  • Ms. Christina Buchhold, Project Manager of the Oslo Forum for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

  • Mr. Paul Whiteway, London Director of Independent Diplomat 

13:00 - 14:15: Lunch Break

14:15 - 16:00: Workshop Sessions 
Participants will have the option of participating in one of three skills-based workshops facilitated in collaboration with our partner institutions.

• ​What's at Stake in a National Dialogue?: Inclusive Peace & Transition Initiative

  • ​National Dialogues provide a broad, inclusive, and participatory official negotiation format for resolving political crises and steering countries towards political transitions. Although there have been numerous National Dialogues over the past 25 years, undertaken in a variety of political contexts and environments, the international mediation and peacebuilding community is yet to fully grasp the functioning, relevance, and effectiveness of these fora for managing political transitions and building sustainable peace. This workshop will simulate the process design for a National Dialogue to better understand the factors and circumstances that govern whether they reach sustainable outcomes. 

• Mediation and Civil Society – The Case of Syria: Swisspeace

  • ​In this workshop, participants will learn more about the basic concepts of peace mediation as a tool for conflict resolution through an interactive “stop-and-go”-exercise on the case of Syria.

• Diplomatic Protocol in the Digital Era: DiploFoundation

  • ​Protocol rules are the result of a long evolution of traditions and ceremonial procedures. The Internet has changed the context in which protocol is practiced and the emergence of new communication tools raise multiple questions concerning protocol and etiquette in the diplomatic environment. An important feature of the Internet is that it never forgets. The workshop aims at considering to what extent diplomats’ engagement on social media impacts upon their official posting in foreign countries. In particular, the session will answer the following questions: ‘How have the new communication tools impacted protocol, and has the informality of online communications affected the rules?’.

16:00 - 16:15: Closing Ceremony

16:15 - 17:00: Coffee and Networking

Stay tuned for more information to come: follow the event on Facebook!