Dartmouth Diplomats on Diplomacy

In May a series of events and programs in Hanover celebrated the fifth anniversary of The John Sloan Dickey Endowment for International Understanding. One highlight was a speech by UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar, in which he called for the United States to recognize the need for solving global problems with multilateral approaches.

A second highlight was a panel comprising four alumni with considerable experience in foreign service. They were Ronald Spiers '48, above left, former ambassador to Turkey and Pakistan; David Hitchcock '50, former ambassador to Japan; Robert Barry '56, deputy director of Voice of America and a former ambassador; and Stephen Bosworth '61, above right, ambassador to the Philippines during the transition from Marcos to Aquino.

Their topic was "Revolution in Diplomacy: Representing U.S. interests in a changing world." Three of the four spoke along the same lines as the secretary general, focusing on how increased global interdependence requires actions and responses consistent with our role as one member in a family of nations. Diplomatically disagreeing, Ambassador Barry said that he sees no revolutionary change in foreign relations and suggested, rather, that consistency is necessary.

The lively discussion in Dartmouth Hall was attended by a capacity crowd.