The ID team was very pleased this year that “Independent Diplomacy” was recognized by the Harvard Business Review as one of the top ten breakthrough ideas of 2010.
Our premise was straightforward: as globalization puts all of us at the whim of forces that do not recognize traditional geopolitical borders, the power of states is in decline and the power of non-state political actors is rising.
This phenonenom directly challenges the underpinnings of organizations like the UN Security Council, which was created in 1945 to deal with conflict between states. Today, over three-quarters of the Council’s agenda involves non-state actors like guerrilla groups, separatists, and other similar entities.
But we have few tools to understand and effectively deal with this shifting dynamic. Independent Diplomat attempts to respond directly to this seismic shift in global affairs, shifts that are rapidly rendering traditional models obsolete.
When we share the idea of ID we never claim the concept of independent diplomacy is a perfect solution, but it is a necessary part.
The piece is available by subscription or through purchase on the HBR website.
http://hbr.org/2010/01/the-hbr-list-breakthrough-ideas-for-2010/ar/1