Ethical Dilemmas and the Practice of Diplomacy - Softcover

Ray, Charles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1546722688 ISBN 13: 9781546722687

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017

Synopsis

Acting in an ethical manner is not always about obeying the rules and not doing anything illegal. Ethical dilemmas occur when there is a conflict of values between two courses of action, both of which are legal. A practitioner, with decades of experience, explores this thorny issue as it pertains to America's diplomats in a time of moral uncertainty and ethical ambiguity.

About this title

About the Author:

Charles Ray was an American diplomat for 30 years, after first serving 20 years in the US Army. He has been an ambassador twice (Cambodia and Zimbabwe), and was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs. In 1998, he became the first American consul general in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam.

Review:

Ray's observations offer asuccinct road map to help these good people avoid making bad choices. Heemploys excellent practical examples with just the right focus on the positiveaspects of ethics and he helps the reader by providing thought provokingdiscussion questions. Ray concludes with important recommendations forinstitutional changes that would provide diplomats with more support and bettertools to handle ethical dilemmas.  Moreover,it is an enjoyable read that will help to equip our diplomatic corps forsuccess in today's turbulent world.   - Ambassador (retired) Ruth A. Davis, former Director-General of the U.S. Foreign Service (from her foreword to the book).

 "Moral courage often requires decisions in absolute cold blood and often alone.  There is a lot of time to reflect on the consequences to one's career and family.  And so many flinch. Reading this book made me reflect that while I deeply believe in this aspect of professionalism it is not something that I have ever seen discussed in formal training or professional education." -- AmbassadorRonald E. Neumann (retired), President, American Academy of Diplomacy.

"It addresses that gaping hole in diplomatic training and studies. I've long considered that diplomats have a moral obligation to insert themselves in the policy debate, especially if they consider something's amiss with State Department instructions. While the State Department's Dissent Channel has its many problems, not least that it's under-deployed, our Service is fortunate to have it." --  Robert William Dry, MA JD, Foreign Service (retired), Adj. Professor, Diplomatic Studies Program, International Relations, NYU.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1546722688
• ISBN 13: 9781546722687
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 92