The SAIS Foreign Policy Institute presents a discussion with Ambassador Chas Freeman (USFS, Ret.) led by Dr. Daniel Serwer on Recovering Diplomatic Agility
How does diplomacy further American foreign policy goals around the world and what should its role be in our increasingly connected and social global society? What tools are currently being utilized in American foreign diplomacy? What tools should be?
Ambassador Freeman is a senior fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. He was Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 1993-94. He served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1986-1989 and U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1989-1992. Chas Freeman served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires in the American embassies at both Bangkok (1984-1986) and Beijing (1981-1984). He was Director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 1979-1981. Ambassador Freeman was also the principal American interpreter during the late President Nixon’s path-breaking visit to China in 1972.
Dr. Serwer is Director of the Conflict Management program at SAIS. As vice president of the Centers of Innovation at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Dr. Serwer led teams working on rule of law, peacebuilding, religion, economics, media, technology, security sector governance and gender. He was also vice president for peace and stability operations at USIP, overseeing its peacebuilding work in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Iraq and Sudan and serving as executive director of the Hamilton/Baker Iraq Study Group. Prior to USIP, Dr. Serwer was in the U.S. Foreign Service for 21 years serving in Rome as deputy chief of mission and charge' d'affaires, as well as in Brasilia.