Statecraft, or the art of conducting a state's affairs with other states, is as old as human civilization. So too is diplomacy, the form statecraft takes in time of peace.

In this comprehensive treatment, distinguished diplomat Chas Freeman describes the fundamental principles of the art of statecraft and the craft of diplomacy. The book draws on the author's years of experience as a practicing diplomat but also his extensive reading of the histories of ancient India, China, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, and the Islamic world as well as modern Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Among numerous other subjects, the book addresses the role of intelligence, political actions, cultural influence, economic measures, and military power, as well as diplomatic strategy and tactics, negotiation, and the tasks and skills of diplomacy.

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South Sudanese Diaspora Leaders at USIP Consider Online Speech Concerns

South Sudanese Diaspora Leaders at USIP Consider Online Speech Concerns

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

By: USIP Staff

Members of the South Sudanese diaspora gathered at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) last week to explore ways of fostering their national unity, supporting peace efforts in a conflict with tribal dimensions and countering online speech that disparages people of other tribes.

Type: Analysis

Potential Colombia Peace Pact Will Be Only the Beginning

Potential Colombia Peace Pact Will Be Only the Beginning

Friday, January 31, 2014

By: Virginia M. Bouvier;  Viola Gienger;  Virginia M. Bouvier

Half of all peace agreements break down in the first five years after they are signed. That’s a sobering prospect that means U.S. support will be just as important even if an accord is reached in negotiations underway between the government of Colombia and the FARC guerrillas.

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NATO’s Balancing Act

NATO’s Balancing Act

Friday, January 17, 2014

NATO's Balancing Act evaluates the alliance’s performance of its three core tasks—collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security—and reviews its members’ efforts to achieve the right balance among them. Yost considers NATO's role in the evolving global security environment and its implications for collective defense and crisis management in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Africa, Libya, and elsewhere.

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Considering the Lessons of Mandela’s Legacy and South Africa’s Reconciliation

Considering the Lessons of Mandela’s Legacy and South Africa’s Reconciliation

Thursday, January 16, 2014

By: USIP Staff

Though the politics and causes of conflicts differ significantly, the experience of South Africa’s peaceful, negotiated turn from racial apartheid to democratic majority rule suggests that a few principles exemplified by the late Nelson Mandela’s leadership are broadly applicable to other conflicts with hardened divisions, according to former participants in the South African transformation who gathered this week at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).

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Conflict Analysis & PreventionMediation, Negotiation & Dialogue

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