Multi-track Diplomacy

Multi-track Diplomacy

The term multi track diplomacy evolved over a 10 year period. Mr. Joseph Montville, US foreign service officer coined the phrase “Track Two Diplomacy” in an article he wrote for “Foreign Policy” magazine in (Winter 1981-1982). Track one, as he described it, was government to government interaction in the field of foreign affairs. Track two dealt with all actions by non-state actors in the field of foreign affairs.

US Ambassador John W. McDonald, a colleague of Joseph Montville, wrote the first book on citizen diplomacy entitled Conflict Resolution: Track Two Diplomacy published by The Department of State May 1987 (Library of Congress Number 86-600-538)

In 1989 McDonald expanded the two tracks to five tracks which included business, people to people interaction and the media. This article was published as a chapter in Timing and De-escalation of International Conflict by Louis Kriesberg and Stuart J Thorson (Syracuse University Press, 1991) and as Occasional Paper 3 Further Exploration of Track Two Diplomacy by The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy in November 1999.

In 1991 the United State Institute of Peace awarded a $25,000 grant for further research on the topic. Louise Diamond and John W. McDonald extended the five tracks to nine tracks and renamed the discipline multi-track diplomacy. The book Multi-Track Diplomacy, A Systems Approach to Peace was first published by the Iowa Peace Institute in 1991 and by The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy in 1992. In 1996 a third edition was published by Kumarian Press, Inc. (ISBN 1-56549-057-6)

On May 26, 1992 the articles of incorporation were filed in Washington D.C. for The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy by cofounders; John W. McDonald, Ambassador (ret.) and Louise Diamond Ph.D. The Institute received its 501(c)(3) status by the IRS as a non-profit organization later in the year. John W. McDonald, Chairman and CEO of the Institute stated that this book was the basis for their operations and the core for their logo design.

Nine Tracks of Diplomacy in logo

The nine tracks of diplomacy as mentioned on "Multi-Track Diplomacy, A Systems Approach to Peace" are:

• Track 1 – Government
• Track 2 – Nongovernment/Professional
• Track 3 – Business, or Peacemaking through Commerce.
• Track 4 – Private Citizen, or Peacemaking through Personal Involvement.
• Track 5 – Research, Training, and Education
• Track 6 – Activism, or Peacemaking through Advocacy
• Track 7 – Religion, or Peacemaking through Faith in action.
• Track 8 – Funding, or Peacemaking through Providing Resources.
• Track 9 – Communications and the Media, or Peacemaking through Information