Micro-Diplomacy: The Quiet Power of Student Ambassadorship

We generally associate the word diplomacy with world leaders in suits, fancy peace treaties and large international gatherings. International relations are often seen as a high-level affair that takes place only within the walls of large government buildings, embassies, and parliamentary sessions. We regard it as a business which is only for highly experienced politicians and officials. In order to have a real comprehension of one another within countries only the formal laws are not enough but it is also necessary to have the common people.

After I moved out of my nation to pursue my higher education, my thoughts shifted. I discovered that diplomacy is best achieved not at the great political summits. It occurs in hallways of students’ dorms, around a stove in a communal kitchen and a classroom full of international students.

Being an international student is a lesson in micro diplomacy every day. I was sharing my daily life closely with Tajikistani and Sri Lankan roommates. Our room filled with the laughter of friends from Madagascar, Fiji, South Africa, and North Africa. We came from different parts of the world, and had different prayers, languages and backgrounds. We were all homesick, stressed out about exams and the chores of academic evolutions. None of us were native English speakers. Some of us struggled to find the right words, and others struggled to understand the accent. But over time, words weren’t even necessary.

After a while I began to grasp the fact – what was really a matter of diplomacy was not the political role assigned but the art of interpersonal relations. A diplomat in practice is very emotionally intelligent, s/he listens more, thinks less, and waits more to respond than s/he thinks to assert. They are flexible enough to fit into a variety of work cultures and new surroundings, and don’t seek to control the discussion but instead embrace opposing points of view. In the end, this becomes a diplomacy that is more than a function of institutions, it becomes a tool of leadership and working together.

I didn’t pass the hard Government test to become a diplomat. I felt like one just by sharing common classroom and hallway. A student kitchen is similar to a miniature Parliament. You need to share the refrigerator space, establish quiet hours when someone is having an exam and respect other cooking preferences and religious rules. Every day we practiced the fundamental principles of international peace and we also spoke of our countries’ trade and friendship. Politicians in parliaments may argue and get bogged down in borders and legislation, but youth from ten countries were able to live a peaceful life being kind and making small compromises. I feel the world needs the same understanding and friendship today.

Representing Nepal to International friends 

After a while in a foreign country, you realize that you are the face of your country. You’re Nepal to your friends. I was now a walking embassy and I didn’t take that lightly. As part of the cultural days in our university, I never missed the opportunity to represent my home. I stood graced with my traditional Nepali dress and danced on stage with the culture dance. I demonstrated the hospitality of Nepal in my deeds. When I went to college, wearing a ‘Lachha’, making Nepali dish for friends, the moment  became so important to me.

When I was standing with my roommate from Tajikistan or my friend from Madagascar, in our traditional attire, it was a beautiful moment. It wasn’t all about performance, it was how we were expressing who we are.

There is a language that everyone understands and it is the language of food. Cooking authentic Nepalese food for my Indian hosts, my roommates from Sri Lanka and Tajikistan and my friends from Madagascar and Africa was indeed a joy to me. I experienced something I would never trade for anything. Watching diverse group of youths from all over the world sitting together, laughing and enjoying a meal prepared with Nepali recipe made me emotional and gave me something to cherish forever.

No longer did we see each other through the distinct pattern of own countries or from the the prism of international politics. Meanwhile, The gap between us was lost and we grew as a family. Our little apartment was a quiet successful model of a united globe.

These friendships has created a connection which will last beyond distance and time. My friends from various continents will always have the memories of Nepal with great love in their hearts even after the time of our college days has past by long time. My country’s traditions became ingrained in their minds through the taste of our food and the stories about our traditions, and the kindness we shared.

We showed that our national differences are not meant for us to be divisive. Rather, they can bring us joy and we can focus on making a harmonious global family; one meal, one open heart and one friendship at a time.

We international students may not yet trot down the corridors of ministries of Foreign Affairs with official diplomatic passports in hand as yet. But we have already learned the most significant rules of world politics. We opened our hearts, proving that national boundaries mean very little when human connection takes over.