INTERVIEWS
No decision is really made in isolation – diplomacy is essential
What do you see as the role of education in equipping future generations with diplomatic skills, and knowledge of when it’s appropriate to pursue conf lict as a means of resolution? Learning from history is really important; it helps us to understand the importance of culture, and to have respect for a multitude of backgrounds and beliefs. The diversity of viewpoints I experienced at Dulwich College certainly benefitted me. As a country, it is important to remain internationalist — to understand the importance of a connected society and a globalised community. No decision is really made in isolation, even though we may feel that it is. If education can help younger generations to understand that, then I think that the future is bright. Is conf lict inevitable, and can it ever be the best means of resolution? No, I don’t think it’s inevitable at all. The most important thing is bilateral engagement — diplomacy is essential. Conf lict won’t help achieve longer-term objectives, I don’t think. There are certainly other ways to resolve differences, and that’s the most important thing for everyone to be aware of. Conf lict should never be the primary means by which we solve our, or other people’s problems. Unfortunately, there is something within human nature which can propel us towards violence if left unchecked, but it can be avoided.
the objective was to send in a few thousand troops to deal with the very specific threats of Taliban resurgence in a couple of district centres in Afghanistan; the common perception was that there was no longer-term plan for how to proceed after the involvement — no end game. But when I joined the army in 2009, and certainly by the time I was involved in the campaign in 2012, there was very much a sense that it wasn’t about having soldiers on the ground, and getting into firefights with insurgents, it was about helping to reconstruct an entire province, and to build facilities for people who have never had access to some very basic amenities, and whose personal security had never been actually assured. So, in answer to your question, it is absolutely essential that when you engage in a conf lict, you need to know what your objectives are, but you also need to know that when those objectives are achieved, how are we going to withdraw ourselves, and what is our ongoing presence and involvement going to look like, because there is no simple black and white solution. When a particular phase in our involvement in a particular part of the world is over, we have to know what the next phase looks like, and have a plan to ensure that any intervention we have ends up with a positive outcome.
When you engage in a conflict, you need to know what your objectives are
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