Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

Private efforts to resolve international sectarian and ethnic disputes have given rise to the concept of "citizen diplomacy." Known to foreign service personnel and private practitioners as "Track Two" diplomacy, the trend has recently gained momentum while official, "Track One" diplomats continue to work within the confines of government policy directives.

The author, a former U.S. career diplomat, outlines a program of preparation and self-evaluation for the aspiring Track Two practitioner. Among the many recommendations are that the practitioner have institutional backing, expert knowledge of the dispute and alternative dispute resolution, and an understanding that for a private initiative to be successful, at some point it must gain access to the first track. The author takes the position that practitioners in both tracks can work together to their mutual advantage.