Swiss-Iranian Diplomacy Training Program Overcame Obstacles

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As an American-Swiss citizen, the author recounts a story of successful negotiations he had with the Iranian government several years ago to bring young Iranian diplomats to Geneva for an intensive two-week diplomatic training program. The program, called the Swiss International Relations University Seminar (SIRUS), was a collaboration between the author, the Swiss government, and Iranian officials, and included lectures, tours, and negotiations to overcome challenges like the inclusion of female participants and an Iranian "controller" to monitor the activities.

Why it matters

The story highlights the potential for successful diplomatic engagement between nations with tense relations, as well as the role Switzerland can play as a neutral intermediary. It also provides insight into the complexities of negotiating cross-cultural programs and the need to navigate political sensitivities.

The details

The author, who worked at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, proposed the idea of bringing young Iranian diplomats to Switzerland for training in 1999. After months of negotiations with Swiss and Iranian officials, they agreed on a program that would include 15 participants, with 4-5 being women, and an Iranian "controller" to monitor the activities. The author gave a lecture at an Iranian think tank in Tehran to select the participants based on observation rather than interviews, a compromise that satisfied both sides. The program itself was considered a success, with the author later invited back to Iran to give another lecture.

• In 1999, the author proposed the idea of bringing young Iranian diplomats to Switzerland for training.
• Over the next five months in 1999, the author made several visits to Bern to negotiate with Swiss and Iranian representatives.
• The Swiss International Relations University Seminar (SIRUS) program took place in Switzerland.
• Several months after the course, the author was invited back to Iran to give a lecture at the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS).

What they’re saying

What’s next

The author has had no further contact with the participants of the diplomatic training program, but the incident of his missing phone during a later visit to Iran remains a vivid memory, highlighting the complexities of cross-cultural diplomacy.