At the Inaugural Dialogue of Diplomatist@30, held at the New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM) on 21 January, Ambassador Venu Rajamony, Former Ambassador of India to the Netherlands, addressed an audience of diplomats, scholars, practitioners and students.
Recalling Steve Jobs’ celebrated Stanford commencement address, he cited the line “stay hungry, stay foolish” as a call to risk-taking rather than romantic idealism. Without the willingness to appear foolish, he argued, bold decisions and genuine innovation become impossible.
Planet, People, Peace and Prosperity: An Interlinked Crisis
The Ambassador structured his reflections around the four pillars that framed the dialogue—Planet, People, Peace and Prosperity—arguing that they are not separate policy domains but parts of a single, interconnected crisis. The failure to recognise this interdependence, he suggested, lies at the heart of much of today’s global instability.
On climate change, Ambassador Rajamony warned that the crisis is no longer theoretical. It is a lived reality, particularly for countries like India. Extreme weather events, erratic rainfall, floods, droughts and rising sea levels are already reshaping societies and economies.
Drawing from personal experience, he spoke of Kochi in Kerala, where rising sea levels threaten coastal communities, and of the ecological fragility of the Western Ghats, where intense rainfall has led to deadly landslides. The tragedy of climate change, he argued, is not a lack of scientific knowledge but political indifference at the highest levels of power—a condition that future generations must resolve to challenge.
People and the Ethics of Human Security
Turning to the human dimension, Ambassador Rajamony highlighted the growing pressure on human security worldwide. Inequality has deepened, social mobility has weakened, and rapid technological change has created anxiety alongside opportunity. Migration driven by conflict, climate stress and economic despair has increasingly been treated as a political problem rather than a humanitarian responsibility.
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s ethical guidance, he reminded the audience that every decision must be measured against its impact on the most vulnerable. “Think of the poorest and weakest person you have seen,” Gandhi had said, “and ask whether your action will make a difference to them.” That principle, the Ambassador emphasised, must remain the moral compass of public life.
Peace, Conflict and the Diminishing Space for Diplomacy
On peace and security, Ambassador Rajamony painted a sobering picture. Armed conflicts persist across regions, great-power rivalry has returned, arms-control frameworks are under strain, and violations of international humanitarian law are increasingly normalised.
From Gaza to Ukraine, he noted, violence has become prolonged and routinised. Global assessments indicate that the number of active conflicts worldwide is at its highest level in decades, involving a growing number of states either directly or indirectly. In such an environment, the United Nations has struggled to prevent or contain wars.
“When war becomes routine,” he warned, “diplomacy becomes optional”—a condition he described as profoundly dangerous for the international system.
Prosperity Without Justice
While acknowledging that global wealth has increased, including in India, Ambassador Rajamony cautioned that inequality has grown even faster. Economic shocks now travel more quickly than institutional responses, while the mechanisms designed to ensure stability have weakened.
“Prosperity without inclusion breeds resentment,” he observed. “Prosperity without sustainability destroys itself.” Without fairness and long-term vision, economic growth risks becoming a source of instability rather than cohesion.
The Erosion of Multilateralism
A central concern running through the address was the erosion of multilateralism and the weakening of confidence in global dialogue. Institutions created after the Second World War, grounded in the belief that global problems require collective solutions, are increasingly under strain.
When international rules cease to bind the powerful, Ambassador Rajamony warned, they cease to protect anyone—particularly smaller and more vulnerable countries. In such circumstances, dialogue initiatives like Diplomatist@30 become not optional, but essential.
India, the Global South and a Roadmap for Dialogue
Despite the challenges, Ambassador Rajamony struck a cautiously hopeful note. He argued that India and the Global South possess a unique responsibility and opportunity to keep dialogue alive. India’s relevance, he suggested, lies not only in its size or economic growth, but in its strategic autonomy, credibility across divides, and long-standing commitment to inclusive multilateralism.
Rebuilding faith in multilateral institutions, strengthening meaningful South–South cooperation, advancing climate justice through trust and technology, and reclaiming dialogue as a strategic choice were all identified as critical steps forward. In a polarised world, countries that can speak to all sides, he argued, will matter most.
Diplomacy as an Act of Hope
In closing, Ambassador Rajamony returned to the theme of individual courage, drawing inspiration from Václav Havel’s The Power of the Powerless. Change, he reflected, often begins when a single individual chooses to act differently, to question imposed narratives, and to insist on justice.
“Diplomacy,” he concluded, “is not an event. It is a continuous act of repair.” In an age marked by fear and fragmentation, diplomacy remains an act of hope—one that, when backed by courage and resolve, can still shape history.
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