On 12 February 2009, Diplo and MEDAC held a Farewell Symposium for Prof. Dietrich Kappeler, retiring from his 50-year career as a practitioner and teacher of diplomacy. From Diplo’s early days, Prof. Kappeler worked together with Dr Jovan Kurbalija on its concept and development. Prior to his work with Diplo, Prof. Kappeler was a Swiss diplomat and the founding director of three diplomatic training institutions (Kenya, Cameroon and Malta). Discussion at the symposium addressed the theme of ‘Persuasion – The Essence of Diplomacy‘. The theme of persuasion in diplomacy was later tackled in a 2013 publication, in which distinguished experts and diplomatic practitioners discussed persuasion in history, theory, and practice.
