About the talk:

Former diplomat Charles Crawford talks about the physics of diplomacy, where velocity and mass can both be used to express power, and the implications for international relations of the world heading towards an “Age of Smaller, Faster-moving Things”.

Charles joined the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1979. He served in communist Yugoslavia (1981-84); as FCO Speech-writer (1984-87); in South Africa as apartheid ended (1987-91); and in Moscow after the USSR collapsed (1991-96). He was British Ambassador in Sarajevo after the conflict (1996-98); in Belgrade after the fall of Milosevic (2001-03); and in Warsaw (2003-07).

During his FCO career Charles contributed to speeches by members of the Royal Family, Prime Ministers and different Ministers. His work was praised at high levels in London, NATO and the European Union (“fabulously readable and interesting analysis … acrobatic and eye-catching use of language”).

Charles left the FCO in 2007 and is now a consultant and qualified Mediator. His website www.charlescrawford.biz was a Top 20 UK Libertarian Blog in the 2008/2009 Total Politics surveys.

Recorded during: TEDxKraków 2010

Original subtitles: Krystian Aparta

Translated by: Agnieszka Jędrzejczyk (reviewed by Krystian Aparta)