Author’s Note: Welcome to the penultimate episode on our series on diplomacy! Be sure to reach out and let us know how you’ve found the podcast so far!
International relations and diplomacy can often appear to be a profession shrouded in mystery. It conjures up the image of secretive deals behind closed doors, the actions of a few impacting the outcomes for the many, and elitist networks typical of conferences such as the World Economic Forum.
My guest today brings an alternative look at diplomacy. Having been interviewed by MI6 and the BBC before a brief stint with the Rothschild bank, Dr Neville Stiles took his academic background in indigenous central American languages and left for Mexico. This started him on a lifelong journey crossing the boundary between academia and diplomacy.
Our conversation took us from his exciting background to his efforts to set up an Ango-Guatemalan Institute for Cultural Relations as well as how he navigated the contentions and difficulties of establishing a Guatemalan-Belize cultural exchange. Since then, his former students include ex-Defence, Foreign, and Prime Ministers of Guatemala and he now works with the Guatemalan Olympic Committee.
Spanning sports, academia, and diplomacy, Neville’s experience ends with an insight for anyone listening:
Have an adventure, enjoy what you’re doing, be confident, look for opportunities, and never give up.
Be sure to listen to the podcast, here.