Review of the book “The Third Dimension Policy Prism – Insight into Global, Regional and National Challenges” authored by Ambassador Ghulam Rasool Baloch
Ambassador M. Alam Brohi
The Third Dimension Policy Prism
Published by Legacy Books
Karachi
I looked critically at “The Third Dimension Policy Prism – Insight into Global, Regional and National Challenges” from practically all angles including the themes chosen for articles – very current and under constant and persistent debate and analytical exercise all over the world – and too important to be ignored in Pakistan by scholars of international relations, the arguments advanced to draw convincing conclusions, and suggestions made to address challenges stemming from the fast changing geopolitical and geostrategic dynamics at the regional and global levels and above all, the careful selection of words and phrases to elaborate complex and enigmatically entangled international issues. A commendable task done with a sense of perfection by an expert of the subject and a skillful writer. The author Ambassador Ghulam Rasool Baloch appears to have this qualification and caliber.
I found the book highly insightful. No doubt, we can disagree with the author’s views but could not deny him the credit of his scholarly approach, intellectual hard work, and thorough analysis of the international and regional issues with far reaching consequences for smaller countries like his own land, and the international peace and security – critically significant for the human fraternity.
Ambassador Ghulam Rasool Baloch has served in various positions in our Missions abroad and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for over three decades. As a good and knowledgeable diplomat, he never severed his bond with books and pen. Like most of diplomats, he also developed a natural and keen interest in matters of greater importance to the international community that aspires peace and harmony in this planet. Diplomats have a difficult task to perform in foreign countries, and foreign cultures. They pick up rainbow colors from their interaction with the citizens of the country of their accreditation, and their colleagues in the diplomatic community. At the end of their tenures, they move to another country and keep on adding to their rainbow colors.
Thus, all diplomats tend to harbor a sense of international citizenship with a faith in internationalism, humanism and human fraternity. Ambassador Baloch has not been an exception to this stimuli. This has shaped his views on international issues and turned him into a thorough thinker of – and a prolific writer – on International issues that could contribute to promoting peace, security and harmony in this world – being the common home of the human community notwithstanding its division into sovereign nations and states.
The Third Dimension Policy Prism is his second book on international affairs. His first book ‘Duty to Pen’ was compiled a few years ago. The book was well received among diplomats, teachers and students of international relations which, most probably, motivated him to restart writing on his favorite subjects. He churned out a substantial number of articles in a year or so to compile a highly commendable anthology. So, here we have a significantly researched, well-argued and well written collection of essays contained in his Third Dimension Policy Prism for readers, researchers, teachers, and students. It is an interesting and insightful read.
Keeping in view the convenience of his readers, Ambassador Ghulam Rasool Baloch has broadly divided the book of over 400 pages into five chapters – The South Asian Region, The Middle Eastern Region, The Global Powers, The Global Politics and finally the Academic and Social Issues confronting his dear country. He has categorized and put together all the relevant essays under above chapters.
Just a glance at the contents gives us an idea about the scope and reach of the book dealing separately with the issues of concern to South Asian, and the Middle Eastern regions, the competition and confrontation among Global Powers at the global level and in different regions, the currents, cross currents and undercurrents of global politics posing perennial threats to the international order and involving smaller countries as pawns.
Ambassador Baloch has not been oblivious to the challenges and issues confronting his dear land. However, he has carefully kept clear of the polemics or the touchy political and economic controversies surrounding the hazy horizon of Pakistan.
This is not a book dealing with one chosen subject researching and making references to already published works of scholars to prove one’s point of view or reach a scientific conclusion as in all science subjects or in social sciences. However, the anthologies based on essays and columns written with scholarly grit, understanding and knowledge stimulate streams of thought and advance convincing lines of argument that prognosticate the future course of competitions, confrontations and conflicts in the global and regional affairs – if the circumstances and conditions surrounding the conflicting interests remain constant.
Based on such analytical assumptions are the theories of Thucydides’ Trap, Clash of Civilizations, Deterrence of Mutual Annihilations, Balance of power, Power Equilibrium between States, Practical significance of the Westphalia treaties determining the principles of state sovereignty, and equality of states that shaped the modern international relations. Later, these were re-enforced by the Non-aligned Principles adopted in Bandung Conference held in April 1955.
Following the current trend of competition and confrontation between the powerful countries, one can confidently claim that the scenario of the international relations in the coming two decades will be shaped by the level of understanding or the intensity of confrontation between the USA and the Republic of China.
I believe that my batch mate and former Interim Foreign Minister – Jalil Abbas Jilani has done justice to the book by inviting the readers to see the world politics not as a contest between states or major powers alone, but as a moral enterprise shaped by human choices. Ambassador Baloch navigates seamlessly through continents dealing with multiple crises – from South Asia’s struggle with ideological nationalism to the Middle East’s perpetual search for justice; from the shifting equilibrium of Eurasia to the rise of new economic and technological multi-centers. Each essay offers a prism through which the reader can gauge both the complexity of the events and the undying human aspiration for peace and security.
As rightly said by the author that the twenty first century has confronted the international community with great paradoxes. The nations have witnessed an age of unparalleled technological advancement, yet they face growing moral decay; they have conquered distances but failed to bridge divisions. In such a world, the objective, disciplined and humane analysis is more than an intellectual exercise. It is a social service rendered to the international community piercing into the darkness spread by falsehood, misinformation, propaganda, narrow nationalism, ideological prejudices and populism.
And Ambassador G.R. Baloch has rendered this social service to his readers within his country and beyond. More power to his pen.
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The author is a former member of the Foreign Service of Pakistan and has served as Ambassador for seven years.
