Lynessa Griffith, Diplomat and Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of Grenada to the Russian Federation
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CV in brief
Education: Certificate in International Relations, Russian Foreign Policy, Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia
Previous Work: Sustainable Development Movement Ambassador at Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (Current), English Language Teacher at Vikiland Family Club, Customer Service Representative at CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, Grenada’s Youth Ambassador at the 2008 Beijing Olmypic Games.
Languages: Russian, English, French
Date of interview: August 25, 2021
Exclusive interview by: Isabelle Ng
In this interview, she shares why "It’s helpful if you view networking as making a work friend" and how this approach has been pivotal to her career in foreign policy.
Can you describe your current role at the Embassy of Grenada, and what a typical day looks like for you?
The Embassy of Grenada in Moscow, Russia is the diplomatic mission which represents Grenada in the Russian Federation and the CIS, protecting the interests of Grenada and its nationals. As the only fully diplomatic mission of a member of CARICOM we also assist Caribbean nationals.
As a cultural attaché at the Embassy of Grenada to the Russian Federation, my first role is to actively promote Grenada’s culture. I host events and attend diplomatic forums and workshops. Because we are a small mission, I also handle administrative duties, press releases, and sometimes social media content on Facebook and Instagram.
Can you tell us about the moment you decided you had an interest and passion in foreign affairs?
I would say it really started when I represented my country in 2008 at the Beijing Olympic Games. I was a youth ambassador at the games and was one of the two ambassadors representing Grenada. I was exposed to ‘Olympism,’ which is a philosophy of life, and it was there that I truly found this niche for sharing my culture and history, and at the same time, a niche for understanding and accepting other people’s cultures. I just thought, “wow, I actually love sharing and learning,” and it’s something that came to me naturally. I love meeting new people and learning new things, and I have a love for culture. At the Games, I met people from over 200 different Olympic Committees, and I remember thinking, “what an amazing network to have, I can learn so much here.” I enjoyed every single second of it and I realized I wanted to do something similar in the future. That’s where it started, as a teenager and a youth ambassador at the Olympic Games.
That’s such an interesting and formative opportunity, and very relevant to current events since the Olympics were just held. What role do you think sport plays in foreign policy, gender equality, and human rights?
Firstly, in terms of foreign affairs and policy, sport events can be the meeting ground for world leaders to unofficially discuss pressing global issues. I remember seeing a few world leaders at the Olympics in 2008 and imagining the conversations that they were going to have over a cup of coffee. How amazing is that? Sporting events also provide us with a look into the host country and its people. For example, if you look at the opening and closing ceremonies in Japan, we learned so much about its history, culture, and traditions. It was absolutely amazing and is just one of the things that sports do! I may not have known much about Japan and its people before, but thanks to the Olympics, now I know about their way of life, some of their traditions, and some of their musical instruments. I found all those things to be very interesting.
Sports create a common ground amongst nations. It’s that one place where we all meet and we’re all just there for the sports, but it can be used for other things as well. The other part of it is that as an athlete, you are supposed to show good sportsmanship. As a competitor, you’re supposed to treat your opponents with dignity. If you instill a lot of these values, and this way of life from a very young age, can you imagine when that child grows up to be a world leader, how that would affect them? This is how sports helps as well. For a lot of sports, the pinnacle is the Olympics, but as I’ve said many times, the Olympics are not just about the events. You have Olympic values, excellence, friendship, and respect, and if you grow up incorporating those values in every single thing you do, we might have a better future to look forward to.
Also, in the English speaking Caribbean countries we have the West Indies cricket team that represents the whole region. Although we all come from different independent nations, we play this particular sport under one flag and one anthem. This reflects the similarities in our cultures and our shared history, and has proven to be a strong bond uniting the region.
I love that answer because I think a lot of people view foreign policy as something that is carried out only in official rooms and buildings, and people might view it as very inaccessible. But, through the Olympics as you presented it, we can all experience a little piece of foreign policy and see how wide its reach is, so I think that’s incredibly fascinating.
You completed your bachelor’s degree in Russian at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. Where did this interest in Russia come from?
It wasn’t that I wanted to go to Russia exactly, but more that I wanted to experience a country out of my reach. I had applied to many places, to China, Russia, and the U.S., and I received a merit-based scholarship from the government of Grenada and the government of the Russian Federation. I was one of the few Grenadian students who travelled to Russia to study. I spent less than a year in an intensive Russian language course, then I spent the next four years completing my degree.
Your bachelor’s degree was in psychology. For someone who wants to pivot into foreign policy from an undergraduate degree that isn’t politics or international relations, what advice do you have?
My first advice would be to learn a foreign language. Almost everyone in the Foreign Service knows at least two languages or more. Sometimes, I meet ambassadors who can speak six languages. Secondly, try to network with people who work in the field. I attend forums and workshops. You should try to volunteer and reach out. See what’s happening in your community or in the foreign place that you are living in. You can search online to gain experience, it doesn’t necessarily have to be with an embassy; there are a lot of NGOs out there where you can network, as well. Also, there are free courses online that give you a taste of global diplomacy and international relations; it doesn’t have to be a master’s or bachelor’s. Workshops and courses can also allow you to gain that knowledge. If, and when the opportunity arises, you want to be prepared as much as you can.
How do you feel your degree in psychology continues to inform your work today?
My degree in psychology allows me to better understand both the inner workings of the human mind, and the relationships between different people with diverse backgrounds and unique personal stories. I am building on this knowledge to come to new insights about the relationships between countries and governments, and not just individual people. It also helps me personally in terms of being tolerant and accepting that we are all different. We cannot all be the same. Understanding cultural differences is a huge part of diplomacy because what may be considered disrespectful or rude in your country is not in someone else’s, and cultural psychology plays a big role in understanding this.
You also did a two-week course at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. How did you come across this opportunity and what are some resources that would be helpful for students to find similar opportunities?
The Russian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers a course on Russian foreign policy and international relations for diplomats. Most of those diplomats are ones who have just started their posts in Russia. I think it is an important course because if you are here to develop a bilateral relationship between the host country and your country, you need to understand the ways and norms of the country you are in. You need to understand their rules and laws and know their history and culture. I thought it was a very informative course, in that it wasn’t just teaching you about foreign relations, but also history, culture, and traditions. This is what they offered to diplomats, and that’s how that opportunity came up.
In terms of advice, there are online platforms that offer courses like this. I would suggest doing research and finding a short course or non-accredited course and work your way from there.
There’s this idea that the only road to diplomacy is being appointed to a post, taking a foreign service exam, or completing a Master of International Relations or some related field. Your journey shows that there are many paths to getting the practical experience that you need to work in the field. Would you expand on how you got this practical experience outside of taking a more conventional path?
As a student, I would always assist my embassy in whatever they were doing, as long as I had the time. I would network and reach out to the Ambassador, and I would be proactive. If I knew our Independence Day was coming up, I would reach out and enquire about the planning for Independence and ask if I could work together with the Embassy on it. When I knew the anniversary of the Embassy was coming up, I would reach out again and ask what I could do and ask if they needed help with anything. I think it’s about being proactive and creating an avenue for yourself, especially if you are from a smaller country where you don’t have a lot of citizens in that host country. Most likely, those embassies will need help. I’m not sure about bigger countries, but I know for smaller embassies, it tends to be difficult for them in a host country where they don’t have a lot of citizens. Reach out and network and try to gain knowledge outside of a Master’s degree. Any opportunity you get, make the most out of it. You have to grab life by the horns!
Networking is obviously a huge part of the job and diplomacy in general, but many students see networking as a very abstract process, sometimes scary and confusing. Do you have any advice on making the process more accessible?
Firstly, I would say that who you know is just as important as what you know. In any given profession, it could be diplomacy, it could be management, it could be human resources, it is important to create and sustain networks that are mutually beneficial. Of course, in a diplomatic context it can be more serious, but in any given situation, it is important. And yes, networking has always been the core of diplomatic work, but I view it as an art. It’s important to look at it as just making friends, but in a professional setting. So, for example, it’s important to not be shy. If you go to a food festival, and you are buying some food and the person next to you is buying the same thing, you can ask if they’re trying it for the first time, and you make a friend. Networking is the same thing, but the setting is different. Never be afraid to introduce and reintroduce yourself. A lot of people see networking as a one-off thing, and that’s it. Sometimes, it takes five times of meeting the same person to create that network. You cannot be afraid to reintroduce yourself, and that’s to me, the most important part. Don’t be afraid to start a conversation and develop that relationship. I know with diplomacy you have your business cards, but chances are that person has your business card, but they forget about you. So, guess what? You talk to them, and you hopefully see them again, then you can reintroduce yourself and remind them of the conversation you had from the last time you created that foundational relationship. It’s helpful if you view networking as making a work friend.
What are some encouraging words that you have for women who are just starting out and looking to enter the diplomacy and foreign policy fields?
I don’t want to sound cliché, but honestly, never give up. I cannot stress this enough. We have to remember that for many years, diplomacy has been a male dominated field. In some countries, women were not allowed to be diplomats, or when they were allowed to be diplomats, they were not allowed to be married, etc. But the times are changing; more and more women are getting into diplomacy. The majority of Grenada’s ambassadors are women. Times are changing and we need to embrace the change. I always think that it’s important to stay true to yourself and not lose your way. Diplomacy isn’t always scary, sometimes it can be fancy events, but it’s important to remember your purpose of why you are here, and what goals you are trying to achieve. Also, not everyone’s going to get posted to “nice, sunny countries”. Some postings are way harder than others. So, it’s not always going to be easy. That’s why I say don’t ever give up, don’t lose yourself along the way, and stay true to yourself.
