Former Romanian president Emil Constantinescu advocates a change in the way that countries negotiate with one another. Constantinescu hopes that a “soft power” approach will become a hallmark of 21st century diplomacy, but he is not idealistic enough to believe that it will completely replace traditional methods. He explains that a culture of increased understanding would not only spread peace, but bring people to the realization that they have more in common than they may think. Constantinescu believes that those individuals dying today for freedom in the Middle East and North Africa are not unlike those who sacrificed their lives to free Romania from the Soviet Union. Ultimately, Constantinescu sees faith as the “highest common denominator” between all people striving for peace.
