Legislators seeking diplomacy training

A few legislators want to be sure they and their colleagues are familiar with the ways of the world whenever they participate in trade missions or whenever foreign dignitaries visit Utah.

Several members of the Legislature's Utah International Trade Commission on Tuesday recalled awkward moments — from handling toasts to meeting complete strangers — during international diplomatic or trade events, and the commission's co-chairmen suggested that training, information databases and coordination with certain organizations could alleviate those troubles.

Lew Cramer, chief executive officer of the Utah World Trade Center, said he and trade representatives at the Governor's Office of Economic Development could provide training and preparation for legislators.

Saying that "the most important part of business is the last three feet, actually meeting and greeting and talking with folks," Cramer said elected officials serve as a "powerful statement" and should play a key role in meeting with international dignitaries.

"I personally believe that every legislator ought to go — ought to be required to go — on a foreign trip every year, even if it's just to Mexico or Canada," he said. "I think that we need in this country and in this state to have our eyes open to the competitive challenges we're facing and our posterity is going to face if we're not prepared with training, with outreach, with databases, the other kinds of tools that are there to allow us to be competitive."

The trade center and GOED are familiar with various countries, have printed materials about them, and are willing to help legislators, he said.

"We have resources, we have tools, we have capacity to be helpful," Cramer said. "We just need to work together in a more effective way to take advantage of those competitive advantages that we have. ... We should never have a meeting with a foreign visitor without a purpose and the preparation."

Commission co-chairmen Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, and Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, suggested diplomacy training occur during new-legislator orientation and/or periodically.

Cramer said he could present brief sessions about Mexico, Canada, China and India — countries of emphasis for Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. — and suggested role-playing activities to familiarize legislators with proper protocols in various nations. Lawmakers also should become familiar with other local organizations that could serve as resources for information.