A Conversation with Carnegie Ethics Fellow Josh Acosta

In this interview series, Carnegie Council editor Alex Woodson speaks with members of the second Carnegie Ethics Fellows cohort.

ALEX WOODSON: Was there a moment for you that made you interested in ethics in your professional or personal life? 

JOSH ACOSTA: Ethical frameworks are a necessary part of my field and even more broadly to my work in international affairs. Peace processes or mitigating conflict on a global scale is by no means linear nor straightforward. Accepting this and understanding the root causes of conflict starts with applied ethics. Confronting conflict is more than just a negotiation, it requires reflecting on the complexity of the international community and the variations of institutions whether democratic or non-democratic. So, I would say that for me, there wasn’t a particular moment that sparked an interest in ethics. Ethics has always been part of my journey and comes with the territory of peace and conflict studies. A lot of my professional life focuses on creating frameworks for democratization processes and furthering the purpose of international organizations.

Whether this is assessing democratization of the European Union or understanding the conditions for non-democratic regimes to form over time, each requires the toolbox of ethics to create long-term sustainable outcomes of key decision-making for global governance. As multilateralism fractures, it is necessary as a scholar/practitioner of international affairs and conflict analysis, to ensure that democratic institutions strengthen to avoid fragility. My journey at both the Carter School, George Mason University and here at Carnegie Council represents the intersection of creating dialogue that is committed to addressing the most difficult questions of the democratic process. As a result, ethics is an indispensable attribute and invaluable guide.

ALEX WOODSON: How did you find out about Carnegie Ethics Fellows? Why did you think it would be a good fit for you?

JOSH ACOSTA: So, this borrows from the first question regarding incorporating ethics into my professional journey because during my graduate studies at the Carter School I utilized the Council’s Ethics & International Affairs journal for my own research and analysis. The journal, and more broadly, the resources at the Council were truly insightful. Even now these resources still inform my work in my current role as a nonresident fellow at Mason. Throughout my graduate studies I focused specifically on democratic institutions and multilateral processes. Therefore, as I discovered, the Council’s own initiatives really do parallel peacebuilding/conflict analysis initiatives since both convene dialogues at the intersection of democracy, emerging technology, economic development, etc.

As a result of these converging interests between my own studies and the work at the Council, I spoke with Kevin Maloney who encouraged my participation in the Fellowship. Kevin and I discussed the concept of perspective and how complexity gets ignored and ethics overlooked due to the nature of conflict. With this, I knew that the Fellowship would be a good fit not just to mirror my own background but expand my analysis as well. The Council, at least to me, is not a place that ignores the unprecedented upheavals of conflict but instead catalyzes ethical solutions for global cooperation.

ALEX WOODSON: Discuss the impact that your mentors have had on you. Why are these relationships important for you?

JOSH ACOSTA: I would say first and foremost, I am grateful to have mentors who have provided instrumental advice for my own path in international affairs. Just to name a few, during my independent study work at the Carter School, Professor Paul Poast (University of Chicago) provided the foundation for my current interest in international security and alliances. Also, the Carter School’s own Professor Solon Simmons, who is a current co-researcher with me on various democracy and multilateral projects, provided the encouragement for me to elevate my own field.

Each mentor, mentioned in this profile or not, has provided something invaluable: Clarity. I think that mentorship is more than just a connection or generic advice. Mentorship is about encouraging discussion to find answers to some of the most difficult questions in the field. The most important impact of mentorship has been the foundation of respect and deliberation. For me, I find that policy debates get mired or hindered by a lack of respectful dialogue. As a result, deliberation is essential in the process of solving global problems. I am certainly learning from the very best in my field and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

ALEX WOODSON: In grad school, you’ve studied post-conflict reconstruction, mediation, and peacebuilding. How do you plan on putting this knowledge to use in the future? 

JOSH ACOSTA: These concepts are fairly foundational for my field and directly parallel my current work analyzing democratic institutions and peace processes. A lot of my research centers around examining the relationship between the processes of political and economic change and conflict. I am currently working on an initiative at Mason that involves assessing how regimes consolidate power and the democracy processes that are needed to negate autocratization. I will be utilizing my knowledge to create a framework for how established democratic institutions such as those found in the EU, can better protect the multilateral process from further fracturing. I will also be looking into democratic processes in Latin America to better understand the variations of democratic or non-democratic institutions. The goals being to understand what the future of international order will be and how democracies should adapt to hybrid regimes.

Beyond my current Fellowship roles and beyond the Carter School and Carnegie Council, I think it is essential to bridge the gap between scholarly work and policy. Mediation and peacebuilding require the intersection of multiple fields and embracing the challenges that follow. Given the clear link between international organizations and democracy processes it is essential to use my analysis to ensure that democratic resiliency exists at a time of crises and conflicts. I am also currently working with academics and practitioners throughout the international community to develop a new multilateral framework that doesn’t just react to conflicts but is resilient to the attacks on democratic norms.

ALEX WOODSON: After the first two modules, what have you learned from the other Fellows?

JOSH ACOSTA: Learning is a great word here to describe the dynamics of the Fellowship so far, but I would also add the word collaboration as well. I would say that we have all agreed to not shy away from difficult conversations or discussions. Each of us has a unique background and we help each other develop the foresight for incorporating new concepts for global cooperation that is cross-disciplinary in scope. Summarizing this collaboration into a couple of sentences would do a disservice to the Fellowship in general.

The environment created by Kathleen Egan and Brian Mateo (our program leadership) and the willingness of my cohort to share the implications of our work as a group is truly special. So, in my opinion even beyond learning, we have decided that as a cohort, whether we deliberate about the future of democracy, ethical perspectives of emerging tech, climate governance, etc. we will build an agenda of thought leadership that is needed in a fractured world.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit. The views expressed within this article are those of the Fellow and do not necessarily reflect the position of Carnegie Council.