Hillary Clinton's new position as secretary of state affords Ireland a unique opportunity to play a new role on the world stage. The success of the Irish peace process has deep resonance with the former first lady, who has repeatedly said that she continues to draw valuable lessons from the positive outcome.

No doubt an early visit to Ireland will reinforce this message. She may well seek to have the American government "bless" the protagonists and governments involved in the Irish peace process, and get them to play active roles in helping bring protagonists in other conflict situations get together. Taking calculated risks for peace was a feature of the old Bill Clinton foreign policy.

Clinton herself has cited the bold moves such as granting Gerry Adams a U.S. visa in the face of withering criticism as an example of how such a risk can pay off. In short, caution cannot always be the watchword when approaching conflict resolution. She is ready to apply other lessons learned during the Irish peace process negotiations too.

Among them is the successful use of U.S. special envoys to help resolve conflict, beginning with Senator George Mitchell but continuing through the Bush administration with Richard Haass, Mitchell Reiss and currently Paula Dobriansky.

Dobriansky's behind-the-scenes role in the recent deal between Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has not been much commented on, but according to several participants it was vital.

Clinton knows the Bush administration did not make use of such envoys in key trouble spots around the globe during his time in office. During her husband's administration such envoys were used far more widely, and often to great success. Special envoys have a broader remit and less official standings, which allows them to take chances.

In many cases economic special envoys can have profound impact on job creation and American investment, and they allow for a far more holistic approach to solving a problem.

Clinton also knows that her husband often cites the back channel meetings in Northern Ireland, which involved talking with the hard men on both sides, as necessary ingredients in creating a successful peace process. Northern Ireland, she says, is where she also learned that talking to sworn enemies is sometimes the only way forward.

She will also know that to conduct any successful diplomacy requires, at a minimum, that American is respected once again around the globe.

After years of rampant anti-Americanism abroad, she sees the urgency above all of restoring America's good name in the world.

Clinton will also use her incredible network of ethnic support in America to help smooth the way to conflict resolution.

During her campaign ethnic groups such as Irish American, Indian American, Pakistani and Turkish Americans flocked to her banner, giving her powerful leverage with such groups now that she is secretary of state. She could turn that support into a concrete diplomatic advantage.

Perhaps there is a place for talks between leaders of Irish America with Indian Americans, Pakistani Americans and Turkish Americans to recount how they achieved progress. Such ethnic support here for American policy can help shape reaction among leaders back in the homeland to a policy initiative.

For Clinton, her new position is part of a brave new world and a bright new challenge which has already re-energized her after the brutal campaign. We have no doubt that she will become an incredibly effective secretary of state.