Foreign Policy Matters: How Diplomacy Impacts Americans

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Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Duckenfield launches the Foreign Policy Matters initiative along with Dr. Carla Freeman and me.

“Foreign Policy” – the term itself sounds like an intangible, rigid set of rules and regulations by which governments, ambassadors, and other high-level officials abide. Distant and far removed from everyday life, and sometimes, foreign policy can seem to be just that – especially with the closed door discussions that characterize much of the field. At best, the public only sees these high-level diplomatic meetings, summits, and conferences in the media; at worst, they see cocktail receptions and junkets. Regardless, they very rarely feel as if they participate directly. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth....

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Springing Into Service

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Meridian Intern Tessa Trach went on a service-based spring break to Huntington, WV.

Huntington, West Virginia is not a city I imagined myself visiting. But I embraced the opportunity when I traveled with the University of Maryland’s Alternative Breaks program during my spring break. The trip focused on childhood nutrition and wellness and I saw firsthand the economic disparities in West Virginia. Nutrition isn’t simply in the food choices you make. Environment and economic status contribute greatly to the issue too. It’s time to recognize the causes and start taking action. I can honestly say that I gained more from a week in West Virginia than I imagined. Immersed in the community...

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The “Spark” of Euromaidan and Meridian

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Mr. Mustafa Nayyem receiving the 2014 Ion Rațiu Democracy Award at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies.

When I meet international visitors, most of which are participating in one of Meridian’s exchange programs, I often talk about the impact of these exchanges on the lives and careers of previous participants. I often mention Meridian alumni who went on to shine in the global spotlight. Some are very well-known: Nicolas Sarkozy, Mikhail Saakashvili, Romano Prodi, Hamid Karzai, Margaret Thatcher. A few are better known locally: Alvaro Arzu Irigoyen, President of Guatemala, Norovyn Altankhuyag, Prime Minister of Mongolia, Egypt’s former President Anwar Sadat, Finland’s current President, Sauli Niinisto, or Ehud Olmert, former Prime Minister of Israel. In total, some 168 current or former heads of state have stepped through Meridian’s doors mostly as participants in the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program.

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