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Americans for Informed Democracy


GLOBAL AFFAIRS RETREATS
Students and scholars meet in Europe’s cities to turn up the dialogue and raise awareness on the world’s most pressing issues

By Marissa Lowman

Studying abroad has become a way to foster dialogue between different cultures. Even students who do not consider themselves political often face difficult questions from foreigners while they are abroad. According to Stephanie Mott, global activities director of Americans for Informed Democracy (AID), “Being abroad as an American at this particular time is a political experience. People always seem to have questions…[regardless of] whether you’re a political scientist. It brings people together.”

While most Americans are open to teaching foreigners about their culture, few consider using their newfound knowledge and experiences abroad to benefit other Americans. AID, a non-partisan group, is working to change this phenomenon by helping American students bring what they have learned from studying abroad back to their communities. This student-run non-profit seeks to increase global awareness by inspiring young people to take active roles in contemporary politics. AID members, most of whom are college students or recent graduates, have organized town hall panels, videoconferences, and leadership retreats at more than 100 college campuses in the U.S., as well as abroad. Panelists, who are often leading scholars, journalists, and political activists, engage students and community members in thought-provoking discussions. Each series of events has a specific focus, such as U.S.-Islamic relations, the aftermath of the tsunami, and U.S. aid in Africa.

Three Americans who were studying abroad at Oxford University founded AID in 2002, as a response to the 9/11 attacks. In just two-and-a-half years, AID has sponsored more than 250 events on college campuses across the U.S. and more than 25 events abroad.

One initiative, “Bringing the World Home,” began as a leadership retreat for Americans studying abroad. Usually held on weekends, the retreats bring together scholars and around 100 students from all majors and backgrounds to discuss participants’ study abroad experiences and how they can utilize what they have learned upon their return to the U.S. Events also include sightseeing and information about how to plan an AID event, with the ultimate goal of establishing chapters on college campuses. By having student leaders speak at conferences and distribute toolkits that guide students through each step of planning an event, AID makes it feasible for anyone to get involved. The retreats are free, and participants are selected through a competitive application process. AID has already hosted events in such diverse locations as Madrid, Prague, London, Berlin, and Oxford. For students unable to study abroad, AID has organized 15 retreats in the U.S. as well.

The first Bringing the World Home leadership retreat took place in Berlin in May 2004. Approximately 40 participants, including both foreigners and Americans studying abroad, convened for three days to engage in panel discussions focused on the future of U.S. foreign policy. Mott says, “It’s not only about bringing [what one learned] back home, but it is also about how to use it in a constructive, positive way to improve one’s knowledge about global affairs [and teach] people who didn’t have a chance to go abroad.” After receiving generous financial support from the Connect US Fund, AID was able to expand this project into a bigger series overseas.

Students are drawn to attend the retreats for a variety of reasons—some are interested in traveling to a new place, while others want to meet like-minded students. Caroline Bryant, an American pursuing a master’s degree at the London School of Economics, says she attended because “since living abroad, I have been constantly struggling with how to defend America and how to deal with people who are critical of the U.S. If I can understand how to change attitudes within the U.S. itself, it would help change perspectives abroad as well.” Bryant says that after attending a Bringing the World Home conference in Berlin, she acquired a better understanding of how to deal with negative comments from people overseas. Claire Tramm, a Cognitive Science, Psychology, and Business major from Indiana University, says that students who attended were interested in international relations, as well as foreign and domestic policy. “We wanted to learn how we can make our experiences relevant and translate them into something influential.”

Most participants did not know what to expect before attending a retreat. Ally Lodge, who is currently studying in Spain on a Fulbright fellowship, was skeptical at first about whether AID was really changing the world. However, after Seth Green, the executive director of AID, spoke more about its initiatives, Lodge says she was able to “see how AID can be a connective tissue between young people and people who have the power to make decisions.”

Laurel Rapp, an International Relations major who founded an AID chapter last fall at Brown University, says that the retreat surpassed her expectations: “I was particularly struck by the high level of people who attended. The participants were discontented with the way America is viewed [abroad] today and wanted to change it.”

Through frequent discussions and excursions to tourist attractions such as the Palacio Real in Madrid and Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, participants were able to forge meaningful friendships with one another—most still keep in touch. Ashley Swopes, an International Business major at the University of Minnesota says, “ I was really impressed with the level of maturity displayed. People were able to handle lots of different viewpoints and not get upset. All of us came in with a very open attitude and everyone felt really comfortable sharing opinions.” Swopes was particularly impressed by panelist Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin, the head director of the Aspen Institute in Berlin. In addition to being charismatic, she said he brought up “a lot of positive points about Bush. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anything positive about the U.S.”

By hosting retreats and encouraging students to organize events when they return to the U.S., AID has formed a network of students who share a passion for shaping the future of U.S. foreign policy. Allison Ford, a Literature major and Political Science minor at the University of California, San Diego says, “We rely so much on the Internet and telecommunications these days that it’s nice to come face to face with people.”

Some people who participated in the retreats were not previously interested in politics. Tramm says, “I never would have thought of politics as something I’d be interested in. Now I’m sitting around watching C-Span. I see what an interesting and volatile role the U.S. plays in the world and how important it is to make smart decisions on the world stage. The whole thing just became much more relevant to me.”

Since attending a Bringing the World Home retreat, Allie Gordon, a Law major at the University of Michigan, now reads international media and tries to teach her friends about global politics by engaging them in conversations. Her comments best represent the impact of these retreats: “I really think I now recognize my responsibility as a global citizen. I see myself not just as a U.S. citizen, but also as a citizen of the world.”

MARISSA LOWMAN had just graduated with honors from Johns Hopkins University in May 2005 with a double major in German and Writing Seminars at the time this article was written. She planned towork in Berlin the following year as a teaching assistant on a Fulbright scholarship. She has been a frequent contributor to the Johns Hopkins Newsletter and TeenSpeak.

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What Participants are Saying

ELIZABETH MORGAN EDWARDS
Georgetown University

May Day in Berlin may be known for its violence and riots, but last year on that weekend at a little jugendherberge (youth hostel) just outside the city, there was a peaceful gathering of youth searching for a solution to the status of transatlantic relations and the future of U.S. security. We heard presentations from a rich mix of academic scholars, organization heads, and activists. Small group discussions were interspersed with these panels so that we could digest and then collectively build upon the presentations. What made the experience all the more diverse and fulfilling was that those in attendance not only brought with them the perspective of their hometowns and their universities, but also the countries in which they were studying.

SIEGFRIED MURESAN
Humboldt University

Participating in Berlin’s Bringing the World Home retreat taught me that contact with young, bright people with similar interests can facilitate a transfer of knowledge and vision. Besides being one of the few Europeans who participated, I had the challenging role of leading a small-group discussion. This opportunity allowed me to better understand points of view and actions influencing American foreign policy, as well as the values and beliefs American foreign policy is based on. I left with the strong conviction that Americans and Europeans share much more than everything that separates them.

LAUREL RAPP
Brown University

After studying development and international relations, I had become accustomed to a markedly humanistic and liberal approach to international development issues. AID’s London Retreat, “Making Poverty History,” opened up dialogue with fellow students from so many ideological backgrounds that I was astounded at the variety of opinions, approaches, and interpretations of solutions to world poverty, sustainable development, and fair trade practices. My former belief that there is only one “right” and effective way to breach the topic of development was blown away. The energy and quality of the students involved gave me hope that I’m not the only one worrying about these issues and working for change. Of all my academic endeavors during my semester abroad in Lyon, France, this conference was the most meaningful and inspiring.

CHEE HOONG CHUNG
Rhodes Scholar, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University

As a Malaysian, I jumped at the chance to learn more about America at AID’s Oxford Retreat so that I would be able to share my knowledge with friends and family when I eventually return home. Also, as a non-Muslim living in Malaysia, I wanted to share my opinion about how America could constructively engage with progressive, peace-loving Islamic nations like mine. The retreat turned out to be an experience beyond my expectations. I was impressed that the speakers were all experts in their respective fields. The small group discussions gave me an opportunity to develop friendships and learn more about the views of Americans living abroad. At the end of the day, building these interpersonal relationships is what defined the true success of the retreat for me.

SEAN BRUGMAN
University of Colorado at Boulder

The Bringing the World Home retreat gave many globally conscious young people the chance to get involved in panel discussions with people from all over the U.S. and the world. AID gave us the tools to begin useful local discussions on issues concerning all of us. In addition, AID members have constructed a web of resources for promoting global awareness. Standing atop the Reichstag (the German Parliament building) listening to a German participant elaborate on the history that played out there half a century ago was fascinating.

THOMAS FIELD

The Barcelona retreat was as fulfilling as the Berlin retreat I helped lead six months before. At both, I had the opportunity to meet other Americans living abroad, as well as learn valuable information about their host countries, many of which I have since visited. I was also able to learn about the many opportunities that exist for further work and study abroad. As a group leader, I moderated discussions on what it means to be an American living abroad. We openly discussed the political and social issues that have framed our experiences living outside the U.S. and shared how our perspectives have been forever changed by our travels.