At meetings with the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I learned that Qatar is proud of its friends-with-everyone approach and seeks to play a mediating role even in conflicts in which it is not directly involved. The U.S.-Taliban deal was not the first instance of Qatar facilitating peace and compromise. In 2008 Doha hosted negotiations to end a political crisis in Lebanon that had spanned over a year; just before that, Qatar had facilitated talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels. This behavior has raised Qatar’s international profile and become a hallmark of its foreign policy.
Read MoreVoluntary Diplomacy
Travelers, in my opinion, are voluntary diplomats, recognizing the weight of their actions and words for how others see their home country and its people. Voluntary diplomacy means opening up to new people and experiences, even when it isn’t easy.
Read MoreShabbat Shalom
“Shabbat shalom!” “No thank you” I replied with a bashful smile, assuming that people on the street were trying to sell me something. While the confused looks clued me in that something was strange, I failed to realize that the strange thing was me until hours later when the pieces came together: Shabbat is the Sabbath and the phrase is simply a friendly greeting. As the individuals I came across on the streets of Tel Aviv, Israel on that Friday morning likely deduced, I not only did not know any Hebrew – I am also not Jewish. After filtering through the usual questions – you’re American? (Yes.) Are you on birthright? (No.) Are you Jewish? (No.) – there was inevitably some confusion as to why I was in Israel.
Read MoreSacrifice and Remembrance in Slovenia
Just shy of his 25th birthday, my great-uncle S/Sgt. Oscar Rome was killed when his B-17 was shot down by Nazi fighters over Yugoslavia. 73 years later, I visited the crash site in rural Slovenia and found that his sacrifice had become a symbol of American-Slovenian friendship.
Read MoreResilience and reflection in Addis Ababa
"The country teaches you to find an inner strength. It is something you may not know exists, but is almost certainly present in all of us." While research on the dairy value chain was the professional culmination of her internship in Addis Ababa, Rachel Brock's personal experiences are what lastingly defined her summer in Ethiopia.
Read MoreFeeling for Stones
"Beijing is a particularly interesting place as an environmentalist. When daily life is directly affected by pollution, it becomes blatantly clear that something needs to be done. Urgently." Explore how Cynthia's summer spent as a policy intern at a Chinese environmental innovation center restored her hope for the climate movement.
Read MoreAllllllora, mi chiamo Marco…
Travel through Italy with Marco DiLeonardo's account of his study abroad experience in Bologna, and how his personal roots to the region enhanced his experience.
Read MoreNegotiating the Peace Process: insights from a summer spent in Colombia
Negotiations strategies, dispute settlement methods, and how to end the war with Colombia's FARC rebels: University of Pennsylvania junior Teddie Levenfiche reflects upon his experiences interning in the Colombian Congress.
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