Global Scholar

Now seeking: Innovators in Cultural Diplomacy

Americans for Informed Democracy (AIDemocracy) is a national youth network debating and speaking out about US global engagement. We are young global citizens demanding a more peaceful, healthy, just and sustainable world.

We are seeking a new class of Innovators in Cultural Diplomacy, as part of our flagship Hope Not Hate program fostering greater understanding between the US and Muslim worlds. Innovators are proven young leaders eager to lead dialogue and events promoting interfaith understanding on their campuses and in their communities.

Innovators will receive high-level training, lead campaigns in their communities, spark dialogue around US-Muslim understanding, and draft an action plan and curriculum for empowering young leaders around interfaith issues. This is an exciting opportunity to build strong leadership, organizing and communications skills, and to draft and lead concrete projects that make a difference in your community.

About Hope Not Hate: Hope not Hate is one of our flagship projects, launched on the first anniversary of 9/11. It is founded on the belief that the US and Muslim worlds share common values and common challenges, and we need to work together collaboratively and peacefully to build a more stable, prosperous and democratic future. Through facilitating youth dialogue around US-Muslim world relations, and empowering students to propose a roadmap for strengthening these relations over the next decade, Hope Not Hate will cultivate young global leaders who have the skills and the knowledge to build a more peaceful, healthy, just and sustainable world.

To date, Hope Not Hate has engaged more than 20,000 students and citizens in two hundred communities from Macon, Georgia and Vermillion, South Dakota to Amman, Jordan, and Jakarta, Indonesia. The Boston Globe editorial board called Hope Not Hate “a victory of knowledge and inquiry over fear and blind pledges of revenge.” Hope Not Hate also received Search for Common Ground’s Award for International Understanding in 2005 and received special recognition from Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative.

The 2013 Innovator Program will include the following:

• Innovators will participate in a two-day retreat in Washington, D.C. in late January or early February 2013, during which we’ll discuss the relationship between the US and Muslim worlds, learn approaches and tools for facilitating interfaith dialogue, and build leadership, organizing and event-planning skills. During this time the Innovators will also draft campaigns and actions to lead in their communities.
• Innovators will then launch campaigns on their campus/in their community during spring 2013. Campaigns should include three actions, for example writing an Op-Ed to a local paper, screening a film, and/or hosting an interfaith dinner. They should also include strong social media content, for example blogs and Facebook posts. This is a great chance to be creative and really innovate new ways to spark interfaith understanding. We’ll provide ideas, resources and support.
• Innovators will participate in three skillbuilding webinars, focusing on global leadership, communications and campaign strategy.
• They will also receive ongoing coaching and support from the Hope Not Hate Coordinator and other AIDemocracy staff.
• Innovators will share ideas and successes via AIDemocracy’s broader social media platform and website, ensuring broad distribution of their work.
• Finally, Innovators will work together to draft a youth roadmap for building stronger US-Muslim relations, as well as a curriculum for training young global leaders on interfaith issues. We’ll share the roadmap with leaders and decision makers, and implement the curriculum through AIDemocracy’s broader global citizenship program.
• Innovators will have the option to assume leadership positions within the AIDemocracy national youth network during the 2013-14 academic year, and/or deliver the curriculum above to our next class of Global Scholars in July 2013.

The retreat, campaigns and skillbuilding will take place between January and May 2013. Innovators will draft the workplan and curriculum between May and July 2013, and share ideas and successes through our social media platform and website through the end of the year. Thus the bulk of the work is in the first half of the year. The cost of attending the retreat will be paid for by the Hope Not Hate program.

We’re looking for Innovators who are:

• Interested in US-Muslim relations, and interfaith issues more broadly.
• Aspiring leaders and changemakers, who are eager to both learn and practice new skills.
• Excited to build leadership, organizing and campaign skills.
• Eager to lead events and campaigns in their communities. Note: Innovators can lead events through existing clubs or campaigns on their campus too.
• Can commit to the requirements of the position.
• Youth, broadly defined. Our work involves everyone from high school students through young professionals.
• Are located in the US.
• There are 8-10 spots available in this year’s class.

To apply: Please send a CV and a short statement of interest (no longer than 500 words) explaining why you’re interested in this opportunity to opportunities@Aidemocracy.org. Include which issues or approaches you think are most important for fostering relations between the US and Muslim worlds, and how you’d like to bring this work to your community.

We’re accepting applications on a rolling basis through January 1. Those selected for this year’s class will be informed in the second week of January. Email us with questions: opportunities@aidemocracy.org.

How the Fiscal Cliff Could Impact National Security

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December 14, 2012 by Robin Schwartz

The United States has nearly doubled its defense spending since 9/11 and have fought wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on credit.  As the discussions surrounding the “fiscal cliff” increase, it’s important to remember what the impact could have on national security.

Automatic spending cuts scheduled to begin next year include $56.5 billion from the Pentagon, which is more than 10 percent of its base budget. If this amount does not change, the defense budget would be cut by $454 billion over a decade.  Going “over the cliff” could have major national security implications. To start, the Department of Defense could be forced to layoff or terminate more than 100,000 civilian workers. These workers are essential to the missions of the DIA, Navy, Army, Air Force, etc. Training for forces not currently deployed may also have to be cut back, seriously decreasing the readiness of troops when they are called to serve.  Spending on shipbuilding and procurement would also likely decrease in 2013, causing layoffs of contract workers. With the U.S. keeping a watchful eye on the Asia-Pacific region, a decrease in naval capabilities could be highly detrimental.  It should not be assumed that the U.S. will consistently be faced with land-based wars in the future.

The Pentagon and DoD have already approached the fiscal discussions offering extensive budget cuts.  As both sides of the aisle threaten to stalemate on taxation issues, the future of the defense budget is in jeopardy.  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned against the “meat axe” approach to national security – simply cutting blindly without weighing the options. Coming to an agreement regarding the fiscal cliff is essential to the health of our national security. Should we go over the fiscal cliff, the nation can be assured that the costly (and sometimes wasteful) healthcare programs that take up 30 percent of the Pentagon’s budget won’t be cut, but instead, funding will be slashed from necessary programs aimed at allowing the U.S. to maintain its place in the world.

Has The Fuse Been Set Against Israel?

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November 20, 2012 by Haley Vogt

The recent events between Israel and Hamas are building up into what could quite possibly lead to full out war. Israel has been experiencing attacks and airstrikes for the past several months. Last week marked the first time she retaliated. As airstrikes continued between the borders of both Israel and Gaza, each side is attempting to prove its strength to the other. Hamas is currently daring Israel to attempt invasion while Israel remains firmly perched, ready to attack.

Read complete story here.

Looking For A Winter Internship Opportunity?

artsbridgeinc:

Apply at Artsbridge! 

We are currently looking for an organized, motivated, and enthusiastic intern who will join our efforts in helping to make a difference in the lives of Israeli, Palestinian and American youth. As a young not-for-profit, Interns/Volunteers will have the exciting and rewarding opportunity to help the team of Artsbridge staff update existing promotional materials and design new items that will be distributed in national conferences in Washington, D.C., Israel, Palestine, and beyond.

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The Healing Power of Education

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November 20, 2012 by Credmond

In March of this year, the Global Health Service Partnership (GHSP) was launched as a partnership between the Global Health Service Corps and the Peace Corps to establish large, didactic, and sustainable medical education programs in areas of dire need of medical aid. Through the GHSP, nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals will travel to developing nations and work with local governments to establish curriculum to train citizens to become independent healthcare leaders in their towns and villages. The hope is that by having each GHSP worker teach multiple students, the impact of the program will be multiplied and sustained beyond the tenor of the GHSP worker. In this way, the GHSP is an example of the old saying, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”

Read complete story here.