Crossing the generations
Through a multi-generational dialogue, we knit together the experience of individual giants who blazed a trail in American foreign policy and international affairs, and the needs of young Americans. In The Young Black Leader’s Guide, we asked trailblazers to reflect on how they navigated challenges to reach their great achievements.
Young people, especially those who may not be well-represented in American foreign policy, confront a range of anxieties that prevent them from considering, pursuing, and succeeding in careers in American foreign policy. Young people fear that:
- Family members would not understand and would be fearful for them;
- They are not smart enough and/or won’t belong (as some have been told);
- They will be alone, i.e., the only one who looks like them and experiences things as they do;
- They will be overwhelmed by stress: the demands of the job coupled with the stresses of working in a relatively homogenous space where they may encounter micro-aggressions, discrimination, and other forms of racism;
- They won’t know how to respond when they encounter racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination;
- They will be treated unfairly in performance reviews and promotion processes, and
- They won’t be able to be their authentic selves.
Our theory of change
If we…
1. Expose more young people to the possibility of American foreign policy careers at an early age
2. Show them evidence that people like them have succeeded in achieving meaningful and impactful careers, serving at all levels and across all organizations of American foreign policy
3. Provide inter-generational guidance to them for how to navigate the challenges they will face in institutions where they are under-represented
Then we will achieve an American foreign policy infrastructure that reflects American society and brings every resource we have to crafting a democratic, American foreign policy that maximizes impact, relevance, and innovation.
Through this project, we will achieve the following outcomes:
- An increased number of high school students pursuing university study related to international affairs
- An increased number of undergraduate students pursuing graduate study related to international affairs
- A Generation Network and cohort subgroups that provide continuing support on demand
- An increased number of Americans pursuing careers in international affairs
- A demonstrated model for generating pipelines of under-represented groups and supporting them to successful American foreign policy careers
Our long-term aspiration is that this model will be replicated to develop content to better support a wide range of under-represented groups, and for professional fields other than international affairs.