2008 Global Study Trip
Washington, DC

The spring 2008 trip to Washington, DC represented a remarkable opportunity for IPS students to gain firsthand exposure to NGOs, multilateral organizations and political figures covering a diversity of issue areas. It also represented a unique opportunity for students to strengthen their relationships while exploring an environment new to many – the U.S. capital.

The trip’s first meeting, at the US Department of Justice, offered eye-opening exposure to the fastest growing, most pressing international legislative concerns facing the U.S., emphasizing terrorism in addition to money laundering and other cross-border offenses. The trip’s next meeting, with the Center for Global Development, provided truly inspiring insight into the impact that small but well-organized NGOs can have in the developed world. Monday’s last meeting with the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs offered a refreshingly candid perspective on the notable progress in peacebuilding Africa has made since the turn of the century, as well as the challenges in gaining financing to enable intervention in areas of pressing concern to Africa, both economic and political. The meeting culminated with a hallway encounter with Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, a trip highlight. Finally, the evening’s alumni reception provided a great opportunity to learn about the past and current pursuits of IPS graduates, ranging from private sector consulting to non-profit leadership.

Tuesday morning’s first meeting with the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs provided interesting insight into current problems facing the UN, particularly in respect to unified voting blocks which continue to threaten the UN’s ability to act decisively. The following meeting with the Center for Strategic and International Studies provided a tremendously useful, well structured approach to foreseeing and resolving intrastate conflict. Finally, the meeting with Mercy Corps represented another trip highlight, offering extremely inspirational visibility into the organization’s origins and current focus on economic development, emergency relief and civil society engagement.

The combined Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) and World Bank lectures on Wednesday first gave students a chance to understand, from the ground level up, current trends and issues facing the microfinance industry, both technological and theoretical. The World Bank lectures then covered the history and mandate of the World Bank, as well as trends in global international development. Finally, the afternoon meeting with Refugees International was refreshing in offering an opportunity to move briefly away from issues of economics and politics to focus more explicitly on human advocacy concerns.

Thursday’s meeting at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was helpful in providing an overview of IMF activities, though many students were already familiar with this history. Instead, the most interesting element of the discussion focused on the enormous changes currently underway at the IMF, including reform of the quota voting system and a new financing strategy, amongst other things. Finally, the meeting with National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley, represented the clear highlight of the trip, allowing students to experience the West Wing and pose personally relevant security questions to a senior Whitehouse official.

Finally, the trip provided a great opportunity for students to spend time together away from the rigors of academic life. An energetic dinner party and midnight walking tour around the Whitehouse, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial offered excellent team-building opportunities, as did an IPS “girl’s dinner party”, something the group had not yet had occasion to arrange. In short, the IPS Study Trip to Washington, DC was an incredibly valuable opportunity for students to gain exposure to a wide range of inspirational practitioners in the policy arena.

2008 Study Trip Report
Kelly Spann