Written by Rachel Hull
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
-African Proverb
Whether we work as diplomats, researchers, advocates, or for development agencies, the field of international relations contains many power imbalances and preconceived notions of how our world works and how it should work. It is easy to fall into a mindset where we are separate from the problems we seek to solve. In such a diverse and interconnected world, each one of us lies within a fabric of values and biases that can cause negative externalities even if we carry the truest of intentions. To protect people, to give each one of us the best opportunities- I am interested in learning how to create collaborative spaces that cross disciplines and give agency to excluded voices. Those who experience a problem are likely the best to know how to solve it. My personal ambition is to become someone who passes the microphone and combines my strengths with someone else’s. After all, the field is international relations, not international individuals.
Published November 7, 2023