By Lydia Henion This past Thursday, I had the honor of meeting Ambassador James Zumwalt, the guest speaker for the International Affairs Forum October 2019 event, and viewing his presentation in NMCs Miliken auditorium free of charge. Our student committee had the privilege of meeting with the Ambassador prior to his presentation, where he explained to us the challenges and great experiences he has encountered in his career involving international relations, and was kind enough to provide insight as to what qualifications would be needed and sought after for those of us who aspire to pursue similar career paths.
By Cole Simon
The value of our partnership isn’t only seen in the tangible exchange of goods however. Japan, as Ambassador Zumwalt pointed out, is one of the most diplomatically savvy nations in the world. Having a skilled ally who can promote the United States and our interests when we aren’t there to do so ourselves is invaluable. Whether we care to admit it or not, we live in a globally connected world. If the United States wishes to remain a powerful actor on the global stage, we must focus on forging strong alliances with friendly countries instead of cutting ties with the world and attempting to do everything ourselves.
Ambassador Hatem Atallah
Ethan Gerds (left) Ambassador Hatem Atallah (center) and Cole Simon
Cole Simon:
As a student of NMC, I was fortunate enough to attend a forum discussion with the distinguished diplomat Hatem Atallah at our very own Milliken Auditorium, free of charge. Mr. Atallah, the former ambassador from Tunisia to the United States and many other countries, came to NMC to talk about his firsthand experience of the Arab Spring, and more precisely the “Tunisian Spring”, that occurred close to a decade ago. Mr. Atallah went over the history of Tunisia, the general political climate that led to such unrest in his country, the process Tunisia went through to transition into a democratic nation, and finally the troubles the Tunisian people face today.