Dear Friends of ISD,
We will not forget this past year any time soon. Fifteen months after closing up shop at the blue and yellow townhouses, we are all Zoom savvy (except for the pesky mute button), with perhaps flashes of Zoom fatigue. Last spring we pledged to adapt to the new reality and continue, as best we could, our programs, teaching, mentoring, and engagement on critical diplomatic issues. As you know from our periodic Despatches over the past year, we have.
As the shutdown recedes into the rear-view mirror, we look forward to our return to the townhouses, to the classroom, and to in-person events. The new normal will be a blended experience of the Before Times and new tools.
This semester, we took full advantage of the unforeseen benefits of the many new remote tools and recognize that there will be elements of these adaptations we want to carry forward – the global reach of virtual events, especially the Diverse Diplomacy Leaders series, our new podcast, and perhaps a new-found appreciation of a better work/life balance. Other programs, such as the Georgetown Leadership Seminar, demand the dynamics that we can only create in person and we look forward to welcoming the seminar back to campus in the spring.
Your support and engagement over this year has been critical, and is much appreciated. I know you share our commitment to a strong and effective diplomacy as the core tool of national security policy, and to support and encourage the global public service leaders of tomorrow, and our work to serve as a bridge between the academic’s world, and that of the practitioner.
As you read through this end of year wrap-up, I hope you can support ISD’s continued work and contribute whatever is comfortable at the Support Diplomacy; Support ISD link below. These programs, engagement in critical policy debates, and our support to students exist only because of the contributions we receive from our friends.
Thank you.
All best wishes for the summer ahead. Be safe. Be well.
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