Recently, I encountered a LinkedIn post that challenged the foreign policy establishment to get out into "real" America and learn from "real" Americans about their viewpoints on global issues and how the U.S. engages the world. Coming from a former State Department official, this post seemed to hit on many of the important issues facing the debate over why so many people seem to want to turn away from the world and focus on our own problems. What really caught my attention was this person's statement about organizations like the World Affairs Council network across the country. 

While this former official felt that the work organizations like ours do was worthy, he did not want to spend time speaking to these audiences, because it is already filled with those who "get it". He would rather get into communities that are skeptical of U.S. foreign engagement and do the hard work of understanding their perspectives and changing their minds. 

While his thinking comes from a good place, it misses two fundamental points of our work. 

First, organizations like the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire do a lot more than just host interesting conversations with expert speakers and an audience full of "globalists". WACNH also brings diplomacy simulations into classrooms across the state, challenging all students to consider the world of diplomacy and work on critical skills as they grow and develop. We also create enlightening itineraries for up-and-coming international leaders as they visit the state on exchanges. Meeting with local politicians, business and non-profit leaders, and everyday Americans,  these groups give as much as they get from these experiences.

Secondly, through the community conversations we host, we welcome experts and amateurs to join the discussion, regardless of their perspectives. While many in the room have an interest in the topic, that does not mean we all agree. WACNH has hosted a diverse group of speakers, challenging people's perspectives and ways of thinking about the world and America's role in it.

Finally, even if every single person that WACNH connects with through out the year (tens of thousands through all its programs) was a "globalist" who already "gets it", this work would remain vitally important as the world continues to shift and change. With the diverse range of topics this important community covers, no one person can be an expert in all these areas. Equipping people who want to see positive engagement with the world and have an interest in understanding complex issues allows people the opportunity to think deeply, create solutions, and spread the word throughout their own networks. 

The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire remains committed to engaging the global community in these various ways. We also remain committed to fostering a positive community that is willing to engage in deep conversations, about complex issues, with an eye towards understanding, rather than winning a debate. If those interested in foreign policy turned away from building strong communities of understanding, simply because they already "get it", we miss out on the opportunity to continuously learn, share, and make the world a better place.

Thank you to all of you who already "get" the importance of our work and value all the ways we engage the community.

- By: Tim Horgan, WACNH Executive Director