Announcing the September/October 2013 Issue V, Vol VII
Cover Story: First Globals: Millennials and Foreign Policy
Featured: The 2013 Top 99 under 33 Foreign Policy Leaders
PLUS: Millennials and the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy; Edward Snowden and NSA Surveillance; How Boomers Can Mentor Millennials; The Kids Aren't All Right; and more!
Washington, DC: There is no better example of how the First Globals work than the production of the edition you hold in your hands. To produce it, we invited several Millennials to write about the issues dearest to their generation. This lot has been the most efficient of contributors we have worked with despite their geographic locations—all over the globe. And even though our Art Director Christian Gilliham and I are not exactly Millennials, we worked from across the Atlantic—he in London and I in Washington, DC—for several months, defying time differences, maternity leave, and generational variation.
The September 2013 edition marks our biggest edition to date. It also marks a milestone for us: a complete redesign that modernized our look. It took seven years but one tenacious Londoner finally gave us the contemporary makeover we needed as we continue with our vision of foreign policy that connects the establishment to the next generation of leaders. Will Millennials save the world from famine, conflict, and disease? Since 2011, Diplomatic Courier has paired with the Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) to examine what Millennials are doing to improve the world we live in. We were ambitious; we looked for 99 of them to fill some very rigid criteria. YPFP has thousands of members already doing some excellent things in the field of foreign policy but the with top 99 leaders under the age of 33 we were looking for more and we expanded our domain: we were looking for those who were inventing, leading, and already on their way to implementing solutions that will change the world in the very near future. For three years now we have produced this list—a yearlong process that involves review of hundreds of nominations and multiple rounds of voting—and each time we are pleasantly surprised that we are able to find 99 new exceptional individuals. This year’s list of honorees will be part of the 99 Society, a community of influential and accomplished young leaders that grows each year. And as I have explained before, by design, this list is broad and diverse, encompassing entrepreneurs, technologists, journalists, bankers, activists, and scientists—as well as diplomats and other government officials. This reflects our belief that foreign policy in the 21st century is made by leaders from all sectors. We are proud to present this list during this year’s UN General Assembly high-level meetings in New York City. The UN has engaged in some meaningful initiatives to better connect with youth. And while the urgency of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their 2015 deadline is occupying us all, the role Millennials and youth will play in the post-MDGs agenda is crucial. After all, this is the largest generation in history—representing 43 percent of the globe’s population—and the first who will do away with national identity and come to accept their future as “First Globals.” Ana C. Rold is Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Diplomatic Courier.
