Still globally engaged: YPFP's annual conference well received by all

I have recently received several inquiries about the YPFP's second annual conference held this past March.  In response, I am posting the article I wrote for YPFP Wire covering the event.   The article was published in YPFP Wire's April 2009 issue.

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Last month over three hundred young professionals descended upon the US Chamber of Commerce for YPFP’s “Future of Global Engagement” conference, marking the organization’s largest and most successful event in its five year history.  The event, held on March 21st, featured nearly fifty speakers on seven panels, a career expo with fifteen exhibitors and was followed by a reception.

The conference deviated from similar Washington events in structure and style.  Rather than commencing with an opening speaker, it featured a panel entitled "New Perspectives on Global Leadership," in which five young professionals offered the audience career advice.  Dr. Mark Drapeau, Associate Research Fellow at the National Defense University, discussed the need for a stronger bridge between scientists and policymakers. Sasha Issenberg, Washington correspondent for The Boston Globe, projected that niche news publications would grow, while interest in comprehensive news sources designed to appeal to a broad audience would fall.

The panels, derived from YPFP regional and functional discussion groups, each covered diverse topics including “Asia and Energy,” “Middle East and Health,” and "Africa and Defense." Speakers ranged from military personnel to think tank scholars and development experts.  Consistent with YPFP’s mission to educate and foster the next generation of foreign policy leaders, each panel also featured a young professional commentator who offered insights alongside distinguished experts. The event adhered strictly to a non-attribution rule, giving all panelists the opportunity to share off-the-record analysis and anecdotes from their careers.

Organizers and participants were honored to have two ambassadors serve as commentators in the discussion groups. Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat, Indonesian Ambassador to the United States, participated in the "Asia's Energy Needs and Nuclear Dilemma" panel. Ambassador Parnohadiningrat’s remarks addressed Asian energy consumption and Indonesia’s role in an increasingly powerful region.  Ambassador Robert M. Beecroft, a Career Minister-Counselor with the US Foreign Service, spoke on the “NATO at 60” and “Russia and the West” panels.

The conference career expo included representatives from the American Enterprise Institute, National Democratic Institute, PAE, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, and Chemonics, a development agency.  Many of the company representatives expressed their interest in the YPFP career expo because of language skills and familiarity with international issues the organization’s members have to offer.

Colleen Graffy, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, closed the conference by discussing the opportunity social media provides to enhance the public diplomacy of the United States. Graffy noted that social networking sites, particularly Twitter, provide the State Department the opportunity to promote American initiatives, especially to younger generations, as well as to listen to what people around the world are saying about the United States.

The conference was followed by a reception, where participants discussed their thoughts about the day’s events. "We were thrilled with the level of interest in the conference and the diversity of our speakers and participants," said Andreas Zeller, a member of the YPFP finance team.

Puja Deverakonda works for The McLaughlin Group and is a Staff Writer for YPFP Wire.