Capital of the World
Living in D.C. has its perks. So far, I have been able to discover several neighborhoods and restaurants that are completely unique. Having lived in New York before, I was not expecting to find such a vast array of cuisines in the capital. Yet, I’ve eaten Ethiopian, Thai, Turkish, and Indian in just one week, and plan on discovering more places before I leave. I also tried to follow some of D.C.’s traditions by going to Jazz in the Garden, which takes place every Friday at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. In a similar vein, I went to the annual Congressional game where Democrats and Republicans (attempt to) play baseball against one another.
But if D.C. has a myriad of activities, it also has the advantage of being the “Capital of the World.” A couple weeks ago, I thus had the opportunity to attend a congressional hearing on “Pursuing Accountability for Atrocities,” in which Beth Van Schaack—a leading expert on human rights, and also the author of the 1,200-page textbook I studied for international criminal law last semester—participated. After having taken several international law classes over the past year, it was great to see politicians discuss how accountability for atrocity crimes can be fostered in the US. Learning more about the DOJ’s struggle to prosecute perpetrators of war crimes and genocide decades after they became US citizens was also fascinating.
Working at USIP has also been incredible. While the work is fascinating, the Institute is also a prime spot for events that often involve world leaders and renowned experts. I was lucky enough, for instance, to attend a talk with Nobel Prize laureate Nadia Murad, who came to USIP to discuss her work to help Iraq recover. On a less joyful note (at least for me), I also attended the quarter-final soccer game viewing party in which the U.S. team completely demolished France—my home country’s team. But even though defeat is never easy, one of the advantages of watching such tragedy in a place like USIP is the fact that I was not the only desperate French supporter in the room. In fact, the Institute of Peace never deserved its name more than one of my colleagues apologized to me for having cheered for the U.S. team!