We are building a foreign policy for the next generation.
Driven entirely by young people with a diverse range of personal and professional experiences, Foreign Policy Generation has generated a set of actionable policy recommendations that recognize the clear intersection between foreign and domestic policy. It is intended as a resource for Members of Congress and their staff, political candidates, and members of the public.
Why This Generation?
We are all old enough to remember the events of September 11, 2001 and the impact they had on US policy, but were too young to have our voices heard in shaping those policies in the years that followed.
In 2003, a disproportionately white, male Congress whose membership averaged 55 years old sent thousands of young soldiers to war in Iraq. Today, nearly two decades later, many of the young people that the United States sends to fight and die overseas are too young to remember the events that precipitated these conflicts.
Millennials and Generation Z now constitute the largest voting bloc in the United States. We therefore see upcoming elections as an opportunity to articulate a progressive foreign policy platform for the next generation.
What We Believe
Over the spring and summer of 2019, we spent many hours identifying the values that we would like to see reflected in US foreign policy. Our conversations encompassed a wide range of topics, but one overarching theme guided our discussions: that foreign and domestic policy are inherently connected. Examining any particular issue in a vacuum fails to account for the unintended and cascading effects that the solutions will necessarily have in other policy areas.
Given that the efforts of this group are focused on US electoral platforms in 2020 and beyond, we recognize that there are limitations to the change we can expect in a relatively short time frame. Creating the country we truly envision would require fundamental shifts in the United States' foundational systems, the outlook of its leaders, and the way we understand its history. We cannot simply legislate away oppression tomorrow––but the promotion of just policies is a valuable and necessary starting point.
In short, we are developing solutions that are commensurate to the problems we face.
Win Without War’s “Principles of a Progressive Foreign Policy for the United States” are closely aligned with our own values because they emphasize compassion, justice, and solidarity.
We believe that decisions about foreign policy must include and center those most affected by our decisions. Although our group believes in this principle wholeheartedly, we recognize that constraints in location, funding, and mission have prevented us from meeting this standard fully. However, we hope that our efforts constitute a valuable contribution to the ever-expanding field of progressive foreign policy.
Members of this working group participated in an individual capacity. Members endorse the general approach of the policy platform but not necessarily every provision.
Branding and graphic design by Marissa Korda.