External Policies--Stagiaires--We focus on anything and everything that happens in the world. We are a mixed group of people from all across the globe, spanning all the EU states, with a blend of people from all the hemispheres and the states both within and outside of the EU. Sometimes thrown into areas we have no idea about, sometimes into areas where we are experts, but whatever our interests are or wherever we are placed we do real work! We create briefings, make talking points, crunch numbers, create policy briefings, and are at the frontlines of the Parliament's foreign policy! So pretty much, we rule!!
Who knew that an American would be so welcomed into this group. I never had a bad day in the office, and felt that I am a much better person for working and knowing my colleagues. We have the same problems, listen to the same music, and generally, it goes to show that we may have grown up an ocean away, but we are all in the same boat, drawn together for a similar cause. Future diplomats, parliamentarians, policy makers, researchers, scholars? Maybe. But right now, as this cohort of stagiaires leaves and a new one comes, I can say that the Parliament does it right, bringing together such a diverse cast of characters to work, learn, and build friendships that begin in Brussels, which will last a long time, and show that 'United in Diversity' begins with a group of young people starting their careers in the heart of Europe.
