The Insight Fellowship

Life following my return from India was quite busy and stressful. I got caught up in looking for a job, going to interviews, and endlessly networking, as well as working as a restaurant hostess and part-time in my father's office. Finally at the end of March, I somehow got my *dream* job: a 2007 Insight Fellowship :)

The Insight Fellowship is a year-long fellowship program sponsored by the Insight Collaborative, a non-profit mediation, training, and consulting firm. The program is designed for young professionals in the field of conflict management and its purpose is to study and promote effective conflict management, make international humanitarian contributions, and pursue personal development. The fellowship year is split up into four three-month long placements: one in Boston, one at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and the other two are decided by the Fellows according to our interests and respective research themes (see below for a more official explanation). At this point, my year looks like this: summer in Boston, fall in The Hague, winter in Thailand and spring in Lebanon.

Over the course of the fellowship year, as part of the 'self-development' aspect of the fellowship, I will be posting weekly journals and pictures on the Insight website (as well as here on my personal blog) so you can follow my experiences of living and working abroad.

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Official explanation of the Fellowship:

The Insight Fellowship Program was created in 2005 to foster a community of global-minded individuals prepared to manage conflict effectively and contribute to their local, national, and international communities. The Insight philosophy is that the ability to make positive contributions is a function of the quality of one’s communication skills, capacity for empathy, and self-understanding. To promote these qualities, one-year Insight Fellowships are awarded to exceptional individuals to:

* Study and promote effective conflict management;
* Make international humanitarian contributions; and
* Pursue self-reflection and personal development.

The Fellowship includes a $25,000 USD expense allowance to support multiple placements totaling one year, typically in three to four month blocks.
The first three-month placement is at the Boston offices of Insight Collaborative and its affiliate, Insight Partners. During this tenure in Boston, Fellows advance their understanding of the theory and practice of effective negotiation, communication, and mediation; meet pivotal figures in the field; attend workshops; receive personalized coaching; and see first-hand how international conflict management professionals operate in the academic, non-profit, and for-profit sectors.

Fellows will spend one three-month placement at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, subject to the Court’s permission. The remaining two placements of the Fellowship are divided into foreign placements proposed by the Fellow.