Andrew Barwig: A Unique Perspective

I have had an interest in the Middle East for many years.  This interest has led to many twists and turns in my academic career, taking me from places as varied from my native Denver, Colorado to Sana’a, Yemen.  The one thing that has remained constant during this time, however, has been my involvement with the National Council on US-Arab Relations.

My first exposure to the National Council came in 1996 when I first moved to Washington with a freshly minted college degree and eager to earn some of the valuable currency of work experience.  I encountered the National Council during an internship with the Middle East Institute, another non-profit organization dedicated to improving American understanding of the region that was also conveniently located a few blocks away.  This close proximity at first meant that I could attend an occasional lecture on a topic of interest that the National Council would organize.  I soon discovered though that the after work lecture series was not only an important educational resource but was also a valuable forum for meeting other students and interns that I could relate to and share experiences with about the Middle East.  I became a regular attendee of the periodic lectures and will forever be thankful to the National Council for providing an outlet for my interests in the Middle East.

Although my initial tour of duty in Washington was positive, the allure of off-the-beaten track adventures abroad and an insatiable travel bug were too hard for me to resist.  The National Council played a crucial role in encouraging my eventual decision to go to Yemen in 1997.  My experience studying Arabic and teaching English in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, is deserving of an entirely separate story, but it is suffice to say that the collective time I spent on this remote corner of the Arabia Felix was the most rewarding period of my life on a personal and professional level.

Upon my return from Yemen in 1998, the National Council once again helped to serve my professional compass.  Although it was only temporary, I was happy to work with the National Council in assisting with the pre-departure preparations of a Malone Fellow trip for professors to Saudi Arabia.  The short time afforded me the opportunity to maintain a connection in the region.  In addition, I was also able to utilize the National Council’s network of contacts with individuals and organizations with the Middle East to land my first permanent job at the Arab American Institute (AAI), a non-partisan advocacy organization that primarily dealt with U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Ironically, I met many others through my experience at AAI who had passed through the doors of the National Council.  I helped coordinate times for AAI’s interns to attend the National Council’s summer series of lectures, just as I had done several years prior.  I was also more than willing to lend a helping hand such as at the National Council’s Model Arab League conference in Washington.  At a daylong symposium, I was able to see first hand the value of the National Council’s programs in my role as judge for one of the panels.  Indeed, the student participants learned about the social, economic, cultural, and political, issues facing the leaders of the Arab world and as representatives of member states, the student delegates attempted to solve problems and achieve consensus on questions diplomats wrestle with daily.  It was an experience that I will never forget.

Now, after working with AAI for over three years, I have taken my knowledge and unique perspective of the Middle East to Capitol Hill.  Although my experience as a legislative assistant for a member of Congress has exposed me to a broad range of domestic policy issues, I still find time to follow fast-moving events in the Middle East.  My commitment to the region, as well as to organizations such as AAI and the National Council are unshakable.

In conclusion, I fully expect that my relationship with the National Council will continue wherever my career or interests take me. Its mission and work are too important not to.  Whether our paths cross at another Model Arab League, on a congressional trip or possibly as a Malone Fellow myself down the road, it would only be appropriate that one day my experiences with the National Council would come full circle.  It has been there for me during so many steps along the way so far and it should not be any different for the future.

Andrew Barwig is a legislative assistant to Representative Melvin Watt (D-NC).  Click for more information on study abroad programs or internship opportunities.

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