Introducing our Spring 2014 Fellows
Farah Pandith was appointed the first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities in June 2009 by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Under the leadership of Secretary John Kerry, the Office of the Special Representative is responsible for executing a vision for engagement with Muslims around the world based on a people-to-people and organizational level.
In the years since her swearing in, Special Representative Pandith has traveled to more than 80 countries and launched youth-focused initiatives including Generation Change, Viral Peace, the Transatlantic Leadership Network, and Hours Against Hate (a campaign that was a partner with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.)
Why did you apply to be a Fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics?
IOP is the intersection of many things that have filled a quarter of my life including policy, politics, public service and leadership. I left Boston in the aftermath of 9/11 because I wanted to serve my country – little did I know that I would have the opportunity to be a political appointee for two Presidents and that I would be able to serve three Secretaries of State.
Public service and bi partisanship is very much a part of who I am, and coming home to Massachusetts to be an IOP Fellow is an opportunity to share my experience with the generation that I call “Generation Change.” I wanted to be an IOP Fellow right on the heels of my time in government – both at the White Houes, USAID and the Department of State – so I could work closely with undergrads who have ideas that can change the way we think about issues I have been dealing with as our nation’s first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities. Why IOP? Because it is a vibrant, undergrad-focused hub of discourse and action. That is my sweet spot.
what can students and participants expect to learn about during your study groups?
I want to leave students and participants with a new perspective on the impact of 9/11 on youth and, in particular, Muslim youth. We will focus on my first hand experience on the ground meeting with thousands of young people from more than 80 countries – what they are feeling, thinking and expressing? Why does this matter to regular citizens and to US government officials?
How has the generation that has grown up since 9/11 experienced the world with the words “Islam” and “Muslim” on the front pages online and offline every day since September 12, 2001? How has it shaped them, the world, and the way we think about security, religion and identity? From a first-hand account of people who served in the White House in the aftermath of 9/11 to media sources who are defining the news, to Hollywood influencers, to former extremists to entrepreneurs, we will look at these issues and the reality for youth.
In 2014, Al Qaeda and its affiliates continue to inject their ideology of “us and them” throughout the globe and students and participants will finish the semester understanding the impact of this ideology and contribute to seeding new ideas on how to counter it.
WHAT are you most looking forward to this semester?
What could be better than being part of an ecosystem at Harvard that is filled with creativity, expression, ideas and energy? I want to absorb as much as I can and benefit from getting to know the students so I can see things from their eyes and learn something along the way.
I hope, too, that I will have a chance to share my experiences in two different administrations and underscore the importance of public service and the need to build coalitions in order to solve issues for our nation and beyond. I am also very keen on making sure the Shake Shack gets some foot traffic from frequent outings by informal discussion groups with IOP Fellows and students.
Farah's Study Group " Muslim Youth and The Post-9/11 World" will be held on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. in L166 on the first floor of the Institute of Politics.