The Marshall Fellowship exists to bring US and European leaders (28 to 40 years old) together.  I applied to the program after Mara Kimmel asked if I was interested; she participated in the program a few years ago.  My immediate response was sure.  I was unsure that I would be accepted, but thought I may have enough on my resume to get some consideration.  

I found out in November that I was one of 53 selected for the program nationwide.  Two other Alaskan's are participants - Rep. Scott Kawasaki and Sen. McGuire.  In fact, Lesil started some controversy by sending out a press release announcing the selection, causing some very vocal Alaskans to call the German Marshall administration and complain :(

My schedule will be hectic.  As I write, I am in DC.  I just arrived last night.  We have a meeting at 230 at the GMF HQ; then are being hosted at the Swedish Embassy.  Class tomorrow morning, then off to Brussels.  

After Brussels, I will head to Hamburg, Germany; Rome, Italy; Bucharest, Romania; and Bratislava, Slovakia.  I have to admit that Bucharest and Bratislava caused me to take out a map and figure out where the heck they are.  

I have begun to understand the geopolitical ambition of the EU; how the US and China affect the EU; and how these new "empires" will compete in the future.  I am interested in understanding how the US's global effect is perceived; how the US/China/ and the EU compete for energy resources in this strange time of global climate change (or maybe not); and what EU residents view as the relationship between us and them.

Let me suggest a read that will be released on March 4 "The Second World" by Parag Khanna. I haven't finished the book yet, but his thesis is that the US has lost much of it's global influence to the EU, with it's innovative governance system of many countries under one flag; and the monster nation China, who with 1.3 billion people and cheap goods has secured many relationships in the Central Asia region (think oil).  

I will post video and try to write everyday.  If you have questions, you can email me at hughshort@gmail.com.