Alliance Linking Leaders in Education and the Services (ALLIES)

Diplomacy-Development-Defense

"The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected. ” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The Need for Change
Every day - as Americans debate the war or worry about its impacts - civilian and military service members are locked in a life or death struggle overseas which has already killed, thousands of men, women and children. The United States difficulty in stabilizing and reconstructing Afghanistan and Iraq shows the need for retooling the United States' foreign policy instruments. As the IGL develops critical thinkers for effective and ethical leadership, ready to act as global citizens in addressing international and national issues across cultures – that education needs to include a basic understanding of the way the US Government balances three pillars of its foreign policy- Diplomacy-Development-Defense. Without understanding the different roles, responsibilities and authorities of the Department of State, USAID, and Department of Defense, students will be unable to understand why policies are implemented or how to re-center the balance between the three.

Leadership opportunity
The IGL has the opportunity to use ALLIES as a nexus for cross-school collaboration to develop a civil-military educational program. Given the unique capabilities, resources and expertise organic to Tufts University, there are many opportunities to develop mutually beneficial relationships between the undergraduate programs and graduate schools. By institutionalizing the relationship with the Service Academies and inviting participation by the other Boston area universities, Tufts has the opportunity to strengthen inter-university partnerships, as well as create a critical mass of intellectual capital that will entice US government collaboration.

Empowering the next generation
Each generation is measured by the challenges it faces. The next generation has the potential to be the greatest yet. Contemporary challenges of global warming, AIDS, diminishing natural resources, and widespread poverty create complexities the Cold War generation never faced. By creating organic systems for interagency cooperation using “bottom-up” changes in education we empower the next generation with the tools to overcome the problems our generation leaves unresolved. By focusing on the undergraduate level, ALLIES takes the first step to nurturing a generation of ”Diplomat-Scholar-Humanitarian-Warriors” and providing them the education, skills and resources necessary to overcome the common threats to humanity together.