March 6, 2024
The Fulbright scholarship program is the most famous educational exchange on Earth, with 400,000 taking part since it began in 1946. Forty-one have served as heads of state or government; 62 have won a Nobel Prize, and Fulbrighters have won 95 Pulitzer Prizes.
But J. William Fulbright, the Arkansas senator who thought them up, has been airbrushed from the story of the scholarships because he voted against civil rights legislation in the 1950s and 1960s – and even led the filibusters. He’s been called the most influential American internationalist of the 20th century, but his name went unmentioned at the 75th anniversary of the scholarships in 2021.
The program has been starved of funds for 60 years, but it’s innovated and expanded and now has short term Fulbrights for experienced professionals as well.
What are the program’s accomplishments? Where is it going? John Bader, the executive director of the Fulbright Association, will discuss the scholarships and the paradoxical biography of J. William Fulbright at the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs March 6. He will be joined by Brian Sounders, associate director of Global Learning at UMBC.
This will be a joint program with the Fulbright Association, and we’ll welcome all Fulbright alumni to join the discussion.
Dr. John Bader, a former dean at Johns Hopkins, now leads the Fulbright alumni community. He is a graduate of Yale with a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in political science. His late father was part of the first Fulbright group sent to Germany after World War II, and then served as a staff member for Senator Fulbright on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. John did his Fulbright in India and calls it the most intense educational experience of his life. While serving as the scholarship advisor at Johns Hopkins, he coached 114 Fulbright recipients. He is the author of Taking the Initiative: Leadership Agendas in Congress and the Contract with America, and Dean’s List: 10 Strategies for College Success (as well as a parents’ guide).
Dr. Brian Souders has served as UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor for more than a decade. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Political Science and Slavic Languages and Literatures, and a Masters’ degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Political Science. He earned a doctorate from UMBC in the Language, Literacy and Culture Program, as well as a master’s in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages. He lived two years in Finland – as a high school exchange student, and later as a Finnish Ministry of Education Scholarship recipient.
Forced displacement represents one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time. Individuals and families, torn from the fabric of their communities, find themselves navigating a world of uncertainty, often without basic necessities or a clear path to safety. There are currently some 110 million forced displaced, and this number is growing by 10 million each year!
At the heart of this crisis are the political triggers. Armed conflicts, ethnic or religious persecutions, and systemic human rights abuses force millions to flee their homes in terror. Many are displaced within their own national boundaries, while others seek asylum abroad. If these factors change as a result of political shifts at home or the pressures from abroad, they can return to their homes. Forced displacement is thus different from environmentally driven displacement, as victims of climate change may never be able to return to their homes.
The ramifications of any sort of displacement are profound, not just for those directly affected, but also for host communities and countries. Overburdened infrastructures, socio-economic strains, and cultural tensions can arise, necessitating comprehensive strategies to foster harmony and integration. Yet the root causes of forced displacement can be remedied with a concerted focus by local players and international diplomacy.
Organizations like Refugees International play a crucial role in this arena, advocating for the rights and needs of the displaced, conducting on-the-ground assessments, and influencing policymakers to take informed actions. Their relentless work underscores the gravity of the situation and the urgency ofinternational cooperation. But they, too, are overwhelmed by the rapid expansion of the crisis.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL), with its core principles centered on the protection of civilians during conflicts, plays a pivotal role in this discourse. Yet, despite clear legal frameworks, compliance remains
inconsistent. This initiative emphasizes the importance of upholding and reinforcing these international standards.
It’s not just about recognizing the problem; it’s about active engagement. We urge governments, organizations, and individuals to prioritize the rights and needs of the forced displaced. Through collective efforts, informed policies, and sustained advocacy, we can shift the narrative from passive acknowledgment to proactive intervention.
