Youngsters go to camp to learn diplomacy skills
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Some kids go to summer camp to hone their artistic talents, others to run laps or shoot hoops. But one group of 20 Pittsburgh-area students will be practicing something quite different this week: Diplomacy.
The young people will be learning decorum and protocol in dealing with international figures, studying world cultures and several languages, and traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet with several high-ranking officials as part of the second "I Want to be an Ambassador!" program, organized by the Pittsburgh charity Luminari.
The weeklong camp, which begins Tuesday at the Senator John Heinz History Center, aims to broaden young peoples' minds about world cultures and to stress to them the importance of nonviolent conflict resolution.
"I felt very strongly that there was a need in our region to inspire young people about diplomacy as a very viable tool that could be used for our daily lives," said Luminari founder Hilda Pang Fu.
Ms. Pang Fu said she hopes the program will give young people some versing in world cultures and also inspire students to consider how they can apply diplomatic skills to their everyday lives.
"We need to inspire our young people ... to consider all perspectives when we make a decision, and to make a habit of putting ourselves into the shoes of others when we look at an issue," she said.
Included in the camp's curriculum are lessons in world media; French, Spanish and Chinese culture and language; diplomatic etiquette and training in how to honor appropriately various cultures' customs; and a two-day trip to the nation's capital, where the young diplomats will meet with several current and former ambassadors and State Department figures.
First Published June 19, 2011 12:00 am
