This morning we all jumped on the tram in Brussels and headed over the brand new NATO building with Dr. Markley. It was a great way to celebrate the United States and its contribution to peace in the world.The beautiful architecture depicts two hands coming together and symbolizes unity as well as cooperation of sovereign states in the world working together for a common defense. After walking around the perimeter, we took a picture in front of the building and returned back to Brussels to enjoy the rest of our free day. Everyone then went their separate ways for one last waffle or fries, to visit any last museums and/or to relax in one of Brussel’s many lovely parks and soak up the sun.

After going home to pack up, we all regrouped at 7pm for our Fourth of July party at Kwint in the city center. We had a beautiful view overlooking the Park Mont des Arts, especially when the sun started to set, which made for beautiful pictures that many took with their host families to remember this great experience by. The venue was also located right next to the Royal Library of Belgium which I got the opportunity to visit earlier on in the day.

It was an interesting experience to celebrate a holiday not as widely recognized  as it is in America. It gives us as Americans a new global perspective as every country has its own unique history that has great importance to its citizens. Given this experience I am excited to celebrate Bastille Day or Fete Nationale in a couple weeks which is the French equivalent and compare how the French celebrate their national holiday.

After all host families, special guests, and students had had the chance to have a bite to eat and get refreshments Dr. Birchfield honoured us with a speech. She spoke of the importance of unity in a time where it is seeming easier and easier to pull back the hand of friendship and hide behind borders. She also touched on the importance of a program such as this that aims to educate young Americans in the hopes of continuing the transatlantic relationship and supporting peace projects through partnerships and cooperation. And last but by no means least, I was touched by her emphasis on loving our country regardless of the fact that some might not support our current administration. I believe political rhetoric and the current media sometimes make it easy to forget that the United States has also done so much good throughout history to safe guard democracy and help others. We shouldn’t lose sight of the hope and opportunities the United States continues to generate despite bumps along the road and setbacks.

After our fearless leader’s speech, we then proceeded to sing the Georgia Tech fight song loud for all to hearand continued to mingle around until we all sadly had to go our separate ways once more around 9:30 PM to get ready for our early train to The Hague that next morning.

I will end with a quote from an article I read this afternoon: “I will celebrate not because I’m ignoring the stains in America’s past, but because I have an undying faith in those who struggle to weave a new fabric, one where families are cherished, and diversity is celebrated.”                    – Hannah Nguyen

Happy Independence Day! 

Today saw the EU study abroad program traveling to both the Human Rights Watch office in Brussels and to the Brussels Regional Parliament. We started off the day right after lunch by reuniting with Dr. Markley. We were all anticipating her return, ready for further discussions about human rights and the impact of European integration on this timely subject. Many members of the 2018 EU study abroad cohort have an interest in the subject of human rights, making both Dr. Markley’s return and the visit to Human Rights Watch an anticipated event.

We began the visit by entering the unassuming lobby of the office building, just a five minute walk from the main European Institutions. Similar to Google Europe, we all perceived a different feeling in this non-governmental organization compared to traditional political and governmental bodies that we had visited. Our presenter, in hiking pants and an untucked button down shirt, greeted us by setting a very comfortable and open atmosphere. He started the conversation by discussing the structure of Human Rights Watch (HRW) and some of the ways that they conduct their work.

He broke down the work of HRW into two main categories: investigating human rights abuses and advocating to stop these abuses. He then explained how the workload in HRW is divided among these two roles. Researchers work to investigate the abuses by going into the field, collecting evidence, interviewing witness, and analyzing information channels. After researchers publish their report, which often exceeds 300 pages, the advocacy and communication teams step in. First off, advocacy work involves trying to directly stop the abuse that is occurring in a certain country. This can occur by sitting down and trying to directly influence governments by meeting with officials and making efforts to change policy. However, if governments refuse to meet or act in an aggressive, obstructive behavior, HRW can conduct public information campaigns that bring light and shame to governments for the abuses that are occurring under their watch. The communication team within HRW focuses on developing these campaigns, and they also focus on making 300 page reports more accessible and appealing to a wider audience for a greater ultimate impact. Additionally, our speaker touched upon the fundraising aspects of HRW and non-governmental organizations in general. He highlighted how important a diverse source of funding is to keeping an organization non-governmental and as an objective third party. Core funding represents their main funding sources as opposed to project funding, therefore they have options in how their money is spent and where the funding sources focus on.

After he explained the general background on HRW, he opened the floor to questions. In this section students asked about EU advocacy, the relationship with China, and more specific questions about HRW work on the ground. In terms of EU relations, he explained how HRW directly interacts with EU institutions with MEPs in the Parliament and members of the Commission. Moving on from the EU advocacy, he expounded upon some of the dynamics with economics and human rights in regards with China. He believed that the creation of a separate dialogue on human rights took away some of the incentive to include human rights conditions in traditional trade discussions between the EU and China. They already have a separate forum, therefore, they do not need to discuss human rights in the key trade discussions. Finally, he discussed some of the positive directions that human rights was going in, one country would be Uzbekistan where HRW researchers are now allowed to work and the government is more receptive to advocacy efforts.

Ultimately, hearing from an NGO perspective was incredibly insightful for the entire group. This organization places real men and women on the ground to talk to people who suffer from human rights abuses and to influence governments to adhere to human rights laws. In this meeting we learned about such details like digital and personal security for these researchers. One of the main takeaways from the meeting was that human rights work is a tangible, dangerous endeavor. There are real stakes at play. It is not just international accords and governmental discussions. Real people suffer from human rights abuses and real people risk their lives to stop these abuses. It was a powerful message to hear that this work progresses everyday no matter the political rhetoric that flies around through the media. There are real steps moving towards the respect of human rights in the world.

Following HRW, we travelled to the Brussels Regional Parliament and met with the President of the Francophone Brussels Parliament. This visit began with a tour of the Parliament building, which was originally the palace of the governor of Brussels. In 1995, Brussels was given its own regional status and therefore needed a home for the Parliament, the current building became that home. The building complex itself blended three centuries worth of architecture into one unified parliament structure.

Moving through the building we encountered a variety of symbolic art installations that spoke to the values that the Brussels parliament embodies. One commission room featured a large image of Erasmus and Manneken Pis. This spoke to the support of constant development of mankind towards progress, shown in Erasmus, and the Brussels sense of humor in the Manneken Pis. In the center of the room, a large metal cube dangled from a thin wire thread. This was intended to represent the weight and importance of democracy, but the wire represented the fragility of the ideals and the project of democracy itself. In another commission room, we viewed a work by an artist who placed potato peels in the form of Arabic script, a controversial piece, but also a powerful work to place in the Brussels Parliament. Brussels has a significant Turkish and Moroccan population. This contemporary art hosted in the actual working rooms of the parliament is a testament to the parliament’s attention to their region and looking into the future to make things better for their citizens.

After viewing the working rooms of the parliament, we had a Q and A session that explored everything from the actual inner workings of the regional parliament to what democracy means to us and our own thoughts on US foreign policy. Throughout the tour, we felt a sense of politics for the people on a regional level.

These politicians work with everyday people, for example, they open the main parliament building once a month to an audience of 100 citizens of Brussels to have a discussions about issues facing the citizens. Ultimately, the fruits of these discussions are turned into real policy proposals. We were all incredibly grateful for the time given to us and discussions that we had about the intricacies of European integration, regional politics, and the future of the transatlantic relationship. We also were able to share soda and chips in the office of the President of the Brussels Francophone Parliament! The conversation travelled to discussions about our own goals and aspirations for the future of Europe and US relations. We all took away a sense of politics working for the people and hope for the future in the uncertain times that we currently live in. It was a wonderful second to last day in Brussels before heading to The Hague.

We began our day by making our way from our host families’ houses to Brussels Central Station, excited to see Bruges and Ghent while taking a break from the rapid pace of the week-long securities module. It was on this walk that I encountered a humorous campaign to promote Brussels through posting pictures of Donald Trump with the caption that Brussels is great, a backlash to his comments calling Brussels a “hellhole.” There were also pre-stamped postcards ready to be mailed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with the message that contrary to claims by the President, Brussels is in fact great!

Once we arrived at the train station the journey to Bruges was only an hour, however, as it turns out Einstein’s relativity also applies to train travel in Belgium as the hour-long journey was a seemingly longer endeavor in the heat of the railway car with the broken AC. Nevertheless, once we arrived in Bruges, we were immediately taken away by the allure of the “Venice of the North”. The narrow streets, medieval buildings, flowers, and the vibrant wooden doors which were painted in all shades of red, yellow, and green made the city truly different than anything we had seen before. After making our way through the charming streets we got on the tour boat that guided us through the canals of the city. Although, contrary to our expectations, the “captain” was in no way short of puns and proved to be wittier than anticipated. While we were exposed to some of the city’s history, especially with the wool industry before the industrial revolution, the majority of the tour proved to be comedic relief from the heat of the sun!

After the tour we were allowed to explore the city for a few hours before getting on the train to Ghent. We took this time to grab lunch and enjoy the many parks and canals of the city, some of us even took a nap on the river bank!

The day continued with our trip to Ghent, which although different, was every bit as charming as Bruges. Ghent felt bigger, less touristic, and more habitable for everyday living and lacked some of the charms of Bruges that were subtle reminders of a different era. Once our group paraded through the city, we were greeted with what was perhaps the highlight of the day, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Hubert and Van Eyck. Many of us recognized the painting from the movie Monuments Menand it was intriguing to stumble upon it at St. Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent. We then dispersed into groups to enjoy Ghent, like many of the locals, by sitting next to the river and watching the city go by. After sufficiently replenishing our vitamin D reserves and soaking in the sun, we headed back to Brussels. In the span of a day we had been to three different Belgian cities, and yet each one had its own character and was vastly different from the others.

Upon arriving in Brussels, we saw the whole city getting prepared to watch the Japan-Belgium soccer game. While some of us watched the game, others just felt the trembling grounds, shouts, and screams coming from all corners of the city. Apparently, it was a very intense game.

This Wednesday gave us a fun mid week break from security lectures in which we were able to focus more on some of the historical background that led to the creation of the European Union. With a meeting time of 10:40, we were able to sleep in a little more than usual before taking a bus ride to our first stop of the day, Waterloo. After learning so much about the famous battle that led to Napoleon’s downfall, we were all excited to see where the battle actually took place as well as learn more about the background and details of the battle. We first stopped in the interactive museum, which took us all the way through the battle, beginning with the Enlightenment and rise of the French Revolution. From here, the museum began to focus on the rise of Napoleon and his conquests throughout Europe. With portraits and details from many of the major battles during his rule, the museum gave strong context for the growing tensions from all of the other major European powers that led to the battle of Waterloo. Further, maps from different years showed Napoleon’s conquests around Europe and his growing power, as well as growing number of enemies. With this historical context in mind, the museum continued with a detailed description of the battle of Waterloo. What I found particularly unique about this battle was the vast number of different nationalities working together against a single common enemy. Many of the soldiers fighting against France had previously been under the control and leadership of Napoleon in the past, adding another layer of complexity to the battle. The partnership against Napoleon shows a strong forge against a common enemy that overcame language and cultural barriors and previous conflicts. Further, Waterloo as a whole is a strong representation of the need for a European Peace Project, as the Congress of Vienna (which took place after the defeat of Waterloo in an attempt to re-establish European borders) serves as an early example of an attempt to prevent major European conflict. Overall, our visit to the museum at the Battle of Waterloo site helped put the necessity of the EU into stronger historical context. After visiting the museum, we all decided to climb the nearly 300 stairs to the top of the battlefield memorial. While we were all exhausted after the small hike, the view from the top was beautiful and provided a great view of the memorial and the surrounding area of Waterloo.

View from the top of Waterloo memorial

After our visit at Waterloo, we then boarded a bus and began the hour and a half trek from Waterloo to Ypres. Once arriving in the quaint Belgian town, we immediately went to In Flanders Field, a museum focused on the major World War I battles in the area. While we have already spent some time learning about WWI and its European and worldwide consequences, this museum was a great reminder of the real-life human consequences war had on this area of Europe. Different interactive activities, like videos with “doctors” from the war further emphasized the deadly impact of the war. Further, the museum featured a fake trench that we could walk through, meant to accurately display the dire conditions soldiers lived in during the war. A small, but touching detail at the end of the museum was a list of major conflicts (civil wars, genocide, battles, etc.) that have occurred since the end of World War I. While we could find no description for this list, we interpreted it as a representation of how WWI was not truly the “war to end all wars”. This helped to directly tie the museum into our studies on the EU as a peace project, and how ultimately its purpose is to prevent Europe from being engulfed in such dangerous conflict again.

After a day full of travel and museum visits, we were all starving and excited for dinner in the beautiful town of Ypres. Dr. Birchfield treated us all to a delicious Italian dinner, and then we were all ready to head home after an exhausting but exciting day. Can’t wait to see what else the rest of our time left in Belgium has to offer!