This past summer I worked as a research assistant at Fund for Peace (FFP). FFP was founded in 1957 with the primary focus of nuclear non-proliferation. As the Cold War came to a close, the world faced new threats to security. In light of this, FFP shifted focuses and now addresses human security, state fragility, and human rights. FFP conducts a number of projects aimed at improving the resiliency of countries and communities impacted by conflict. Currently, many of these projects focus in the geographical region of West Africa, but FFP conducts work on conflicts around the world.
During my time at Fund for Peace I primarily served in a research role. This involved composing memos on aspects of conflicts we are working on, coding early warning data, and looking for trends to explain the emergence of different forms of conflict. Additionally, I drafted reports for partner international organizations on the risks and vulnerabilities faced by individual countries. One of the best aspects of my time at Fund for Peace was being able to work on a wide variety of topics and projects at any given time. During my time at FFP I was exposed to a wide variety of security challenges present in a variety of locations.
My time at Fund for Peace is one that I will look back on fondly, and an experience that has sharpened specific skills that I will pull on in the security field. As many times as you might write a briefing at Maxwell, nothing is a substitute for delivering a briefing in a professional setting. My time at FFP has allowed me to sharpen the skills that Maxwell began to provide me with, and it has given me valuable knowledge about professional opportunities in security outside of the government.
Adam Miller is a recent graduate of the MAIR program. Not only did he intern at Fund for Peace, but completed an internship at the Department of State during his final fall semester.
