Welcome to the second installment of our series on the Youth G20! In this episode, we speak to the Fragility, Conflict and Violence delegate from our host country, the United States of America.
Courtney Blankenship has a background in both law and security having studied Arabic in Morocco with the Peace Corps, Russian in Moscow in a university exchange semester, and her current work at the National Center for State Courts (International Programs Division). She begins by explaining how her time growing up in Kansas led to such adventures and what lessons she learned from her time abroad.
From here, we discuss what she was able to bring to the role of Y20 Delegate on behalf of the US and how she understood her role, ensuring that she represented young people from across the US, particularly from rural areas. We then dive into the Y20 Summit experience and how Courtney was able to navigate contentious topics such as mentioning Cuba and emerging issues such as AI technology.
Our conversation then turns to the US’ relationship with the UK and whether it deserves the title ‘Special’ by exploring the political, cultural, and security dimensions that go into this partnership. From contemporary Israel and Iran to historical Iraq and Afghanistan, Courtney and Alastair continue their conversation about what Americans need to know about their leadership – and its limits – before ending the discussion with a reflection on diplomacy in the modern age. Courtney reflects back on the Y20 Summit and revisits a point shared by a speaker at the Aspen Institute:
While we disagree, we must remember to not give up on each other.
Be sure to follow Courtney’s work here and listen to the full episode here.