In May 2012, Chicago will be the center of the economic and political world as heads of state and government, top diplomats, military figures, and others convene for the G8 and NATO Summits. 

The application form can be found on the "Young Atlanticist" Website here

Call For Applications

In May 2012, Chicago will be the center of the economic and political world as heads of state and government, top diplomats, military figures, and others convene for the G8 and NATO Summits.  The Atlantic Council of the United States and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, in collaboration with the Atlantic Treaty Association and the Slovak Atlantic Commission, is seeking to engage leading young minds within the Alliance and partner countries in a series of activities in the run up to the Chicago Summits.

To facilitate a lasting conversation on the issues that will highlight the NATO summit, we will convene an international, non-partisan Working Group of emerging professional leaders (ages 25-35) to participate in an interactive and substantive dialogue about transatlantic and global security issues.  Members of the Working Group will engage in online dialogue, have access to private web or phone conferences with leading experts, and have the opportunity to earn subsidized in-person participation in two high-profile Young Atlanticist Summits: 

• Young Atlanticist Bratislava meeting on April 11-14, 2012, held in conjunction with the GLOBSEC Conference - http://www.ata-sac.org/globsec2011/; and
• Young Atlanticist Chicago Summit, on May 18-21, 2012 held on the sidelines of the official NATO Summit. 

We are currently seeking applications to join this Working Group from exceptional candidates from all NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries,[1] as well as Mediterranean Dialogue members[2], and other NATO partner countries.  

Young Atlanticist NATO Working Group

The Young Atlanticist NATO Working Group will connect emerging leaders in NATO and partner countries with the aim of fostering dialogue, building relations, and encouraging continued future collaboration on issues pertaining to NATO and transatlantic relations. The Working Group will engage members through a unique online forum featuring:

• Private dialogue and best practices sharing via a highly customized Facebook Group
• 3-5 web or phone conferences with leading experts and practitioners
• Opportunities to publish op-eds on the widely read New Atlanticist Blog
• NATO Crisis Simulations at both the Bratislava and Chicago Summits
• Opportunities to attend the Bratislava Young Atlanticist Summit: April 11-14, 2012
• Opportunities to attend the Chicago Young Atlanticist Summit: May 18-21, 2012 

The most active contributors to the network will earn an invitation to participate in the Bratislava and/or Chicago Summits. For those selected for the summits, accommodation and travel subsidies will be available to help offset the cost of participation.  Summit delegates will be selected from the working group using a merit-based incentive structure that will award a variety of related activities including, but not limited to: 

• Sustained participation in a running dialogue held within a private Facebook group
• Collaborative published work authored by 2 or more working group members
• In-person meetings and discussions
•  Independently organized web conferences
• Published media mentions of program activities

 The Bratislava Young Atlanticist Summit at GLOBSEC:  From the Young Atlanticist NATO Working Group, we will select 25 European delegates, 5 delegates from Partner countries (PFP and Med Dialogue), and 5 North American delegates.  GLOBSEC brings together nearly 500 key security and foreign policy figures from both sides of the Atlantic, and has become the leading annual forum on foreign policy and security in Central Europe. It has acquired a stable position in the calendar of major European conferences as the only annual forum of its kind in Central Europe.

 The Chicago Young Atlanticist Summit at the NATO and G8 Summits:  From the Young Atlanticist NATO Working Group, we will select 1 delegate from each NATO member country, 12 additional delegates for NATO member or partner countries (PFP, MD, Australia, Japan), and 10 U.S. delegates (final numbers may increased if funding allows).  In 2010, the Atlantic Council organized the Young Atlanticist Summit at the Lisbon NATO Summit, where delegates met with NATO Secretary General Rasmussen, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and General David Petraeus, among many others. Our young professional delegates shared the stage with senior policy leaders, resulting in an interactive and dynamic exchange of ideas.  The event was broadcast well beyond the Summit walls, and was covered by media outlets including BBC World News (television and radio), PBS, Agencie France Press, Deutsche Welle, and other outlets in over 25 countries.  The Atlantic Council has also organized youth events at the NATO summits in Prague, Istanbul, and Bucharest, and assisted with the youth program at the Strasbourg summit. 

2012 Program Timeline 

• February 6 - Applications Due
• Early-mid February - Acceptances/Online Launch
• Early March - Delegates for Bratislava and Chicago Summits Selected
• March - Activities, including on-line VIP conference call
• April 11-14 - Bratislava YAS at GLOBSEC
• April - Activities, including on-line VIP conference call
• May - Activities, including on-line VIP conference call
• May 18-21 - Chicago YAS Summit

Application Information

We are currently seeking applications from exceptional young professionals, aged 25-35, and are targeting individuals who have started careers in the fields of international relations, electoral politics, defense/security, journalism, international business, and academia.  Successful candidates will possess a strong passion for international engagement and have demonstrated leadership abilities.  

Applicant Requirements

• Between 25 and 35 years of age
• NATO or PfP country citizenship, Mediterranean  Dialogue, or partner (Australia, Japan) citizenship 
• Past experience relating to: security or defense policy; democratic transitions; international law; international energy policy; journalism; electoral politics; humanitarian issues; or any other fields of relevance to the transatlantic partnership
• Working knowledge of English
• A willingness to engage in regular online activity over an extended period
• An interest in long-term engagement with peers on issues pertaining to transatlantic relations
• Applicants who have previously participated in a Young Atlanticist Summit are not eligible to apply for this opportunity 

To be considered for this program, interested parties should submit the following materials to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

• Current CV, including nationality and age;
• Application form and essays.
  

Please note that recruitment will be conducted on a competitive basis.  Current or prior organizational affiliations will be taken into consideration, but will not guarantee selection. 

More information on the Atlantic Council of the United States and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs can be found at their websites.

The full application form can be found on the "Young Atlanticist" Website here

The Young Atlanticist NATO Working Group and participation in the GLOBSEC conference has been generously sponsored by the US Mission to NATO.